Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 14, episode 1, “Space Babies.”
Doctor Who season 14, episode 1, “Space Babies,” features a guest star that certain viewers may recognize from elsewhere. The artificial intelligence character of Nan-E, who is eventually revealed to be a flesh-and-blood figure called Jocelyn, plays a key part in “Space Babies,” with her almost-duel performance weaving its way through the episode’s narrative. The actor who plays Jocelyn tends to pop up in various productions, but there’s one role in particular that she’s arguably the most known for.
Jocelyn is one of the newest original characters to debut during Ncuti Gatwa’s reign as the Fifteenth Doctor, and even during Disney’s Doctor Who era. While the Doctor Who 60th-anniversary specials were also co-produced by Disney, the trio of episodes focused largely on existing characters, including the return of David Tennant to the show’s lead role as well as Catherine Tate as Donna Noble. So, although Jocelyn isn’t the first new character of the show’s new era, she is still one of the first to appear during Gatwa’s first full season as the Doctor.
Nan-E/Jocelyn is played by Golda Roshuevel, who many will recognize from Netflix’s Bridgerton. Roshuevel has been an important member of the Bridgerton cast since the historical romance show began in 2020, appearing as Queen Charlotte in almost every episode of the first two seasons. The actor will also return as part of the Bridgerton season 3 cast when the first four episodes hit Netflix on May 16, 2024.
Queen Charlotte was such a popular character that she was chosen as the main figure around which the project’s first spinoff show was built. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is a prequel to the original series, showing the titular monarch’s rise to power. Although Golda Roshuevel does feature as a part of the Queen Charlotte cast, she shares the lead role. Rosheuvel embodies the character during the scenes set in 1814, and India Amarteifio plays a younger version of Queen Charlotte in 1761.
Queen Charlotte is Golda Rosheuvel’s biggest role to date, but the actor has also appeared in some other big projects. Interestingly, Jocelyn is actually Rosheuvel’s second character in the Doctor Who universe, starring as Dr. Angela Connolly in two episodes of Torchwood season 2. After several small roles in British soap operas, Rosheuvel also made it into 2021’s Dune: Part One as Shadout Mapes. So, Doctor Who‘s “Space Babies” episode benefited from the presence of a thoroughly experienced and talented actor.