Nkuti Gatva, star of the Netflix series “Sex Education”, will be the 14th actor and the first black man to star in “Doctor Who”, the long-running British science fiction franchise for time travel adventurer, the BBC reported on Sunday.
He replaces Jody Whitaker, who announced her departure last July after three seasons as the show’s first female doctor.
Mr Gatwa, a 29-year-old Rwandan-Scottish actor, plays Eric Efiong, a gay man who focuses on his sexuality and identity in a religious Nigerian family, in “Sex Education”, the hit British comedy drama for teenagers on Netflix.
“It feels really amazing, it’s a real honor,” Mr Gatwa told the BBC on Sunday when he arrived for the British Academy EE Film Awards, known as BAFTA, where he was nominated for Best Actor in a Comedy Program for his work. on “Sex Education”.
“This role is an institution,” he told Doctor Who. “It’s so iconic and it means a lot to so many people, including me, and it makes everyone feel seen. This is something that everyone can enjoy, so I feel very grateful that I passed the baton to me and I will try to do my best. ”
Fans of Doctor Who celebrated the news on Twitter on Sunday, with many expressing excitement to see a doctor who looks like them. Others noted the restrained nature of the message: a tweet followed by a news release the BBC shared on social media. In July 2017, the BBC announced the selection of Ms. Whitaker in an advertisement broadcast after the Wimbledon final for men.
In a statement shared by the BBC, Mr Gatwa noted the importance of “Doctor Who” – both the character and the show itself – to fans around the world and acknowledged that they felt a mixture of deep respect, more than excited and , of course, a little scared. ”
“Unlike the Doctor,” he added, “I may have only one heart, but I give my all to this show.”
The BBC has broadcast 39 seasons of “Doctor Who” for almost 60 years. The time-traveling alien show, known as The Doctor, who travels through time and space in an old-fashioned British police phone booth called TARDIS, cultivates a legion of dedicated fans who call themselves “Whovians.”
The doctor is reborn into new people and in turn the show changes its lead actor every few years. Although the transition to new Doctors is and is eagerly awaited by fans, previous attempts to change and diversify the show have not been universally accepted. When Ms. Whitaker’s turn as Doctor was announced in 2017, some fans embraced the hashtag #NotMyDoctor and wondered why the hero had suddenly changed his gender.
Ms. Whitaker’s latest episode is yet to come, Russell T. Davis, the show’s showrunner, said in a statement. It will air in the fall during the BBC’s 100th anniversary celebrations, according to a trailer ahead of the episode.
Mr. Gatva will make his debut as the Lord of Time in 2023.
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