Neil Patrick Harris has teased his mysterious appearance in Doctor Who. Harris is set to appear in the Doctor Who 60th anniversary special in 2023, and has already shot scenes for the episode. With plot details still under wraps, it's expected that Harris will face off against the Doctor (perhaps played by Thirteeneth Doctor Jodie Whittaker, returning Tenth Doctor David Tennant, or new Doctor Ncuti Gatwa) in the special, with showrunner Russell T. Davies returning to oversee the 60th anniversary episode.
Harris has previously worked with Davies on the show It's a Sin, which was written and directed by Davies and featured the former How I Met Your Mother actor speaking with a British accent. While it is known Harris will be a foe to the titular Time Lord in the Doctor Who 60th anniversary special, it's core plot and characters are still largely a mystery, with only set photos and videos providing any hints. It is known, however, that Tennant and Catherine Tate will reprise their fan-favorite characters the Tenth Doctor and the reliable Donna Noble, with rumors swirling around Whittaker, Gatwa and Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccleston's roles.
In an interview with Wired, Harris continues to tease his mysterious villain in Doctor Who by revealing he was just in London to shoot the episode. The actor goes on to tease his potential accent for the show. Although Harris reiterates he isn’t allowed to talk about who his character is, knowing he is a villain has already led to a slew of fan theories. Read his latest comments below.
“I was just in London filming an episode special for Doctor Who where I play someone I’m not allowed to talk about. And I had to have a posh British accent... Or did I?”
Given Harris' past work on It's A Sin and Doctor Who’s track record of a lack of American characters, it is likely he is playing a British villain, and these coy comments support that. While it is rare for well-known American actors to appear in Doctor Who, it is not unheard of. Shameless star Justin Chatwin appeared in the 2016 Christmas episode, and Goran Višnjić played Nikola Tesla in a 2020 episode. Besides Harris, long-time viewers are interested to see if Doctor Who will continue opening its doors to more non-British actors in the future seasons, or whether the actor's appearance will be a rare exception.
Some theories as to Harris’ character include the return of The Master or the celestial toymaker, both old foes of the Doctor. That said, whether it’s an old or new character, Harris has big shoes to fill as a Doctor Who villain. With Harris’ comments and the show’s track record, it will be interesting to see if his likely British accent is strong enough for Doctor Who, though it would also be exciting to see a rare American character. While much is still unknown about the anniversary episode, the excitement with Tennant and Tate’s return, and the addition of Harris, certainly points to another memorable Doctor Who special.
Source: Wired