Posted in: BBC, Doctor Who, Preview, TV | Tagged: bbc, disney, doctor who, matt smith, Ncuti Gatwa, russell t davies

Doctor Who Star Ncuti Gatwa "Very Nervous;" Matt Smith, RTD & More

Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa on undertsanding the pressure, getting support from past Doctors, almost spoiling the news to Matt Smith & more.

After Showrunner Russell T. Davies, Fourteenth Doctor David Tennant & Catherine Tate (Donna Noble) spearhead a three-episode 60th-anniversary event for the long-running show, a new era of Doctor Who will be underway with Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa & companion Millie Gibson (Ruby Sunday) springboarding from the Christmas Special to Series 14 in 2024 (with work on Series 15 already underway). Earlier today, we checked in on what Gatwa had o share during an interview profile with Rolling Stone UK where he offered some insights into his Doctor and why he wanted the role. For this go-around, Gatwa addresses the double pressure that comes from being the first Black man to take on the role, how Vaies and previous Doctors have been a help with the process, and how he drunkenly spiled his casting to Matt Smith.

Aside from just how long the series has run when you combine its original run & its revival, the BBC's Doctor Who is a show – and The Doctor, a character – that is sewn into the fabric of British pop culture to the core. It's something that isn't lost on Gatwa, who shared, "I'm very nervous. I have a lot of sleepless nights where I lie awake feeling my heartbeat." But some in the press & social media have also looked to use Gatwa's race as a weapon against him and the show – another aspect that Gatwa is all too aware of. "I'm the first Black man to play this character. The British press can be very mean. I just have to focus on the job and stay true to what the Doctor is: a mad scientist alien who has adventures and cares about everyone," he explained.

But Gatwa has the support of Davies and the entire show's team to help him deal with some of the pressures that come from being the lead of a show that's constantly in the spotlight – including giving the actor the time he needs to get himself healthy. "Russell T Davies has been amazing, too. He calms me down. He's such an Earth sign. I can get very anxious, but therapy helps, and they've made sure that I have time put aside to have my sessions," Gatwa added. And he also has a number of previous Doctors that he can lean on, with Gatwa sharing that Tennant added him to a group chat with some of the other actors so that Gatwa can also have them as a resource. The Fifteenth Doctor has met Tennant and Peter Capaldi in person – but it's the Smith encounter that might take the top prize. Gatwa shared that he tipsily said to Smith at a party, "I'm following in your footsteps!" – before the news that Gatwa was taking on the role had been announced.

Along with Jemma Redgrave (Kate Lethbridge-Stewart), Aneurin Barnard (Roger ap Gwilliam), and Jack Forsyth-Noble (Will), Doctor Who Magazine #589 also confirmed that Bhav Joshi (Wedding Season), Eilidh Loan (Traces), Pete MacHale (Gangs of London), Miles Yekinni (Slow Horses), and Hemi Yeroham (Mamma Mia!) have joined the cast for the new series. In addition, Jinkx Monsoon (RuPaul's Drag Race) was also confirmed to have joined the cast – followed by Jonathan Groff (Glee, Mindhunter) and Indira Varma (Obsession, Game of Thrones) – as The Duchess – in May 2023. Bonnie Langford was confirmed to be returning as Melanie Bush in June 2023, along with Lenny Rush (Am I Being Unreasonable) as Morris.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!