Heartstopper’s Yasmin Finney joins Doctor Who cast
On Monday the Doctor Who account announced that Heartstopper’s Yasmin Finney will join the cast of the show’s upcoming season, alongside the new doctor Ncuti Gatwa (of Sex Education fame). Finney will play a character named Rose for her Doctor Who debut in 2023.
“Life on ‘Doctor Who’ gets brighter and wilder, how can there be another Rose?” said Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies in a statement. “You’ll find out in 2023, but it’s an absolute joy to welcome Yasmin to the ‘Doctor Who’ set. We all fell in love with her in ‘Heartstopper,’ one of those shows which changes the world — and now Yasmin can change the Whoniverse!”
Finney has risen to popularity thanks to her role on Netflix’s recent hit show, Heartstopper. She plays Elle Argent in the queer coming of age story. Doctor Who’s next (or alternate?) Rose will be Finney’s second big TV role.
“If anyone would have told 8 year old Yasmin that one day she’d be part of this iconic show, I would have never in a million years believed them,” Finney said in a statement. “This show has a place in so many people’s hearts, so to be seen as a trans actress by the legend himself Russell, has not only made my year, it’s made my life. I cannot wait to begin this journey and for you all to see how Rose blossoms. Get Ready.”
Following in the footsteps of Bethany Black, Finney will be the second openly transgender actor to be cast on Doctor Who. Black appeared on the show in 2015 as 474. Rebecca Root was the first transgender actor to play a Doctor Who companion when she took on the role of Tania Bell in the Doctor Who audio series Stranded, but she did not appear in the main TV show.
Alongside Finney and Gatwa, the BBC also announced that David Tenant and Catherine Tate will be reprising their respective roles as the 10th Doctor and his companion Donna Noble to shoot scenes that will coincide with Doctor Who’s 60th anniversary in 2023.
“They’re back! And it looks impossible — first, we announce a new Doctor, and then an old Doctor, along with the wonderful Donna, what on earth is happening?” said Davies in a statement. “Maybe this is a missing story. Or a parallel world. Or a dream, or a trick, or a flashback. The only thing I can confirm is that it’s going to be spectacular, as two of our greatest stars reunite for the battle of a lifetime.”
With the star-studded cast confirmed, Doctor Who’s 2023 season is shaping up as an exciting prospect for new and old fans alike.
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