Ncuti Gatwa Quit Doctor Who After Finding Lead Role 'Physically, Emotionally, Mentally' Strenuous

Former Doctor Who prima Ncuti Gatwa has opened up astir his determination to discontinue the BBC's flagship sci-fi amusement aft conscionable 18 episodes.

Appearing connected the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, Gatwa initially gave his banal reply — heard antecedently arsenic portion of the authoritative behind-the-scenes Doctor Who Unleashed documentary series, that the 32-year-old histrion felt helium was "getting old."

But the rising Hollywood and signifier prima — the third-youngest histrion to ever play the Doctor — past went connected to springiness a fuller answer, discussing the "strenuous" quality of the role, and the toll it had taken connected him.

Asked by Kuenssberg wherefore he'd walked distant from Doctor Who, Gatwa said: "Because I'm getting aged and my assemblage was tired," earlier being scoffed astatine by the presenter.

"My body, my knees," helium continued, earlier referencing the information helium was besides wearing a garment referencing a caller ballet. "I've present conscionable started doing immoderate ballet, truthful I'm making immoderate bully decisions here..." helium continued, grinning.

"It's the astir astonishing occupation successful the world," Gatwa continued. "It's a occupation that immoderate histrion would imagination of. And due to the fact that it's truthful good, it's strenuous. It takes a batch retired of you physically, emotionally, mentally. So, I — it was time."

Doctor Who fans saw Gatwa's clip connected the TARDIS extremity somewhat abruptly during the finale of the show's astir caller season, with assorted reports revealing that the occurrence had been taxable to extended reshoots to origin successful the actor's determination to leave. The amusement itself is present connected thing of a hiatus, with nary connection of co-production spouse Disney renewing its woody for much episodes, oregon — arsenic yet — a replacement being found.

Shortly earlier the finale aired, Gatwa had been acceptable to marque an quality during this year's Eurovision Song Contest, successful a determination that would person tied into a Doctor Who occurrence featuring a sci-fi Eurovision-style show. Shortly earlier the event, however, it was confirmed that Gatwa had pulled out, raising eyebrows.

"It each panned retired precise interestingly," Gatwa said, erstwhile asked of his determination to nary longer beryllium involved. "I pulled retired of it a agelong clip earlier it was announced. And it was announced erstwhile it was announced, I don't cognize why... but I was conscionable precise busy. [I] conscionable had a batch of enactment schedules, a batch of property astir The Roses, astir Doctor [Who]. Just a batch of press."

When asked straight if he'd pulled retired of Eurovision owed to the contention implicit Israel's involvement, arsenic immoderate fans had believed, Gatwa flatly denied this was the case.

"No, I was conscionable precise busy," helium responded.

“You’ve not conscionable compared maine to a politician!”@BBCNickRobinson gives Ncuti Gatwa a due Today grilling implicit whether he’s finished playing Doctor Who present he’s playing Christopher Marlowe.#R4Today pic.twitter.com/Nmzzoz1qwd

In a abstracted interview, this clip with BBC Radio 4's Today show, Gatwa was asked if helium had finished with Doctor Who for good. Gatwa replied that helium had, earlier saying helium didn't cognize who the adjacent incarnation of the Doctor would beryllium — pouring caller uncertainty that his regeneration into Billie Piper was the existent deal, alternatively than immoderate benignant of fake-out.

"I've finished being Doctor Who, we each saw the golden sparkle," Gatwa said, successful notation to his character's regeneration sequence. "Or did we? I don't know. I conscionable don't cognize who the adjacent Doctor Who is. But it's surely not me."

Earlier this month, a notable insider suggested Doctor Who could stay off-air for the remainder of the decade, arsenic concerns turn implicit the long-running show's contiguous future.

Image credit: Joseph Okpako/WireImage via Getty.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social