Ncuti Gatwa had to hire protection after Doctor Who announcement, claims co-star
David Tennant, who formerly played the Doctor, previously compared the intense experience of fame that comes with the show to ‘losing a layer of skin’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Ncuti Gatwa had to hire protection after the announcement that he is the new star of Doctor Who, fellow actor Simu Liu has claimed.
Gatwa, 29, was announced as the successor to Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor earlier this month – news that set social media alight as soon as it broke.
The actor, who shot to fame on the Netflix show Sex Education, will be the 14th actor and the first Black man to play the Doctor in the beloved, long-running science-fiction franchise.
Speaking at an event on his book tour for his new memoir We Were Dreamers, Liu – who stars in Barbie with Gatwa – said the actor had kept his casting a secret for weeks.
“[He] didn’t tell anyone a thing,” Liu said (via Variety). “And then all of a sudden over the weekend he was announced. We came to work on Monday we were like, ‘Dude, how long have you been holding this in for?’ And he’s like, ‘Two months.’ I would have combusted.”
Liu added: “He had to get security in and around not only his place of residence, but the places of residence of his entire family.”
Doctor Who is such a hugely popular show that it does change the lives of the stars who play the Time Lord. David Tennant, who played the role from 2005 to 2010, previously compared the intense experience of Doctor Who fame to “losing a layer of skin”.
He also spoke about how filming Doctor Who “wasn’t like a normal job”.
Tennant said: “When we were on location, we’d be surrounded by crowds. There were people buzzing around wherever we went. We were bundled in and out of cars and whisked into places through the back door and chased by photographers.”
Read the jubilant reactions to Gatwa’s casting here, and a summary of his life and career leading up to Doctor Who here.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments