One of Ncuti Gatwa’s co-stars on the forthcoming Barbie movie has given an insight into how the new Doctor’s life was affected by his casting.

Simu Liu, who, like Gatwa, is rumoured to be playing a Ken doll in the new film, said:

“He had to get security in and around not only his place of residence, but the places of residence of his entire family.”

There had been no avoiding the level of media attention generated by the announcement of Gatwa’s casting, but Liu’s comment is an indication into just how the life of Doctor Who’s new star has been changed. One for hope, for the sake of Gatwa and his family’s wellbeing, that such measures were only needed for the short term, but he will certainly have to get used to a whole new level of public interest.

The days when Tom Baker, labouring on a building site when he was chosen to play the Fourth Doctor, celebrated by taking his co-workers for a drink in the pub seem a very long time ago…

In the same interview Liu, who is perhaps best known for starring in the Marvel film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, describes the shock on the Barbie set when the news was revealed:

“[He] didn’t tell anyone a thing. And then all of a sudden over the weekend he was announced. We came to work on Monday, we were like ‘Dude, how long have you been holding this in for?’ And he’s like, ‘Two months.’”

Doctor Who returns in October for the BBC centenary celebration episode. It’s not yet clear when Gatwa will make his first appearance in but, given that he’s reported to be starting work on the show in November, some time in 2023 seems the most likely bet.