Posted in: BBC, Doctor Who, Preview, Trailer, TV | Tagged: bbc, david tennant, doctor who, russell t davies, yasmin finney

Doctor Who: Yasmin Finney Teases "Throwback" 60th Anniversary Event

Doctor Who star Yasmin Finney on working with Russell T. Davies, some David Tennant foreshadowing, and an interesting 60th-anniversary tease.

One of the last times we checked in with Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies, he was sharing his thoughts on the casting of Black transgender actress Yasmin Finney in a role with a very familiar name – Rose. Now, the Heartstopper actress is sharing some thoughts on how it feels to join David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor & Catherine Tate's Donna Noble for this November's 60th-anniversary event. Speaking with British GQ, Finney offered a memory from her childhood that foreshadowed what was to come.

"I remember at one of my first birthday parties, somebody got me, like, 'Doctor Who' playing cards. They had Daleks on them; David Tennant. And I was so happy. Fast-forward nine years or something, and I'm here on the show." Referring to the showrunner as one of the "wisest men" she's ever met, Finney had nothing but glowing praise for Davies. "You know what, he's [Davies] always been ahead of his time. Always. And that's something that I see in myself, and I see reflected in his writing. I see the power he holds with every word," she added. And while there's not much she can offer regarding plot details, Finney did drop this tantalizing tease: "Get ready, because it really is a throwback."

Russell T. Davies on Casting Yasmin Finney

Writing in Doctor Who Magazine #591 (which you can order here), Davies explained how the show approaches its casting process for every role. "We're looking for good actors. That's the most fundamental line. Good acting, gay, straight, in between, whatever, the actor we choose has to be good. That's the only thing that matters," Davies explained.

When it comes to the issue of only casting LGBTQ+ actors in LGBTQ+ roles, Davies admits that their stance has been an "evolving" thing over the course of his career. "I find myself at the heart of a web – of my own making, okay! – discussing the rights and wrongs of casting, especially when it comes to LGBTQ+ roles. And it's an evolving thing. My stance changes over the years as I learn more and more. My opinions change like they're meant to," Davies writes. "When I express a preference for casting gay actors in gay roles, some critic will hold up 'Queer as Folk' from 1999 and say, but you cast straight men in that! Yes, I say, and I owe them everything; their bravery allowed me to move forwards, but more significantly, that was 24 years ago. Do you still think the same as 24 years ago? And then they stick their dummies back in their mouths, and I think, oh, you do."

By casting Finney in the role, Davies sees it as an opportunity to make the viewer's experience (and their own) richer by bringing someone into their lives (through their screens) with a life experience uniquely from their own. "The joy of casting like this is in making my own experience richer, and I hope the viewers' too. That's what's brilliant about working with Yasmin Finney – through contact with her, I've witnessed her ideals, her politics, her family, her fights, her triumphs, her life in this world. A life I might never have known. It's a journey and a joy. I love it, and I hope I can do more, more, more." And it looks like Finney is getting some love & support from the franchise's original "Rose," Billie Piper – who left the following comment in the BBC show's official Instagram post promoting the newest edition of Doctor Who Magazine:

Joining Tennant and Tate are Neil Patrick Harris in a big bad role (possibly The Toymaker/The Celestial Toymaker?) & Yasmin Finney as the interestingly-named Rose (Hmmm…). In addition, Jacqueline King & Karl Collins are returning as Sylvia Noble & Shaun Temple, respectively, Ruth Madeley is set to appear as Shirley Anne Bingham, and Bernard Cribbins is set to posthumously appear, reprising his role as Wilfred Mott. In addition, fans of the comics can expect to see Beep the Meep and the Wrarth Warriors play a major part, and – as if all of that wasn't enough – Ncuti Gatwa is expected to debut as the Fifteenth Doctor. With all three episodes written by Davies, we learned the episode titles during this weekend's Eurovision 2023 broadcast: Special One: "The Star Beast" (directed by Rachel Talalay), Special Two: "Wild Blue Yonder" (directed by Tom Kingsley), and Special Three': "The Giggle" (directed by Chanya Button).

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