Ncuti Gatwa will be the next Time Lord on the hit British sci-fi TV series Doctor Who, the BBC announced Sunday, ending months of speculation about who would be the next star of the long-running show.
“This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care. I will endeavor my utmost to do the same,” Gatwa said in a statement.
Gatwa is perhaps best known for Sex Education, the Netflix British teen dramedy, in which he portrays Eric Effiong, a gay man trying to balance his open sexuality with his highly religious family.
The Rwanda-born, Scotland-raised Gatwa will become the series 14th Doctor, replacing Jodie Whittaker, who announced her departure from the series in July.
Running from 1963 to 1989, the original BBC series Doctor Who spotlighted a time-traveler who saved the day armed only with his wits and his wit. Following the revival of the show in 2005, a host of actors have portrayed the Doctor, including Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Matt Smith. Whittaker in the lead role in 2018, the first woman to play the Doctor.
Russell T. Davies, who served as showrunner until 2010, will return to the program after more than a decade’s absence, the BBC announced. “Russell T. Davies is almost as iconic as the Doctor himself and being able to work with him is a dream come true,” Gatwa said in a statement.
“Sometimes talent walks through the door and it’s so bright and bold and brilliant, I just stand back in awe and thank my lucky stars,” Davies said statement. “Ncuti dazzled us, seized hold of the Doctor and owned those TARDIS keys in seconds.”
