NCUTI GATWA AND MILLIE GIBSON BEGIN THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME IN DOCTOR WHO
IT’S THE ANNIVERSARY WEEK OF DOCTOR Who and SFX is in a London hotel, opposite a legendary pub where fans used to meet, and in the shadow of the iconic BT Tower.
Ncuti Gatwa (in a Prada sweater, with shirt underneath, and yellow socks on display under cropped trousers) and Millie Gibson (a grey waistcoat, trousers and glasses that are “just for fashion, darling!”) are taking a day off filming season two to be introduced to select press with showrunner Russell T Davies. This interview has been edited for laughter.
What kind of Doctor are you going to be?
NG: Ohhhh. I don’t want to say. Just ’cos I feel like… [mock-shouting] I’m not telling you! Because I don’t want to paint anyone’s perception of what my Doctor will be.
But I also don’t quite know. I don’t know until it’s released. But I would say, what I hear, is that he’s very human. He’s quite emotional. He’s a bit of a joker. And that’s all you’re getting.
I still am not the Doctor, in my head. This is like a bit of a dream, it’s not actually really happening. Until the show actually airs, I’m gonna be like, “Oh, wow. Ohhhh. I’m the Doctor.”
An amazing dream.
Do you feel the same, Millie?
MG: I do, I feel the exact same. People keep saying, “What does it feel like to be the companion?” It’s like, “I’m not yet!” I think it’s all gonna come at once, in a way. As soon as December hits, I think it’s gonna be like, “Oh god, yeah, we did film that.”
NG: Because of the weight, because it’s such an incredible show, and they’re such incredible roles, it feels very… it feels too good to be true, sort of thing. You’re just like, [shouts in surprise, points], “That’s not the TARDIS there! That can’t be real!” But it is, it is.
What can you tell us about the characters’ relationship?
MG: I’ve said this before, but they are like two schoolgirls gossiping. Very, like… plotting. NG: Plotting!
MG: Very platonic. I think you see the love for each other from the beginning, and how much they care for one another. I think people will be thinking about their best friends when they watch her and the Doctor.
You’ve both worked on shows with massive audiences. How does Doctor Who compare or feel different?
NG: It certainly does feel different. I have been a part of large projects in the past, but this is something particularly different, because it sits so deeply in the hearts of the British public. There’s mo
