Ncuti Gatwa reveals the advice previous Doctor Who stars gave him

At 31 years of age, Ncuti Gatwa became the third youngest actor to debut as Doctor Who in the 2023 Christmas special, behind only Matt Smith and Peter Davison. It takes a lot of confidence to take on such a huge role so young, but thankfully for Gatwa, he had the wisdom of previous Doctors to help him on his journey.

Gatwa's beginning is very similar to Matt Smith's; both of them have to establish themselves in the role after succeeding the one and only David Tennant. Also, Gatwa has to kick off a whole new era for the Whoniverse, much like what Chris Eccleston had to to in 2005. Disney is now involved in the franchise; they've pumped a lot of money into the new seasons and will be airing the episodes on their Disney+ streaming service. The new season is being marketed as 'season 1' rather than season 14 of the New Who era.

Needless to say, Gatwa is feeling the pressure, but the 'Whovian family' is there to offer their myriad advice whenever its needed. “They’ve all been absolute angels,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s a very small, very exclusive club, and it’s just nice to know that other people have gone through that experience as well. That solidarity from the other Doctors has been really nice.”

So what advice did he actually get? Well, turns out there's a recurring theme: “The main thing that everyone has told me is: Remember to have fun,” Gatwa said. “Remember that even on the most tiring days, this job is one that not many people get to do. You’ll never do a job like this again in your life, and you’ll never get to creatively go to the places that you get to go to on the show. So, soak it all in.”

How much do they talk about previous Doctors on the Doctor Who set? "Zero"

The Doctor's new companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), has also received advice from veterans of the series. She even got to talk to her hero, Karen Gillan, who portrayed the Eleventh Doctor's companion Amy Pond. "When you get to talk to a past companion, it’s very reassuring and beautiful to be told that it’ll be okay and to enjoy the ride," Gibson said. While she didn't reveal exactly what advice she got, Gibson explained that Gillan offered some "down-to-earth wise words."

With all of that said, showrunner Russell T Davies ardently believes that the show shouldn't get caught up in its past. In fact, he's ruled that previous Doctors are not to be talked about on set. "The amount we talk about previous Doctors on set is zero," he told Total Film. "They’re wonderful people but Doctor Who exists in the present and future. There’s a roster of wonderful companions behind us, too… Doctor Who has moments where it looks back but it’s more exciting to look forward."

Ncuti Gatwa's eight-episode debut season premieres May 11 on Disney+ and a day later on the BBC. Is the Whoniverse about to re-enter its golden era? We hope so!

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