BBC just dropped the bombshell: Ncuti Gatwa is the actor chosen to succeed Jodie Whittaker at the head of ‘Doctor Who’, thus becoming the fourteenth person to play the protagonist of the mythical British science fiction series.
Gatwa is mainly known for giving life to Eric, the best friend of the protagonist of ‘Sex Education’. The question remains whether his signing for ‘Doctor Who’ will affect his participation in the Netflix series. Let’s remember that recently it became known that Nicole Ashley was leaving her to focus on ‘The Bridgertons’, but Gatwa’s character in ‘Sex Education’ is much more important, so her removal would be much more sensitive.
Gatwa’s message
In this way, Gatwa becomes the first black actor to bring the legendary Doctor to life. The actor has not hesitated to launch an emotional message to accompany the news of his signing:
There are no words to describe how I feel. A mixture of deep honor, beyond emotion, and of course, a bit of fear. This role and this series means so much to so many around the world, myself included, and each of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care. I will do my best to do the same. Russell T. Davies is almost as iconic as the Doctor himself and to be able to work with him is a dream come true. His writing is dynamic, exciting, incredibly smart and full of danger. The metaphorical playing field of an actor. The whole team has been very welcoming and really gives their heart to the series. And as discouraging as it is, I am aware that I am joining a family that truly supports me. Unlike the Doctor, I may only have one heart, but I’m giving it my all to this series.
At the moment the exact date on which Whittaker will pass the baton to Gatwa is unknown, but it is expected to be in 2023 when he assumes the character permanently, coinciding incidentally with the return to the series of Russell T Davieswho already served as showrunner of the series for several years until his departure in 2010.