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Ncuti Gatwa Named First Black Actor to Take on Leading 'Doctor Who' Role

Ncuti Gatwa made his name in the hit Netflix series 'Sex Education' CHRISTIAN MANG POOL/AFP/File
Ncuti Gatwa made his name in the hit Netflix series 'Sex Education' CHRISTIAN MANG POOL/AFP/File
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Ncuti Gatwa Named First Black Actor to Take on Leading 'Doctor Who' Role

Ncuti Gatwa made his name in the hit Netflix series 'Sex Education' CHRISTIAN MANG POOL/AFP/File
Ncuti Gatwa made his name in the hit Netflix series 'Sex Education' CHRISTIAN MANG POOL/AFP/File

British actor Ncuti Gatwa, known for his role in popular series "Sex Education" will be the first Black actor to play the leading role in the cult BBC science fiction series, "Doctor Who", the channel announced Sunday.

The Rwandan-born Scottish actor, 29, will become the 14th incarnation of the Time Lord from 2023 as the series celebrates its 60th anniversary, AFP said.

He takes over from British actress Jodie Whittaker, who was the first woman to play character known as "The Doctor" in the show.

"It feels really amazing. It's a true honor. This role is an institution and it's so iconic," Gatwa told BBC News.

"I feel very grateful to have had the baton handed over and I'm going to try to do my best," he added.

The adventures of the doctor -- a time travelling, humanoid alien who traverses the universe -- have maintained a loyal following since they were first aired in 1963.

Gatwa will work alongside screenwriter and producer Russell T Davies, creator of the series "It's a Sin", hugely popular in the UK.

It is a return for Davies, who stepped down as executive producer of the show in 2008 after he relaunched the series in 2005.

Whittaker took on the role in 2017 from Scottish actor Peter Capaldi, best known for playing a foul-mouthed spin doctor in the BBC satire "The Thick Of It".

She announced she would leave the role in July 2021.

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Disney Launches Stage Musical 'Hercules' in London

FILE PHOTO: Buses cross Waterloo Bridge with the City of London financial district seen behind, in London, Britain, March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Buses cross Waterloo Bridge with the City of London financial district seen behind, in London, Britain, March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
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Disney Launches Stage Musical 'Hercules' in London

FILE PHOTO: Buses cross Waterloo Bridge with the City of London financial district seen behind, in London, Britain, March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Buses cross Waterloo Bridge with the City of London financial district seen behind, in London, Britain, March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

Disney takes London audiences back to Ancient Greece with its new musical "Hercules", bringing alive its 1997 animation on the West End stage.

Showing at composer Andrew Lloyd Webber's Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the show is inspired by the much-loved Disney film, itself based on the ancient myth.

It follows the titular character and son of Zeus who, upon losing his immortality as a baby due to the plotting Hades, god of the underworld, goes from zero to hero to stop his uncle from taking over.

“It's a myth that reflects contemporary culture and still honors the DNA of (the) animated movie," Robert Horn, who wrote the show's book with Kwame Kwei-Armah, told Reuters late on Tuesday at the musical's press night.

"It's its own new thing and yet fans of the movie will absolutely come and recognize it and love it.”

Central to the show are the five Muses, who sing their way through the story with energetic gospel-like tunes and plenty of costume changes, Reuters reported.

"I think I speak for all of us ... we have idolized these women. We have looked at these women and seen ourselves in times when we weren't really represented," actor Malinda Parris, who plays Calliope, said. "So being able to be that representation for other young girls ... who ... want to be The Muses ... it's living the dream."

The show differs from the movie in several ways, including Hercules' mentor, Phil, no longer being a satyr but a taverna owner.

“The main thing is that he still is there ... to love and support Hercules on his journey," actor Trevor Dion Nicholas said.

"It really is about building this bond between the two of them that kind of builds this paternal relationship that I think we were able to deepen more so than the animated film was."

"Hercules" is the latest Disney stage adaptation in London, showing in the same theatre where the hit show "Frozen" ran up until last year.

It features songs written by Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken and lyricist David Zippel from the animation, including "Go the Distance" and "Zero to Hero", as well as new tunes.