Ncuti Gatwa only auditioned for Doctor Who once: "He just got it"
Gatwa says the role of the Doctor allows him to explore "the whole kaleidoscope of emotions".
Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies has described Ncuti Gatwa's audition to play the lead character as "one of the most astonishing afternoons" of his life.
Gatwa bagged the coveted role with just one audition, Davies revealed at a screening of the show's 2023 Christmas special.
"I was very lucky that I did the audition with Ncuti, and it was one of the most astonishing afternoons of my life, because you were just so amazing – to actually be in a room with you and to see you face-to-face," said Davies, who was joined for a Q&A panel by Gatwa and co-star Millie Gibson.
"He did one audition. Normally there's, like, 27 auditions – one! He just got it."
Gatwa himself was quizzed about what aspects he wants to bring to his Doctor. "It is such a hard question to answer," he said.
"Because the role of the Doctor is everything anyway – they're an explorer that has been around for a billion years, and so they have so many quirks and intricacies, and rage and joy...
"They're just full of the whole kaleidoscope of emotions. So, to pick what I was going to bring out differently is a very hard question to answer... so I guess just myself. My Black, beautiful self!"
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Having made his debut opposite David Tennant in Saturday's episode The Giggle, Gatwa will return as the Doctor in the 2023 Christmas special, The Church on Ruby Road, airing at 5:55pm on Christmas Day on BBC One.
The special will see the Fifteenth Doctor, played by Gatwa, take over the TARDIS and be joined by new companion Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson, with the pair encountering "mythical and mysterious goblins".
Watch a trailer for the special below:
Davies has also revealed that an upcoming episode in Gatwa's first season will feature the Beatles as characters.
Read more:
- Doctor Who boss says there are "no plans" for David Tennant to return
- Doctor Who boss confirms Ncuti Gatwa still has "the old TARDIS"
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Authors
Morgan Jeffery is the Digital Editor for Radio Times, overseeing all editorial output across the brand's digital platforms. He was previously TV Editor at Digital Spy and has featured as a TV expert on BBC Breakfast, BBC Radio 5 Live and Sky Atlantic.
