It's been a few months since the fifteenth series of Doctor Who finished its run on Disney+, and now series star Ncuti Gatwa is opening up about his experience on the show. He even shares how he and former Doctor Who star Matt Smith connected over their similar roles. If you weren't aware, Smith portrayed the Eleventh Doctor while Gatwa portrayed the Fifteenth Doctor. However, they did not appear on the series at the same time.
News of Gatwa's casting as the Fifteenth Doctor broke out in May 2022. He would star in the role in both Doctor Who series 14 and series 15 on Disney+ before stepping away from the part in May 2025. At the time of his exit, it was unclear why exactly he was departing the British sci-fi series. But in July 2025, Gatwa finally addressed the speculation.
While appearing as a guest on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, he candidly explained that the role, though incredibly rewarding, was both physically and emotionally demanding. Because of this intense strain, he felt it was the right time to step away from the role.
Now, in a new interview with The Guardian, Gatwa delves deeper into the challenges he faced while playing the Doctor. He mentions how the attention around the series was intense and unpredictable. Security had to be placed outside his family’s homes to protect them from the overwhelming public interest, which was initially shocking to him until he understood why it was necessary. Gatwa also talks about meeting Smith at a club and how they shared a bond over the uniquely challenging and exhausting nature of the role. He explains that only those who have lived through the experience of being the Doctor can truly understand what they've been through.
"They put security outside my mum’s house, my brother’s house, and I would say: what could possibly be the need? And then the need comes. Only someone who has stood at the eye of this storm can understand it. I was just at Glastonbury and bumped into Matt Smith in a club, and we had great, deep chats about that job and how there’ll never be another like it in our lifetimes. We’ll never work that hard again. Never be as stimulated and stretched. It’s also very exhausting, so it’s lovely to delve into other projects.”
Given how Gatwa describes the role’s demands, it’s clear that stepping away from the character is both a necessary and welcome respite, allowing him time to recover from the intense scrutiny and exhaustion while also giving him space to pursue other projects and grow as an artist.
Gatwa is currently focusing on his stage work. You can see him next in the upcoming black comedy film The Roses and the Isabella Blow biopic The Queen of Fashion. If you'd like to check out some of his other work already out, we recommend watching the Netflix teen drama Sex Education and/or the Apple TV+ war drama miniseries Masters of the Air.
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