Ncuti Gatwa is the new “Doctor Who”

Ncuti Gatwa, a star of the Netflix series ‘Sex Education’, will be the 14th actor and the first black man to play the title role in ‘Doctor Who’, the long-running British sci-fi franchise about an adventurer traveling through time, bbc announced sunday.

He replaces Jodie Whittaker, who announced her departure last July after three seasons as the show’s first female doctor.

Mr Gatwa, 29, a Rwandan-Scottish actor, plays Eric Effiong, a gay man navigating his sexuality and identity in a religious Nigerian family, in “Sex Education”, the hit British teen drama series on Netflix.

“It’s really amazing, it’s a real honor,” Mr Gatwa said. told the BBC on Sunday upon his arrival at the EE British Academy Film Awards, commonly referred to as BAFTAs, where he was nominated for Best Male Performance in a Comedy Program for his work on ‘Sex Education’.

“This role is an institution,” he said of “Doctor Who.” “It’s so iconic and it means a lot to so many people, including myself, and so everyone feels seen equally. It’s something that everyone can appreciate, so I’m very grateful to received the relay and I will try to do my best.

“Doctor Who” fans celebrated the news on Twitter on Sunday, with many expressing their excitement to see a doctor who looks like them. Others noted the low-key nature of the announcement: a tweet followed by A press release which the BBC shared on social media. In July 2017, the BBC announced Mrs. Whittaker’s Selection in an ad that aired after the Wimbledon men’s final.

In a statement shared by the BBC, Mr Gatwa stressed the importance of “Doctor Who” – both the character and the series itself – to fans around the world, and acknowledged feeling “a mix of deeply honoured, beyond excited and of course a bit scared.”

“Unlike the Doctor,” he added, “I may only have one heart, but I’m giving this show my all.”

The BBC has aired 39 seasons of “Doctor Who” over almost 60 years. The show, about a time-traveling alien known as the Doctor who travels through time and space in an old-fashioned British police phone box called a TARDIS, has cultivated a legion of devoted fans who do call “Whovians”.

The Doctor regenerates into new people, and in turn, the show replaces its lead actor every few years. While the transitions to new Doctors are expected and eagerly awaited by fans, previous attempts to change and diversify the series have not been universally embraced. When Ms. Whittaker’s turn as a doctor was announced in 2017, some fans adopted the hashtag #NotMyDoctor and wondered why the character had suddenly changed gender.

The final episode of Ms. Whittaker is yet to come, Russell T. Davies, the series’ showrunner, said in a statement. It will air in the fall during the BBC’s centenary celebrations, according to a trailer preview of the episode.

Mr. Gatwa will make his debut as a Time Lord in 2023.