If anyone approves of Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa as Doctor Who, it is Matt Smith. The former star of the series is preparing for the Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon. During the world premiere, he spoke to Variety about the next Doctor and praised the actor, who he had not met but talked to through WhatsApp.
“I think it’s the most sensational bit of casting. What an actor — he’s brilliant in Sex Education,” he said. “I think he’s got something ‘other’ that that part really needs.”
Approval from a previous Doctor Who lead is quite the compliment for Ncuti Gatwa, as Matt Smith was in the shoes of the character from 2010 to 2013. The ex-Doctor complimented showrunner Russell T Davies for his “sense of the show.” For that, it makes sense for his approval of the latest casting as the Sex Education star was announced as the first Black actor to take on the role.
Matt Smith praises Ncuti Gatwa for Doctor Who casting
While Matt Smith sings praises for Ncuti Gatwa as Doctor Who, the Scottish actor acknowledges the honor. In May, when he was announced, he told BBC News that “it feels really amazing. It’s a true honor. This role is an institution and it’s so iconic.”
It is going to be a busy time for the actor as he returned to Netflix’s Sex Education for season 3. Although the series lost Patricia Allison and Tanya Reynolds, it still holds previous cast members Asa Butterfield (Otis), Gillian Anderson (Jean), Ncuti Gatwa (Eric), Emma Mackey (Maeve), Connor Swindells (Adam), Kedar Williams-Stirling (Jackson), Alistair Petrie (Michael), Mimi Keene (Ruby), Aimee Lou Wood (Aimee), and Chaneil Kular (Anwar).
No specific date has been given for the next Doctor Who season. It is set for a 2023 release, the same as Sex Education season 3.
