Jinkx Monsoon plays a brand new Doctor Who baddie called Maestro, a powerful musical villain who's set to wreak havoc in the 1960s and stop the era swinging! The character arrives in "The Devil's Chord", which is the second episode of the 14th Doctor Who series which fans can watch on Saturday May 11 2024.
This American drag queen, known as the Queen of All Queens, found fame when she won the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2013. Then in 2022 she won RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, making her the first two-time winner of the show. She’s also pursued a career in music, releasing two studio albums, and made her Broadway debut in 2023, treading the boards as Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago
Now Jinkx Monsoon dons a ginger wig and a tuxedo cape emblazoned with piano keys in a thrilling episode that sees the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and his companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) travel back to 1960s London in order to meet The Beatles, only to encounter the Maestro, who’s seeking to change the course of musical history! Look out for Cilla Black too trying to record a song at Abbey Road Studios! Strictly stars Shirley Ballas and Johannes Radebe rock up too for fun cameos!
Here Jinkx Monsoon, 36, reveals much more about her Doctor Who character Maestro…
Jinkx Monsoon interview on playing Maestro
How did you get the part of Maestro in Doctor Who?
Jinkx Monsoon says: "I’ve been friends with Russell T Davies for a long time. He has been to so much of my stuff and has always been so supportive. He came to see my show in Manchester, which is a farce set in the future. Afterwards, he was walking home and he realised he wanted me to play this particular role in Doctor Who. At that moment, he started writing the role a little bit more with me in mind. When I got the script, the character’s description said, one part the Joker, one part Jinkx Monsoon!"
What more can you reveal about Maestro?
"Maestro is exceptionally powerful. When human rules don't apply to you, you get to do whatever you want. You don't have to worry about whether your emotions make sense to people because you don't have to answer to them. And that's really freeing when you’re playing a character. The thing I love about a villain is that what they’re doing is justified because it's for something greater that they've planned. What I love about Maestro is that while objectively evil, they’re an artist, they have a mission statement, and that was really lovely to play."
What did you most enjoy about the role?
"Maestro treats the Doctor like he’s no threat, and that's a really fun thing to work with. When you have someone trying to take you down, but they don't really scare you that much, that’s so enjoyable. It made for a dynamic performance between Ncuti and me. Maestro has a fascination with the Doctor. To get to play against someone who hates you and is trying to tear you down and trying to stop you when you just find them adorable – that’s great to play. It really informs the character of the villain!"
How did you find working on Doctor Who?
"I loved it! Every person I interacted with, from day one until the day I left, was absolutely lovely. Everyone was happy to be there and having fun doing their job. Nothing is worse than when you come to your dream job and everyone else seems to be apathetic. It really felt like we were all doing something we really cared about, and that made for a really lovely environment on set. Ncuti was just so generous and no one cared that this was only my third live-action scripted TV appearance!"
You got into Doctor Who during the pandemic. What do you love about it?
"It’s got this element of camp, and this sci-fi suspension of disbelief, where it's stylized and it's fun, and it's funny. But it's also written so well. Each episode can move you. Every story has got a point and is trying to teach you something, small or large. I'm really excited to be a part of this episode, in a season that's going to really shake the foundation of the Whoniverse!"
Could you describe your experience on Doctor Who in five words?
"Dream job of a lifetime."
* Doctor Who season 14 launches on BBCiPlayer in the UK and worldwide on Disney Plus on Saturday May 11 2024, with the first two episodes being shown from then, followed by a weekly release. Doctor Who series 14 also starts in the UK on BBC1 from Saturday May 11 2024 at 6.20pm with The Devil's Chord starting at 7.05pm.
