London –
Nkuti Gatwa will be the first black actor to star in the British science fiction series “Doctor Who”, taking over from Jody Whitaker as the 14th incarnation of the Lord of the Times next year, the BBC reported on Sunday.
The 29-year-old Scotsman, star of the Netflix hit “Sex Education”, posted two hearts plus a blue square representing Doctor’s Tardis, a time-traveling police phone box, on his Instagram account before the news was confirmed by a TV operator.
Gatwa, who was born in Rwanda, said he did not have enough words to describe how he felt.
“A mixture of deeply respected, extremely excited and, of course, a little scared,” he said in a statement to the BBC.
“This role and show means so much to so many people around the world, including me, and each of my incredibly talented predecessors handles this unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care.
“I will do my best to do the same.”
The Doctor has been able to regenerate, allowing a variety of actors to play the role since the series first aired in 1963.
Whitaker, who announced she was leaving the show last year, was the first woman to play the Doctor.
She will appear in the latest special episode to mark the BBC’s centenary later this year.
(Report by Paul Sandle; edited by Catherine Evans)
Add Comment