Doctor Who announces ER’s Goran Višnjić and Hustle’s Robert Glenister for new guest roles
They’ll join Jodie Whittaker, Stephen Fry and Lenny Henry in the new series
The upcoming series of Doctor Who just added some exciting new cast members, with ER star Goran Višnjić and Hustle’s Robert Glenister confirmed to appear in an upcoming episode of the BBC sci-fi drama.
Glenister actually has a bit of Doctor Who history – his second ever screen appearance was in a story aired in 1984 – while Višnjić is a newcomer to the series, which already stars regulars Jodie Whittaker, Mandip Gill, Tosin Cole and Bradley Walsh alongside recently-announced guest stars Stephen Fry and Sir Lenny Henry.
“I first appeared in Doctor Who in The Caves of Androzani at the tender age of 24 in 1984,” Glenister said.
“35 years later I got to be in it again at the not so tender age of nearly 60. How time flies!”
On his part in the show, Višnjić said: "I’ve always been a huge fan of Doctor Who, so when the offer to play one of my favorite people in history came, it made me so happy to be part of the show.”
“And it turned into this awesome, dream job!"
“One of the great joys of Doctor Who are the legendary actors who want to come and join in the Doctor’s adventures,” executive producer Matt Strevens said.
“We were thrilled to welcome Goran and Robert, whose worked we’ve loved and admired for years. They create two iconic characters who are going to delight and entertain.”
Croatian-American star Višnjić is probably best known for his role as Dr. Luka Kovač on medical drama ER, though he has also starred in series including Extant, Santa Clarita Diet, Pan Am and time-travel drama Timeless - clearly a man who'll be at home in the TARDIS.
Glenister, meanwhile will probably be most familiar to audiences for his years playing con man Ash 'Three Socks' Morgan in the BBC drama Hustle, having also appeared in Spooks, George Gently, A Touch of Frost, Live by Night and Code of a Killer among other dramas, including two - The Great Train Robbery and Law & Order: UK - where he worked with current Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall.
As with previously-announced guests Stephen Fry and Lenny Henry, the pair’s roles remain unknown at this stage, though the BBC notes that “emotions will be charged” when Glenister’s character meets the Doctor and her friends, while Višnjić's note that he'll be playing one of his "favourite people in history" suggests they'll be part of a historical episode playing real-life figures.
More may also be revealed when Doctor Who series 12’s first trailer is launched, with all four guest stars expected to make an appearance in the first-look footage. For now, we'll just have to wait and see...
Doctor Who returns to BBC One in early 2020
Authors
Huw Fullerton is a Commissioning Editor for Radio Times magazine, covering Entertainment, Comedy and Specialist Drama.
