Ncuti Gatwa has revealed how Millie Gibson helped him shape the personality for the new Doctor Who.
The Sex Education star plays the Fifteenth Doctor in the series from returning showrunner Russell T Davies, alongside Gibson as companion Ruby Sunday.
Speaking with Digital Spy and other press at the new season premiere, Gatwa explained that meeting the former Coronation Street star for the first time was crucial to giving his Doctor a cheeky side.
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"I think when Millie Gibson walked into the audition room, I was like, I know where I want to take this character," Gatwa said.
"The dynamic of the Doctor and the companion is so essential to the show. The companion teaches the Doctor so much and vice versa.
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"As soon as you walked in, I was like, we would have got in so much trouble at school. That is where I want to take the Doctor."
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Gatwa also praised Davies' "amazing" script, saying: "But then also just the writing, the scripts just carry you through. You just say the lines and sound amazing because the lines are amazing. So yeah, combination of these two people besides me [Davies and Gibson]."
Set to premiere on May 11, the new season has earned rave reviews, with Variety labelling the episodes "a thrilling ride that doesn’t disappoint" and Collider calling them "an exciting refresh" of the series.
Alongside Gatwa's Doctor and Gibson's Ruby, the new batch of episodes will introduce villain Maestro, played by RuPaul's Drag Race queen Jinkx Monsoon.
Opening up about her character, the star said Maestro may be evil but has a greater plan in mind.
"The thing I love about a villain is that they can't think they're doing something wrong, or if they do think they're doing something wrong, it's justified because it's for something greater that they've planned," she said.
"What I love about Maestro is that while objectively evil, they are an artist, they have a mission statement. And that was really lovely to play."
Doctor Who will return for its 14th series on May 11 at midnight, airing on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Classic episodes of Doctor Who are available on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
Previously Deputy TV Editor at Digital Spy and, before that, a TV Reporter at The Mirror, Rebecca can now be found crafting expert analysis of the TV landscape, when she's not talking on the BBC or Times Radio about everything from the latest season of Bridgerton or The White Lotus to whatever chaos is unfolding in the various Love Island villas. When she's not bingeing a boxset, in-the-wild sightings of Rebecca have included stints on the National TV Awards and BAFTAs red carpets, and post-match video explainers of the reality TV we're all watching.
