Ncuti Gatwa recalls moment he was invited to audition for Doctor Who

Ncuti Gatwa has recalled the moment he was invited to audition for Doctor Who.

The Doctor Who team revealed to Variety that they auditioned around 20 actors and believed they had found their new lead when they decided to ask the Sex Education star to try out for the Time Lord in January 2022.

"We think we've got them, but, like, rogue choice, we just want to see Ncuti," Gawta said, reenacting the phone call between the show's casting director Andy Pryor and his agent. "Do you think he'd be up for it?"

The 31-year-old actor then revealed that the call came days after he told his agent that he was keen to play "a character like Doctor Who or Willy Wonka".

Gatwa told the publication, "I was like, this is manifestation, man."

The Rwandan-Scottish star then revealed he prepared for the audition by watching all of Russell T. Davies's Doctor Who episodes.

"In that week, I became a die-hard fan," he praised.

Showrunner Davies was so impressed by the Barbie star's audition that he wanted to offer him the role there and then.

"I actually wanted to put down the script and say, 'You've got the part,'" he gushed. "I literally knew then."

Gatwa is the first openly queer Black actor to take on the role of the beloved Doctor. He made his debut during one of the 60th anniversary specials in December, before leading the Christmas special later that month.

His season premieres on 11 May.