‘Doctor Who’: Neil Patrick Harris on Ncuti Gatwa’s ‘Amazing’ Time Lord
The Doctor is a character portrayed by over a dozen different actors. Beginning in 1963, the British series continues to take viewers on new adventures through time with new cast members. Ncuti Gatwa was recently announced to be the latest star of Doctor Who and Neil Patrick Harris says he is going to be an amazing incarnation of the character.
There have been many actors who have portrayed The Doctor over the years
Since 1963, 13 characters have portrayed the role of The Doctor in Doctor Who. It began with William Hartnell and recently featured British actors such as David Tennant, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi. Jodie Whittaker became the first person to portray The Doctor and recently wrapped up her three-season run as the character.
Ncuti Gatwa was recently announced as the fourteenth doctor and will be the first gay and black doctor. The Scottish-Rwandan actor rose to fame through his role in Netflix’s Sex Education. The actor is also confirmed to be a part of the upcoming Barbie movie.
Neil Patrick Harris says Ncuti Gatwa will be amazing in ‘Doctor Who’
In a recent interview with WIRED, Harris answered several of the internet’s most searched questions about himself. One of the questions was “Is Neil Patrick Harris the new Doctor Who?” Harris said no, but spoke about Gatwa, saying he is amazing and “super dope.”
“No, I’m not. The new Doctor Who is a man named Ncuti Gatwa who is amazing,” Harris said. “He’s on a show called Sex Education right now and I think his Doctor is gonna be super dope.
Harris shared similar sentiments on the Variety’s Just for Variety podcast, saying he will be a “sexier doctor.”
“I got to meet and interact with him a bit and he’s glorious,” Harris shared. “He’ll be the first gay Doctor, which is going to be super cool, a sexier Doctor.”
Who is Harris playing in ‘Doctor Who’?
During his WIRED interview, Neil Patrick Harris did confirm that he was in England filming an episode of Doctor Who. While the How I Met Your Mother star was unable to confirm the character he is playing, he did say that he got to use a “posh British accent.”
However, it does seem as though Harris is going to be playing a villain. The actor shared an Instagram post of himself in costume donning crooked glasses, a leather-strapped apron, and a bowtie. The caption he shared was a thank you letter for being invited to be in Doctor Who, but it also hinted that his character could be rather sinister.
“My current gig. Never looked more dashing,” Harris wrote. “Thank you for inviting me into your Whoniverse, @russelltdavies63 . I’ll try my hardest to do my worst. This Doctor has no idea what’s in store. And even if he does… Who cares? Ha ha ha HA ha-ha-ha!”
While this isn’t a confirmation, the evil laugh hints that his character will most likely be more evil than good. The 14th season of Doctor Who is scheduled to premiere on Nov. 23, 2023.
