Hollywood icon tipped for Doctor Who after admitting he's 'biggest fan' of show

08 September 2023 , 07:41

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Hollywood actor tipped to star in Doctor Who in ‘massive coup’ for show (Image: BBC)

Hollywood A-list star Ryan Gosling has been tipped to star in Doctor Who, after hailing the BBC sci-fi series as the "coolest show in the world".

It's understood the 42-year-old professed his love for the programme to his Barbie co-star, Ncuti Gatwa, after learning he would be succeeding David Tennent, after Jodie Whittaker's regeneration, as the iconic 'Time Lord'. Ncuti, who broke on the scene as Eric on Sex Education in 2019, detailed the surreal exchange – which occurred on the set of Greta Gerwig's box office hit about the legendary American doll – in a recent interview.

“I remember Ryan Gosling bounding up to my trailer [on Barbie] like, 'Doctor Who is the coolest show in the world man!'," he recalled.

The Notebook star also disclosed to Ncuti that he was "the biggest fan" of the long running series, which has earned a cult following both in the UK and internationally since its premiere in 1963. The 30-year-old was admittedly shocked by Ryan's complimentary remarks, telling British Vogue he thought, "What the hell?’ This show has incredible reach."

Ncuti Gatwa has revealed Ryan Gosling is the 'biggest fan' of Doctor Who (BBC/Bad Wolf)

Ryan Gosling played Ken in the Barbie 2023 film (Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc./Jaap Buitendijk. All Rights Reserved)

Ncuti auditioned for the role of Doctor Who in February 2022, under the impression he had zero chance of landing the gig. "I was just like, 'There’s no way I’ll get this,'" he admitted. "'It’s a British institution and there’s no way they’ll cast a Black man.'"

Dr Who filming Christmas scenes as Corrie star Millie Gibson seen outside TARDIS

Alongside Sex Education star Ncuti's casting on the series, Ryan Gosling's possible addition has been branded as a 'huge coup' for the show. "This would be a huge coup for the show, but also a real honour for Ryan who is something of a Whovian," a source told the Sun. "It’s not clear yet what role he’d have, but the writers would tailor a character for him to play, if he could find the time in his packed schedule."

Actor Ryan, who played Ken in the Barbie 2023 film, first hinted he was a fan of Doctor Who back in 2015. In an interview with the Telegraph, he revealed he 'tracked' Matt Smith to cast him as the villain in his directorial debut, Lost River, after watching his performance on the show.

"One day I was watching TV. I heard Matt Smith's voice coming at me. It was Doctor Who and there was an episode where he was in a car screaming at these aliens and telling them where to go. Like a boss. Just telling all these spaceships what was what.

"As an actor I know that's pretty hard to do, because I'm pretty sure those spaceships weren't there. I thought, 'Who is this guy?'" Ryan said at the time. "There's no-one like him. He's like one of those actors from the Seventies, just themselves and nobody else. I said, 'I have to work with that guy.' So I tracked him down."

Emma Dooney