Doctor Who star Sam Sherpa-Moore reached top of Mount Everest summit amid spiritual journey When Sam Sherpa-Moore landed a cameo in the Doctor Who Christmas special Joy to the World , playing the iconic Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, few knew the remarkable twist behind his casting.
Sam is a descendant of the legendary Sherpa who first summited Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953, an achievement which cemented Tenzing Norgay as a global hero and spiritual icon.
In one scene, Sam, playing Tenzing at Everest Base Camp, shares a tense moment with the Doctor, portrayed by Ncuti Gatwa.
They saw Sam’s profile on the casting platform Spotlight and thought it was an interesting coincidence - only later realising that he was related to the man they were casting.
Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat, the masterminds behind the show, had initially been searching for a Sherpa actor to play Tenzing.
