Doctor Who casts Bafta winner Lenny Rush in new series: ‘Dream come true!’

Actor said being recruited for BBC series is an ‘absolute honour’

Thursday 15 June 2023 17:09 BST

Jodie Whittaker regenerates back into David Tennant on Doctor Who

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The BBC has made another exciting Doctor Who announcement ahead of the new series.

In recent months, the cast for the new iteration of the long-running show, led by returning showrunner Russell T Davies, has been revealed.

Joining Ncuti Gatwa’s new Doctor and his companion, played by Millie Gibson, will be Jonathan Groff (Mindhunter) and RuPaul’s Drag Race star Jinkx Monsoon.

The casting additions have not stopped there – on Thursday (15 January), it was revealed that Lenny Rush will appear in the new series.

Rush, who is 14, recently won a Bafta for his role in the comedy series Am I Being Unreasonable. He will play Morris in the series.

The actor said of his casting: “It’s an absolute honour to be part of Doctor Who, one of the most iconic shows on television and wow what a dream come true!”

This latest news comes after David Tennant, who will reprise his role as the Doctor for the show’s 60th-anniversary specials, told Radio Times he wanted to play the character again before he got “too old”.

“The specifics of coming back to Doctor Who took a bit of wrangling,” he told the outlet, adding: “But we were always receptive to the notion. Initially, it was a casual conversation going, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to do a one-off?’

“Then Russell was back running the show and suddenly it could be something bigger. But there’s really no pressure. It’s a victory lap, in a way – you get to enjoy something that had meant so much to you, one last shot before you get too old to do it again.”

The three-part anniversary specials, also starring Catherine Tate and Neil Patrick Harris, will air in November 2023. Gatwa’s debut as the Time Lord will be broadcast over Christmas.