Ncuti Gatwa shares Barbie co-star Ryan Gosling’s adorable reaction to Doctor Who casting

Doctor Who’s newest leading man Ncuti Gatwa has revealed the fantastic response from Ryan Gosling when the latter found out he’d been cast in the BBC sci-fi series.

Gatwa appears alongside Gosling in the upcoming Barbie film, which comes to cinemas next month. 

But the duo were filming the sure-to-be classic last year, when the news of Gatwa’s rather huge new role emerged. 

This is when the Sex Education actor learned of Gosling’s love of the long-running British series. 

“And I was like, ‘What the hell?’ This show has incredible reach”

“I remember Ryan Gosling bounding up to my trailer like, ‘Doctor Who is the coolest show in the world man! I’m the biggest fan’.

“And I was like, ‘What the hell?’ This show has incredible reach,” he shared in a new interview with British Vogue. 

It’s not the first time Gosling’s love for the programme has been made very public knowledge. 

Last year, the actor was pictured wearing a Doctor Who shirt with Gatwa’s face on it while filming for Barbie. 

He also dubbed himself as “such a big fan of Ncuti’s” during an appearance on The One Show around the same time. 

“Him playing Doctor Who is the most exciting thing that’s happening right now. I’m here for it,” he added on the BBC programme. 

Meanwhile, Gatwa auditioned for the show in February 2022, but recalls thinking there was “no way” he would actually land the part. 

He said he thought: “‘It’s a British institution and there’s no way they’ll cast a Black man.’ So, I just had fun.”

Upon hearing he’d won the role, he “felt numb” but admits he found keeping the big secret pretty difficult. 

“I’d often get a little tipsy in Soho House, make a new best friend in the bathroom, tell them and run off. 

He cheekily added to the publication: “Thankfully, it never got out!”