Ryan Gosling has shown his full support for his Barbie co-star Ncuti Gatwa's casting as the Fourteenth Doctor in Doctor Who. Gatwa was announced as the latest incarnation of the titular time-lord back in May, and is set to take-over the role from the show's current lead Jodie Whittaker following her departure in the BBC Centenary Special later this year. This makes Gatwa the first black actor to lead the series. His first season as the Doctor will be overseen by returning Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies, who supervised and wrote much of the first four seasons of the show's revival between 2005 and 2010. The announcement of the actor's casting as the new Doctor received widespread praise from fans and critics alike, and Gatwa has been welcomed by previous Doctors, including Whittaker, Peter Capaldi, Matt Smith, David Tennant and Sylvester McCoy.
Ahead of his casting in Doctor Who, Gatwa first gained international fame starring in the Netflix comedy series Sex Education as Eric Effiong. This proved to be a breakthrough role for the actor and he has since been cast in other upcoming big-budget productions, including the WWII miniseries Masters of the Air and, most notably, as a version of Ken in Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie. The first live-action film adaptation of the eponymous toy brand, Barbie features a star-studded cast, including Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon, Emma Mackey, Rhea Perlman and Will Ferrell. But despite being in such exalted company, Gatwa kept his Doctor Who casting a secret from his Barbie co-stars until the news broke while they were still filming on set.
But now the cast and crew of Barbie know that Gatwa will be leading the beloved BBC series, and Gosling in particular has shown his ardent support for his co-star. The actor recently appeared on set wearing a t-shirt featuring a fan-made image of Gatwa as the Doctor. Sharing the image on his Instagram story, Gatwa comments "Dolls supporting Doctors", and adds, "As if I couldn't love him anymore":
This wholesome show of affection from Gosling towards his fellow star's historic casting further illustrates the atmosphere of camaraderie on the set of Barbie that has already been described by other members of its cast and crew. But the specific nature of Gosling's support for Gatwa, in donning a t-shirt featuring a fan-made image of the actor in the iconic role, suggests that this could also be an indication of his love for Doctor Who itself. It certainly seems that the actor is very excited to have a future Doctor on set and wants to make the most of the opportunity while the two are still working together.
Although Gatwa's first season as the new Doctor will likely not air until sometime between 2023 and 2024, anticipation remains rife among devotees of the science fiction series to see the actor take on the role. And this eager excitement will no doubt be further boosted by Gosling's public display of support. But while there are a few more Doctor Who episodes airing in 2022/2023 ahead of Gatwa's debut, many fans will still no doubt be keen to see Gatwa and Gosling acting together in Barbie next year, and see how far their touching friendship on set will translate on screen.
Source: Ncuti Gatwa