Neil Patrick Harris: New Doctor Who Will Feature ‘First Gay Doctor’

Neil Patrick Harris and Ncuti Gatwa

Neil Patrick Harris has revealed that Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor Who is going to be queer. Gatwa was confirmed to be the next Doctor earlier this year.

The Uncoupled actor wrapped up filming the upcoming season of the beloved and iconic British science fiction series Doctor Who, and in a recent interview with Variety said, “I got to meet and interact with him a bit and he’s glorious,” referring to Gatwa. “He’ll be the first gay Doctor, which is going to be super cool, a sexier Doctor.”

Gatway will take over as the Doctor in 2023.

The previous season of Doctor Who revealed the first same-sex attraction between the current Doctor (Jodie Whittaker, who was the first woman to portray the Doctor) and her companion Yaz Khan (Mandip Gill). Viewers can hopefully see how the attraction unfolds in the upcoming Doctor Who special slated for October. The special will be Whittaker’s last full-length appearance as the Doctor.

Harris’s statements seem to indicate a more out Doctor for the next season. The actor is reported to be appearing as The Toymaker, a powerful being who traps people with childish games, putting their freedom on the line.

It also seems that the next season is going to be queer all around. Heartstopper’s Yasmin Finney is set to portray a trans character named Rose. “You’ll find out in 2023, but it’s an absolute joy to welcome Yasmin to the Doctor Who set,” showrunner Russell T. Davies previously told the BBC. “We all fell in love with her in Heartstopper, one of those shows which changes the world — and now Yasmin can change the Whoniverse!”

“If ‘eight-year-old Yasmin’ [had been told she would ever be part of] this iconic show, I would have never in a million years believed them,” Finney told the news service at the time. “This show has a place in so many people’s hearts, so to be seen as a trans actress by the legend himself, Russell has not only made my year, it’s made my life.”

She added how much she’s looking forward to sharing this new Rose with audiences. “I cannot wait to begin this journey and for you all to see how Rose blossoms. Get ready,” she said.