Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker has been giving her successor, Ncuti Gatwa, extensive advice for his turn as the Doctor.
"Luckily, enough time had passed between finishing shooting and finding out about the new Doctor for me to just feel pure excitement about it. It’s inspired casting. He’s gonna smash it," Whittaker said of Gatwa in an interview with Empire. "Unfortunately for Ncuti, he gave me his number. So he’s getting eight-minute monologues from me on WhatsApp."
It was announced in May that Gatwa would take over as The Doctor for Season 14, a role held by Whittaker since 2018. "Ncuti dazzled us, seized hold of the Doctor and owned those TARDIS keys in seconds," showrunner Russel T. Davies said about Gatwa's performance. "It's an honour to work with him, and a hoot, I can’t wait to get started." Davies, who will be taking over as showrunner from Chris Chibnall for the fourteenth season, is credited with reviving BBC's cult, sci-fi drama in 2005. He served as showrunner until Steven Moffat took the reigns in 2009.
Whittaker Takes Gatwa Under Her Wing
Whittaker premiered as the 13th Doctor, and the first woman to play the role, in 2018. She and Chibnall, who also joined the series in 2018, announced in July 2021 that they would both hand over the keys to the TARDIS with a trio of specials airing in fall 2022. Chibnall said in a statement that he and Whittaker "made a 'three series and out' pact with each other at the start of this once-in-a-lifetime blast."
"In 2017 I opened my glorious gift box of size 13 shoes," Whittaker said upon the announcement of her departure. "I could not have guessed the brilliant adventures, worlds and wonders I was to see in them. My heart is so full of love for this show, for the team who make it, for the fans who watch it and for what it has brought to my life."
The Doctor Who Centenary Special, titled "The Power of the Doctor," will mark the end of Whittaker's run as the titular hero and her Regeneration, while introducing Gatwa, who will be the first gay Doctor. While Whittaker has recently stated that she can't talk about her impending Regeneration scene "without crying, she also assured fans that the 90-minute special will be "one for the Whovians." The Centenary Special will not only see Whittaker's Regeneration but will be full of nostalgia, including the return of fan-favorite characters as well as some iconic villains from the series.
Doctor Who's "The Power of the Doctor" will premiere sometime in October.
Source: Empire