LONDON, May 8 - Ncuti Gatwa will be the first Black actor to play the lead role in British sci-fi series "Doctor Who", taking over from Jodie Whittaker as the 14th incarnation of the Time Lord next year, the BBC said on Sunday.
Gatwa, who was born in Rwanda, said he had been keeping the news secret since he was cast in February."It's an incredibly iconic role and an incredibly iconic show, and I just hope I do it justice," he said on the red carpet for the BAFTA TV awards, where he was up for the best male comedy performance for "Sex Education".The Doctor is able to regenerate, allowing different actors to play the role since the series was first broadcast in 1963.
Gatwa said the show was the "most beautiful form of escapism", where you could forget about worldly troubles and go into space to battle aliens.She will appear in a final special episode to mark the BBC's centenary later this year.