Drag star Jinkx Monsoon will appear in the next series of Doctor Who.
The BBC announced the casting on social media and Jinkx shared her excitement about the unspecified role she’ll play on the show.
“In a galaxy of comets and supernovas, here comes the biggest star of all. Jinkx Monsoon is on a collision course with the TARDIS, and Doctor Who will never be the same again,” showrunner Russell T Davies said.
“I’m honored, thrilled, and utterly excited to join ‘Doctor Who!’ Russell T Davies is a visionary and a brilliant writer — I can’t wait to get into the weeds with him and the crew! I hope there’s room in the TARDIS for my luggage,” Monsoon said.
Monsoon came to global prominence in 2013 after winning the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag race. The drag persona is the alter-ego of Jerick Roman Lamar Hoffer.
Alongside releasing several albums, appearing on countless television programs and constantly touring the world, Monsson has also appeared in many musicals. Spring Awakening, Rent, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Hairspray are a few of the shows they’ve taken part in, and they just did a stint as Mama Morton in Chicago on Broadway.
The British sci-fi series Doctor Who first aired in 1963 and it ran for 26 seasons through to 1989. It later continued as a TV movie before the series was brought back in 2005 under the guidance of writer and producer Russell T Davies. The show has told an ongoing story and it now celebrating its 60th anniversary.
The shows longevity is due to a clever storytelling device which sees the central character, the Doctor, regenerate into a new body and personality every few years, and more recently the character has also had a new gender.
The most recent actor to play the role was Jodie Whittaker. It was announced that Sex Education actor Ncuti Gatwa would be taking over the role, but when Whittaker’s doctor regenerated at the end of the last series fans got a surprise when she turned into a previous incarnation of the character played by David Tennent.
Tennent will return to the role for three anniversary specials before handing the reins over to Gatwa for the next series which is expected to air in 2024. Russell T Davies is returning as writer and producer of the show.
The series marks a major change for the program with a new production deal between production house Bad Wolf, the BCC and Disney Plus. For the first time the show will premiere on the streaming service after decades of airing in Australia on the ABC.
So far only a few casting decisions about the next series have been announced. The Doctor’s new companion will be Ruby Sunday, played by British actor Millie Gibson. Jemma Redgrave will return as UNIT boss Kate Stewart, and there will be appearances form Anita Dobson, Aneurin Barnard and Michelle Greenidge.
OIP Staff
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