Who is Morris Gibbons in Doctor Who? Lenny Rush character explained
UNIT is increasing its headcount, with child genius Morris joining its ranks.
The Legend of Ruby Sunday, the first part of Doctor Who season 14's two-part finale, features a stacked supporting cast, including returning characters such as Jemma Redgrave's Kate Lethbridge Stewart, Yasmin Finney's Rose Noble and Bonnie Langford's Mel.
They are joined by a number of new characters, including Genesis Lynea's Harriet and Lenny Rush's Morris Gibbons, with everything leading up to some big reveals, surrounding Ruby's parentage and actress Susan Twist's recurring appearances.
But, ahead of the episode debuting, just who is Rush's character Morris and what has Rush said about joining the Whoniverse?
Read on for everything you need to know about Lenny Rush's character in the Doctor Who episode, The Legend of Ruby Sunday.
Who is Lenny Rush's character, Morris Gibbons?
Little is yet known about Morris Gibbons, Lenny Rush's character, but we do know he is a child genius who is working with Kate Lethbridge Stewart and UNIT as a scientific adviser.
Rush was originally given the voice role of Eric in season 14 episode 1, Space Babies, but was offered the bigger role of Morris after impressing showrunner Russell T Davies in the read through.
Davies previously explained on an episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed: "Lenny Rush was one of the voices of the space babies, and he’d been so good as a space baby voice that at that read through we kind of sat there and went 'It’s a shame. It’s a shame he’s just a voice and we’re not going to actually see Lenny.'
"So this chance came along to cast a new scientific adviser and I was like, 'Oh my God, let’s get Lenny'."
What has Lenny Rush said about joining Doctor Who?
Rush has said he was "in disbelief" when he was offered the part of Morris, and explained that the character is "very different to other characters I’ve played".
He has admitted that he had never actually seen an episode of the show before, but has said that he has now watched a few episodes and is planning a "massive binge watch".
On working on the series, he said: "I’ve never worked on a show with so many cool effects! I think the stand out difference for me were the sets.
"They were amazing and are exactly how you see them on screen, it was unreal! I can’t believe how much work goes into building them."
He added: "I think a big part of Doctor Who being so iconic is how long the show has been running. It’s been airing since the 1960s and is still going strong. Another part of its special feeling is because of the fan base.
"People are so passionate about this show, and you can tell it means so much to them. I’ve never been in a show with such an amazing fan base and I feel so lucky to be a part of it."
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What has Lenny Rush starred in before?
At the age of just 15, Lenny Rush has already won a BAFTA, for his work in Daisy May Cooper's comedy-drama series Am I Being Unreasonable?.
He has also starred in children's and family shows such as Apple Tree House, The Dumping Ground and Dodger, as well as dramas such as 2019's A Christmas Carol and Best Interests.
He has also appeared in films including Enola Holmes 2 and Haunting of the Queen Mary, and featured on this year's Taskmaster's New Year Treat, which he won.
Doctor Who continues on Saturday 15th June on BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
