Ncuti Gatwa says playing Doctor Who ‘feels powerful’ as a Rwandan immigrant
Ncuti Gatwa, the actor set to star as the 15th Doctor in 2023, has shared why his background makes it feel “really powerful” to appear in Doctor Who.
He makes history as the first permanent non-white cast member to portray The Doctor. It was recently announced that the upcoming era of the hit series, which is back in the hands of beloved showrunner Russell T Davies, will stream on Disney+ in the United States in a major distribution deal.
It will continue to air on the BBC in the UK. At an event celebrating the changes in how the show will be broadcast, Gatwa reflected on the significance of playing The Doctor. “My mouth gets paralysed by the concept of playing this role,” he explained. “[The role] is so deep in British culture and the fabric of Britishness that as a Rwandan immigrant to the country, it just feels really powerful. “[Doctor Who] matters for people of colour, for marginalised people who really gravitate towards the show because it’s about friendship and it’s about adventure and its about union and unity. “And also the Doctor is able to turn into anything or anyone, so the possibilities are endless.
So the fact that that mission is going out to lots of people, that the possibilities are endless, is extremely cool.” His comments come after fans were given their first glimpse of Gatwa as The Doctor in the recent teaser trailer for the upcoming episodes, which will see the highly anticipated return of David Tennant and Catherine Tate.
