Doctor Who: every actor who has played the Time Lord – David Tennant to Ncuti Gatwa
Doctor Who: every actor who has played the Time Lord – David Tennant to Ncuti Gatwa
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Now that 2025 is underway, we’re finally just months away from the fifteenth series of Doctor Who. The next outing for the Time Lord is expected to air on the BBC at roughly the same time of the year as the last season – so May is the month to mark on your calendars.
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The episodes will mark Ncuti Gatwa‘s second full series in the iconic role and he’ll once again be joined by former Coronation Street star Millie Gibson as companion Ruby Sunday. Before Gatwa made his debut, David Tennant returned to the lead role for three stand-alone 60th anniversary episodes which aired in November 2023. This reappearance made him both the tenth Doctor, and the fourteenth – no, we don’t fully understand Doctor Who maths, either.
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Gatwa, best-known for playing Eric Effiong in Sex Education – then made his first appearance in the 2023 Christmas special. Here we break down the list of actors who have come before him. And, for more on the Doctors, find our ranking of who played the time traveller best here.
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The first season of Doctor Who was originally broadcast on the BBC on November 23, 1963 and starred William Hartnell. A total of 14 people have played Doctor Who – including Gatwa. In order of appearance, here are all the actors who have played the iconic Time Lord over the decades:.
There have also been a few extra “unofficial” Doctors throughout the years. John Hurt played a version known as The War Doctor in a series of 2013 specials, while Jo Martin played a previously unknown version of The Doctor in series 12, who was known as the Fugitive Doctor.
