Ncuti Gatwa got Doctor Who role partly because of his 'sinister' side

There were many reasons that Russell T Davies cast Ncuti Gatwa as the newest lead actor on Doctor Who, having been blown away by his first audition. But it was partly the "sinister side" of the Sex Education star that convinced Davies he was the right person for the job.

Gatwa took on the biggest role in British TV last year, taking over from David Tennant — who had made a surprise return to the character after Jodie Whittaker's regeneration. His first full series in the role is airing on the BBC now.

Davies told TIME that Gatwa's audition tape made a big impression on him during his search for the right actor to play the 15th Doctor and lead his new era of the show.

“Suddenly there was a man in front of me being funny and lighting up the room when he smiles, and then being sinister as hell and commanding the room," said Davies. “He was absolutely astonishing. I just remember thinking: This is it, this is it, this is it.”

In fact, the sinister edge of the Doctor is an under-appreciated part of the Time Lord's character. It's something Tennant was able to play to great effect, especially during his time as the "Time Lord Victorious", and an element also explored by Peter Capaldi.

While Gatwa's tenure has mostly focused on his fun-loving and energetic side so far, it's a safe bet that he will embrace that sinister edge once the tension grows and the stakes rise for some of the scariest Doctor Who episodes.

In the same TIME piece, Gatwa gave an insight into his own take on the character of the 15th Doctor, explaining the main personality traits of the 15th Doctor in his relationship to new companion Ruby Sunday.

Gatwa said: "He’s emotionally available and unavailable. He’s not afraid to cry, he feels a lot. He’s cheeky, he’s quite flirty, and unafraid to use his charm to get what he wants."

The third episode of the new series — Boom, written by Steven Moffat — debuted on BBC iPlayer on Saturday, following the two-part premiere of the rebooted season one.

Watch: Trailer for Doctor Who episode Boom

Boom marks Moffat's return to writing Doctor Who after a seven-year hiatus following the end of his era as showrunner with the regeneration episode Twice Upon a Time. He will now return to write the 2024 Christmas special.

New episodes of Doctor Who premiere on BBC iPlayer on Saturdays.

Read more:

• Every Doctor Who Easter egg in Space Babies and The Devil's Chord

• Gladiators legend Wolf really wants to be the next Doctor Who

• Every Doctor Who companion to leave after one season