Doctor Who's Yasmin Finney reveals "pressure" of taking up title of Rose
The Heartstopper breakout is following in Billie Piper's footsteps.
Yasmin Finney has opened up about the "pressure" that comes with being the latest Rose to grace the Doctor Who franchise, ahead of her debut in this year's 60th anniversary specials.
The Heartstopper star was confirmed to be joining the BBC's flagship sci-fi drama last year, with her character's name later revealed in an apparent nod to Billie Piper's iconic companion.
It's unknown exactly what role Finney's Rose will play in the stories to come, but the actor spoke to Elle this week about the high-profile new gig.
Addressing the name, she began: "It’s obviously got a lot of history, hasn’t it? To play a character with such history, even just the name, you’ve got that pressure instantly that I didn’t have with [Heartstopper role] Elle.
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"It was a complete mind-blowing experience when I got cast. I can’t really relive it because I was so in the moment. At first, [the show] had a code name, and then I found out what the show was and I was like, 'Oh my God, I’ve just been cast in Doctor Who.'"
She added: "It’s a trans character as well, and it’s such a blessing as well to be able to play such a monumental character like Rose."
Finney went on to give fans a hint of what's to come in the 60th anniversary specials, following the recent confirmation that she has filmed scenes with Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa – as well as returning favourites David Tennant and Catherine Tate.
"You can look forward to a lot of scary things," she said. "I think when you think of Doctor Who, you think of the scariest episode, the weeping angels. It’s the scariest episode in history and the most popular.
"I think in this series, I was scared when I saw some of the things. It’s shivers down your spine. But, I can’t tell you too much. What I can say is it is going to be full of scares, full of laughs, full of all of it."
Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Episodes of the classic series can be streamed on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
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