Ncuti Gatwa admits early worries about Doctor Who role: "Why did you cast me?"
Fortunately, the actor is having a lot more "fun" now.
Ncuti Gatwa has revealed initial doubts over whether he'd succeed on Doctor Who, which left him wondering why he had been cast in the lead role in the sci-fi drama.
The former Sex Education star made his dramatic entrance in the final 60th anniversary special – titled The Giggle – and has since delighted fans with whimsical Christmas special The Church on Ruby Road.
Indeed, Gatwa and co-star Millie Gibson have already earned heaps of praise for their performances, which is only expected to continue when their first full season kicks off next month.
But things weren't always this rosey – Gatwa told Empire magazine that he was "angry at times" in his early days in the role, and even questioned the show's team: "Why did you cast me?"
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They offered their support, telling him "it's not going wrong; it's fine", and eventually he started to feel comfortable in the legendary role previously held by David Tennant, Jodie Whittaker and Peter Capaldi, among others.
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"Now I’m settled, it’s so much fun," added Gatwa. "The character is so much fun… now."
Whovians got another glimpse of what's to come in Doctor Who season 14 from a short teaser that aired on BBC One last night – watch below:
"I'm the only one of me in the whole wide universe," says Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor in the 10-second clip, which also showcases some of the many costumes he'll be modelling over the course of the season.
For a more in-depth look at the next eight episodes, fans can check out the full trailer that launched last month, teasing everything from space babies to musical numbers and the mystery role by drag queen Jinkx Monsoon.
The episode titles for season 14 have also been confirmed, along with the individuals writing them, including a return for former showrunner Steven Moffat and a Who debut for Kate Herron, whose previous credits include Loki and Sex Education.
Doctor Who's Gatwa, Gibson and Russell T Davies all ranked highly on this year's TV 100 – the annual list of the most influential people in the television industry, compiled by RadioTimes.com and industry experts.
Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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