‘Doctor Who’ Regenerates: How Ncuti Gatwa’s Historic Casting, Russell T Davies’ Return and a Disney+ Deal Revolutionized the Franchise
variety.comNcuti Gatwa makes his first appearance as the 15th Doctor in the science-fiction series “Doctor Who,” he isn’t wearing any pants.
In a 60th-anniversary special released in December, the previous Doctor — played by series icon David Tennant — subverts the show’s long-standing practice of regeneration: Instead of simply transforming into the next Doctor, he literally splits in half, bringing Gatwa’s Doctor into the world alongside him.
In the process, the two divide the clothes of Tennant’s Doctor between them, leaving Gatwa in nothing but a dress shirt and a pair of tighty-whities. “Oh, my God, that first costume fitting!” Gatwa says, bursting into an infectious fit of laughter.
It’s a frequent occurrence as he speaks with Variety on a chilly March day over lemon ginger tea at the Langham hotel in London. “I was like, ‘Are you joking?!’ They showed me a pair of [underwear] and they were like” — he claps his hands as if to say “Voilà!” In addition to the whole no-pants thing, Gatwa was just a little bit star-struck: Tennant, who played the part from 2005 to 2010, was the Doctor he’d grown up with, inspiring him to become an actor in the first place. “To play this role beside him, who played this role which made me want to do this role, and him also being there — it was so many layers of full circle,” Gatwa says. “And on top of it, you’re wearing no pants!
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