‘Sex Education’ actor Ncuti Gatwa to be new ‘Doctor Who’

LONDON, Could 8 (Reuters) – Ncuti Gatwa would be the first Black actor to play the lead function in British sci-fi collection “Physician Who”, taking on from Jodie Whittaker because the 14th incarnation of the Time Lord subsequent yr, the BBC mentioned on Sunday.

The 29-year-old Scot, a star of Netflix hit “Intercourse Training”, posted two hearts plus a blue sq., representing the Physician’s Tardis, a time-travelling police phone field, on his Instagram account earlier than the information was confirmed by the broadcaster.

Gatwa, who was born in Rwanda, mentioned he had been maintaining the information secret since he was forged in February.

“It is an extremely iconic function and an extremely iconic present, and I simply hope I do it justice,” he mentioned on the purple carpet for the BAFTA TV awards, the place he was up for the very best male comedy efficiency for “Intercourse Training”.

“I am following in some very, very huge footsteps, so I’m simply hoping that I fill them up.”

The Physician is ready to regenerate, permitting completely different actors to play the function because the collection was first broadcast in 1963.

Gatwa mentioned the present was the “most stunning type of escapism”, the place you can overlook about worldly troubles and go into area to battle aliens.

Whittaker, who introduced she was leaving the present final yr, was the primary lady to play the Physician.

She’s going to seem in a remaining particular episode to mark the BBC’s centenary later this yr.

Showrunner Russell T Davies, who’s returning to Physician Who after leaving in 2009, mentioned Gatwa’s expertise was “brilliant and daring and sensible”.

“I can see him for years exploring the half and taking it someplace new,” he advised Reuters on the purple carpet, the place he accompanied Gatwa.

“That is what I felt. I felt it in my coronary heart that we are able to go anyplace with this.”

Writing by Paul Sandle; Modifying by Catherine Evans, Kirsten Donovan

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