Performer of the Week: Ncuti Gatwa

Matt Webb Mitovich
·4 min read
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Performer of the Week: Ncuti Gatwa
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THE PERFORMER | Ncuti Gatwa

THE SHOW | Doctor Who

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THE EPISODE | “The Church on Ruby Road” (Dec. 25, 2023)

THE PERFORMANCE | Gatwa’s true debut as the Fifteenth Doctor, in the anniversary special “The Giggle,” merely hinted at the vibrancy he would bring to the long-running sci-fi role. But with the holiday special, the Sex Education vet really started to unwrap the particular set of gifts he will deliver to fans.

Gatwa’s Fifteen exudes a joy and freedom not always associated with the often-“grumpy” Doctor. There’s a gleam in his eye, whether gyrating on a dance floor, making a new friend in Ruby Sunday (played by fellow franchise newcomer Millie Gibson), or effortlessly bounding across a rooftop before making a leap of faith onto a rickety rope ladder that is dangling from the clouds. (During your next rewatch, make note of Gatwa’s radiant smile as he regards the goblin ship above. For someone who has seen it all, this Doctor still revels in the extraordinary.)

Gatwa also clearly boasts a terrific sense of comedic timing, such as when he simply had to remark to the woman he’d just barely saved from being crushed by a giant snowman decoration: “A pram. At midnight.” And his song-and-dance skills, brilliantly highlighted during “The Goblin Song,” have already been well-documented.

On top of it all, Gatwa also plays the more serious moments so well, mining them not just for the inherent drama (Ruby has mysteriously vanished from the timeline!) but also the emotion. Watch him watch the woman who left newborn Ruby at the church doorstep walk away, and you feel the conflict. The heartbreak. Perhaps a hint of recognition…? And then, Fifteen’s eventual resolve to stick to his plan.

Gatwa has stepped into this role with such elan and ease, while also infusing it with specific and fresh nuances, well, it’s almost as if he’s been playing it for 900 years.

Scroll down to see who scored Honorable Mention shout-outs this week…

HONORABLE MENTION: Luke Kirby

HONORABLE MENTION: Luke Kirby
HONORABLE MENTION: Luke Kirby

Peacock’s Dr. Death took a detour in Episode 5 of its recent second season, shifting the focus from Édgar Ramírez and Mandy Moore’s characters to that played by Luke Kirby, a compassionate doctor whose promise to take good care of new patient Yesim Cetir resulted in misery for both of them. Throughout the distressing hour, Kirby did a lovely, subtle job transforming his Dr. Gamelli — initially filled with righteous indignation over Dr. Macchiarini’s misdeeds in the operating room — into someone much more discouraged, desperate-yet-helpless to give Yesim the vibrant life she deserved. In a final confrontation between Yesim and Dr. Gamelli (where Alisha Erozer also did marvelous work as Yesim, 191 horrific surgeries later), Kirby was quietly affecting as Dr. Gamelli grappled with the well-intentioned havoc he’d wreaked on Yesim’s body. “You’re just a pair of blue scrubs. I can’t even see anymore,” Yesim told her doctor — and the whispered, watery apology Kirby gave in response just about broke us. — Rebecca Iannucci

HONORABLE MENTION: Devery Jacobs

HONORABLE MENTION: Devery Jacobs
HONORABLE MENTION: Devery Jacobs

It’s no easy feat, bringing to life a superhero with whom people are not at all familiar. It’s more difficult when you have the added “layer” of animation separating your performance from the audience. Yet with the What If…? Season 2 episode “What If… Kahhori Reshaped the World?,” Devery Jacobs instantly engaged viewers to follow her character’s incredible journey. After falling into a Tesseract-infused lake, Jacobs’ Kahhori — a young woman in a pre-Colonial America’s Haudenosaunee Confederacy — was transported to a utopian “Sky World” she wanted no part of; instead, she wished to return home and save her village from Spanish Conquistadors. Jacobs, the Mohawk Reservation Dogs star who studied her native language for this role, gave Kahhori both a headstrong resolve and an understandable curiosity about the powers now available to her. And as Kahhori realized her potential in time for a major clash, Jacobs imbued the character with a commanding confidence. —M.W.M.

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