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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Lizzie Edmonds

Ncuti Gatwa says legendary Doctor Who star will appear in show’s 14th series

Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa has revealed fans of the show will be treated to special appearance of a legendary star who’ll be brought back from the dead for the 14th series of the show. 

The Scottish-Rwandan actor, 31, will make history next year when he becomes the first black actor to become the Doctor.

Speaking to The Mirror, Gatwa – best known to date for his role of Eric in teen series Sex Education – said that the first ever Doctor, William Hartnell, will appear in the series. 

He said: “I shouldn’t say this but I shot a scene, somehow, with the first-ever Doctor, William Hartnell. We end up in the same scene together at some point.

The star continued: “To see that history – now a Black man as the Doctor! It was just very wild.”

Hartnell was the first Doctor, playing the role from 1963 to 1966 in 137 episodes. 

He died in 1975, aged 67, after suffering a series of strokes. 

He last appeared in the show in the festive special broadcast in 1972. His declining health meant his role was one of his final professional jobs.

Doctor Who first broadcast in 1963, running for 26 seasons until 1989. 

It was intended as an educational Saturday evening show for the family that would teach young people about history as the Doctor traveled through time and history. 

The show took a hiatus from 1989 until 2005 when it made a comeback to the BBC with Christopher Ecclestone playing the lead role. 

Gatwa became a household name thanks to his role playing gay teenager Eric Effiong in Netflix’s Sex Education alongside Gillian Anderson and Asa Butterfield. 

He has also appeared in the Barbie movie in recent months.

He will be the 15th actor to take on the role of The Doctor.

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