Nicola Coughlan Joins 'Doctor Who' Guest Cast as Season 15 Filming Begins
With the long-awaited arrival of the Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials just days away, you'd think the imminent return of former stars David Tennant and Catherine Tate would be enough to keep Whovians busy and satisfied. But it appears that returning showrunner Russell T. Davies apparently refuses to rest on his laurels --- or even slow down -- as the franchise's big day approaches. Upcoming Doctor Ncuti Gatwa's first proper adventure will arrive at Christmas (and will likely introduce Millie Gibson's new companion Ruby Sunday since the episode is titled "The Church on Ruby Road"), with a full season to follow in the spring. (Whether we'll be calling that Season 14 or a rebranded Season 1 remains to be seen.) And production is already underway on the second season starring Gatwa's Doctor, which has landed its first big guest star.
Nicola Coughlan is probably best known for her performance as Penelope Featherington on Bridgerton. (Though she'll always be Clare Devlin from Derry Girls to me.) The specifics of her upcoming role in the Whoniverse are still to be announced but given the enthusiasm with which the BBC and its various social media arms have been touting this appearance, it's clear everyone's pretty excited about it.
“I’m excited to join the Whoniverse under the leadership of the inimitable Russell T. Davies," Coughlan said in a statement. "I’ve been a fan of Ncuti Gatwa for some time and getting to share the screen with him as the Doctor has been an absolute joy”.
