Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 14, episodes 1 & 2 – “Space Babies” & “The Devil’s Chord.”
Doctor Who season 14’s cast is almost a complete reset for the franchise’s new era, with only a handful of familiar faces present in reduced roles. With a new leading actor taking over as a result of Doctor Who‘s 60th-anniversary ending, the show’s first season on Disney+ has a fresh start. Although the 2023 Christmas Special, “The Church on Ruby Road,” introduced a few members of the new Doctor Who cast, season 14 continues to add to the roster as the Fifteenth Doctor takes up his new residence in the TARDIS.
Even though Doctor Who‘s Disney era began in 2023 with David Tennant returning to the lead role, Doctor Who season 14 has a new face portraying the famous Time Lord. As is often the tradition with a new season of Doctor Who, the Doctor also has a new companion to introduce to the universe, and the duo meet several interesting figures along the way. Despite what is essentially a very soft reboot of the Doctor Who franchise, season 14 also includes familiar figures from the classic era as well as characters who debuted after the show’s 2005 revival.
The Actor: Gatwa’s debut as the Doctor came in “The Giggle,” with his version of the character coming into existence as a result of Doctor Who‘s bi-generation twist and separating entirely from David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor. His first full appearance as Fifteen was in “The Church on Ruby Road,” although he has an acting history dating back to 2014, helping him snag one of the biggest roles in TV.
Before being cast as the Doctor, Gatwa was most known for his role as one of the best characters in Netflix’s Sex Education – Eric Effiong. However, Gatwa also appeared in Apple TV+’s Masters of the Air, and also as one of the many Kens in 2023’s Barbie movie. Gatwa was born in Rwanda. However, his family left the country to settle in Scotland a few years later.
The Character: Gatwa’s Doctor is referred to by viewers as “The Fifteenth Doctor.” However, the character only over refers to himself as “The Doctor.” His version of the Time Lord is upbeat, but like any good iteration of the Doctor, he can snap into an intense demeanor at the drop of a hat. He is the first new actor to play the Doctor since Jodie Whittaker stepped back from the role in late 2022. As such, his Doctor is still processing the Timeless Child storyline and often refers to himself as having been “adopted” by the native Gallifreyans.
The Actor: Doctor Who is Gibson’s second major acting role. Her first appearance came in “The Church on Ruby Road,” with Ruby Sunday immediately becoming a point of huge interest due to the character’s enigmatic background. It was announced before Doctor Who season 14 even began that Gibson would depart the show as a member of the main cast after the episodes had aired, but showrunner Russell T Davies quickly confirmed that Ruby would return to the show in the future.
Doctor Who isn’t the only British mainstay in Gibson’s career, as she appeared as Kelly Neelan in 172 episodes of the long-running soap opera Coronation Street from 2019 to 2022. She has been active since 2017 and worked steadily throughout her pre-Doctor Who career. She was born in the British county of Greater Manchester, which is also where Coronation Street is set.
The Character: Ruby begins her spell on Doctor Who as one big mystery, with very little being known about her lineage. She shares several similarities with Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler, who was the Ninth Doctor’s companion at the start of the show’s 2005 revival. Before meeting the Doctor, Ruby lived with her adoptive mother and grandmother, with all three women having now met the famous Time Lord.
The Actor: Langford has been active as an actor since 1973, and was also part of Doctor Who‘s original run from 1986-1987 before returning to the franchise in 2022. Although Mel is one of Langford’s most prominent roles, the actor spent 348 episodes of the British soap opera Eastenders playing the character of Carmel Kazemi. She has also appeared in several productions in London’s West End theater district.
The Character: Mel traveled with the Sixth Doctor as well as the Seventh Doctor during her original run on Doctor Who. Langford has reprised the role several times outside the show, including in a number of Doctor Who podcast series and audio adventures. Her resurgence in the 60th-anniversary specials revealed that she now works for UNIT in Doctor Who, an organization with a bigger part to play in season 14 than previous installments of the show.
The Actor: Redgrave is another actor being brought back for Doctor Who‘s new era, with the UNIT leader arguably being the role for which she is most revered. However, between 2016 and 2022, she appeared as Bernie Wolfe in 68 episodes of Holby City – a British medical drama. Like other Doctor who actors, Redgrave has remained involved with the franchise and has voiced her character in other mediums. She was born in London.
The Character: Kate is the daughter of Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, also known as “The Brigadier,” who also worked for UNIT and developed a strong bond with the Doctor during Doctor Who‘s classic era. The first version of the Doctor she met was Matt Smith’s Eleventh, and she has had run-ins with every regeneration since – including David Tennant’s Fourteenth.
The Actor: Greenidge was born in the English city of Bradford. Like Millie Gibson, she too made her Doctor Who debut in the 2023 Christmas special. As well as her recurring role on Doctor Who, she also plays Lola Okonedo Akimbo in the BBC comedy Mandy. She has also collaborated with returning showrunner Russell T Davies before, when she starred as Rosa Babatunde in the miniseries, It’s a Sin. She was also part of the main cast for Ricky Gervais’ After Life show.
The Character: Carla Sunday is a devoted foster mother who has taken in countless babies in need. Among these infants was Ruby Sunday, who she eventually adopted. She is very protective of Ruby but seems to largely trust the Doctor with the safety of her daughter – which is rare for the guardian of a companion in Doctor Who. Carla’s mother lives with her and Ruby.
The Actor: Doctor Who is one of Finney’s very first acting projects, with only two other credits to her name before stepping into the role of Rose Noble. Prior to being in Doctor Who, she played Elle Argent in all 16 episodes of Netflix’s Heartstopper from 2022 to 2023. She made her Doctor Who debut in “The Star Beast” – the first of the three 60th-anniversary specials.
The Character: Rose is the daughter of Donna Noble – the companion to David Tennant’s Tenth and Fourteenth Doctors. The suppressed meta-crisis harbored by Donna influenced her daughter as she grew, subconsciously imparting information to the baby that manifested over time. This caused Rose to make decisions and take an interest in certain areas without really knowing why.
The Actor: Monsoon’s introduction is in Doctor Who season 14, episode 2, “The Devil’s Chord.” As a drag queen before she hit the big time, her career really started to blossom when she won RuPaul’s Drag Race season 5 in 2013. She was born in Portland, Oregon – making her a rare American addition to the Doctor Who cast in general. Many of her previous acting jobs have been brief appearances, but Doctor Who allows her to have a longer run as the same character.
The Character: Maestro is a member of an organization from outside the universe known as the Pantheon. Monsoon’s character is the child of Neil Patrick Harris’ Toymaker and boasts incredible sonic- and music-based abilities. As one of the Doctor’s most formidable opponents yet, Maestro is in the rare position of instilling genuine fear in the Time Lord, making their battle even more important.
The Actor: Dobson was born in London, and her acting career dates back to the 1970s. She has had countless roles through the decades but appeared in Eastenders as Angie Watts between 1985 and 1988. Dobson played Angie in a total of 274 episodes before stepping back from the show. Interestingly, Dobson has been part of the Doctor Who universe before, voicing Eileen Klint in The Eighth Doctor Adventures alongside Paul McGann in the mid-2000s audio drama.