Ncuti Gatwa has said she “doesn’t pay attention” to the racist and homophobic abuse she has suffered since taking on the lead role in Doctor Who.
The Sex Education star, 32, made his debut as the titular Time Lord last year and has been praised by many fans for his new take on the legendary character.
Speaking as part of Vanity Fair’s Hollywood IssueNcuti said he has felt “warmth and love” from many Doctor Who fans since taking on the role, but the negative reaction from some has “affected him”.
He said: “I wouldn’t be the only black lead to take on a sci-fi franchise that would have received that kind of treatment.”
‘Unfortunately, those are voices that exist in science fiction fandoms, but they are not the only voices.
Ncuti Gatwa (second right) has said she “doesn’t pay attention” to the racist and homophobic abuse she has suffered since taking on the lead role in Doctor Who, as she appears on the cover of Vanity Fair’s Hollywood edition.
‘I just remember feeling so much warmth and love, being hugged by a big nerdy family. When we’re filming, there are fans outside the studio or on location every time, whether it’s at 4 am, whether it’s -12 degrees.
“I think it’s beautiful what the show means to them, so I focus on that more than anything. I don’t want to invalidate something very real which is racism, homophobia.
‘I don’t act like they don’t exist or they don’t affect me. They do it. But I try not to pay attention to it and look at the many, many positives that came from joining the Whoniverse.
Ncuti will reprise his role as The Doctor for the upcoming Christmas special, and a second series has already been filmed and will air on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ internationally next year.
He will also star in Jay Roach’s reimagining of The Wars of the Roses alongside Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch, and Ncuti was quick to confess that he has already fallen for the Sherlock star.
He said, ‘Oh, Cumberbatch! Benedict is…what a dream. The things I want to say about that man, I don’t think are appropriate.
‘What a handsome, charming, charming, charming, charming, charming man. It embarrassed me. This man gets up and swims in the cold sea every morning.
A dozen of the industry’s biggest names spent two days in September filming the 31st edition of Vanity Fair Hollywood at Milk Studios in Los Angeles.
The Sex Education star made his debut as the titular Time Lord last year and has been praised by many fans for his new take on the legendary character.
Ncuti said he has felt “warmth and love” from many Doctor Who fans since taking on the role, but the negative reaction from some has “affected him”.
Ncuti will also star in a reimagining of The Wars of the Roses with Benedict Cumberbatch, and Ncuti was quick to confess that she has already fallen for the Sherlock star.
Photographed by Gordon Von Steiner and styled by George Cortina, the massive production involved 24 trunks, 50 boxes, 30 rails of clothing, 200 pairs of shoes and four security guards for the expensive jewelry.
It comes amid rumors that tThe future of Doctor Who is in doubt and doubts have been raised over whether Ncuti Gatwa will return for a third series.
The future of the hit sci-fi show may not be so certain after it was revealed there will be a gap of at least two years after the star’s second appearance as the title character next year.
The long wait may mean the Scottish actor may not return, according to The Mirror.
Insiders have told the publication that questions were raised about the show after a mysterious edit was made to Graham Norton’s BBC One chat show.
But the comment was deleted when the chat show episode aired.
This latest detail comes after Doctor Who producer Russell T Davies said that “no decision had yet been made” for the scheduling of the third series in July.
Appearing at San Diego Comic Con alongside Ncuti and Millie Gibson, the screenwriter talked about what was in store for the sci-fi show.
A dozen of the industry’s biggest names spent two days in September filming the 31st edition of Vanity Fair Hollywood at Milk Studios in Los Angeles.
Russell, 62, admitted that no decisions have yet been made about who would star in season three, as they are still in the middle of filming season two.
The screenwriter said: ‘We’ve shot the second season, but we’re only halfway there. We have all those months of releases coming up. There’s still a long way to go, so there are no decisions yet.’
Ncuti said playing the Doctor is “surreal” and when the presenter joked that he had signed up for the next 10 seasons, he replied: “Of course!”
‘I’m still becoming the Doctor, but season two was lovely. It felt like the suit was completely fitted. “I was recovering in the first season and had the time of my life, but the second season seemed like an opportunity to flex my muscles properly,” he said, according to The Mirror.
As well as filming the second series, Ncuti is starring in a West End production of The Importance of Being Earnest.
See the full portfolio ‘The Hollywood Edition 2025: Zendaya, Nicole Kidman, and 10 Coolest Icons’, photographed by Gordon Von Steiner and styled by George Cortina in the December/January issue of Vanity Fair and on VanityFair.com.