Ncuti Gatwa says he bonded with Matt Smith over ‘exhausting’ Doctor Who role

Sci-fi star departed the show earlier this year after only two seasons

Ncuti Gatwa has revealed that he recently bonded with fellow Doctor Who actor Matt Smith, saying that the two had “deep chats” about the demands of the TV series.

The Rwandan-Scottish actor surprisingly left the BBC sci-fi series in May, having lasted just two seasons in the role. In the recent series finale, it was suggested that he has been replaced by former Who star Billie Piper. Smith, meanwhile, played the Time Lord for three years, between 2010 and 2013, with Peter Capaldi taking over in the part.

Gatwa, 32, whose other credits include Barbie and Sex Education, said that he and Smith spoke to each other about the highs and lows of playing The Doctor when they ran into each other at Glastonbury.

Speaking to The Guardian, Gatwa said: “I was just at Glastonbury and bumped into Matt Smith in a club and we had great, deep chats about that job and how there’ll never be another like it in our lifetimes. We’ll never work that hard again. Never be as stimulated and stretched. It’s also very exhausting, so it’s lovely to delve into other projects.”

Matt Smith and Ncuti Gatwa (Getty)

He added that despite the toll the job took, he is still grateful to Doctor Who’s passionate fanbase. “It is an absolute gift of a job, and a gift of a community,” he explained. “The Whovians are so deeply in my heart, I can’t tell you.”

It comes after Gatwa appeared on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg (13 July) and spoke about leaving Doctor Who, admitting: “I’m getting old, and my body was tired… and I’ve now just started doing some ballet, so I’m making really great decisions.”

He added: “It’s the most amazing job in the world, a job that any actor would dream of and – because it’s so good – it’s strenuous. It takes a lot out of you, physically, emotionally, mentally, and so it was time.”

Asked if he would ever come back to the show, he said: “Never say never.”

He was also questioned about the mystery surrounding his withdrawal from Eurovision, stating: “That one was all handled very interestingly.“

“I pulled out of it a long time before it was announced and it was announced when it was announced, I don’t know why. But I was just very busy. I had a lot of work schedules, a lot of press around [new comedy film] The Roses, around Doctor Who. Yeah, it was just a lot of press.”

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

Ncuti Gatwa told ‘Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg’ that he’s ‘getting old’ (BBC)

Gatwa is currently promoting the West End premiere of Born With Teeth, a play that re-imagines the relationship between rival playwrights Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare.

Gatwa plays Marlowe with his Sex Education co-star Edward Bluemel as Shakespeare in the Royal Shakespeare Company production at London’s Wyndham’s Theatre from August.