Doctor Who Casts Jinkx Monsoon and Trans Actor Pete MacHale in Very Queer New Season
After winning two seasons of Drag Race , taking on the whole of time and space should be a breeze. Just ask alum Jinkx Monsoon, who just joined Doctor Who 's newest season in a major, currently undisclosed role.
"In a galaxy of comets and supernovas, here comes the biggest star of all," showrunner Russell T. Davies said in a statement. "Jinkx Monsoon is on a collision course with the TARDIS, and Doctor Who will never be the same again."
News of Monsoon's casting comes mere days after they completed their Broadway run as Matron "Mama" Morton in the long-running musical Chicago .
"I'm honored, thrilled, and utterly excited to join Doctor Who!" Monsoon said in a statement of her own. "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."
Doctor Who returns in November with three special episodes celebrating the series' 60th anniversary. Although David Tennant will reprise his role as the show's titular Doctor for the specials, the BBC has confirmed that the next Doctor will be Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa, who will step into the role full-time after the 2023 holiday specials.
With gay showrunner Davies back at the helm after previously overseeing Doctor Who 's reboot from 2005 to 2010, the beloved British sci-fi show is shaping up to be queerer than ever. Heartstopper breakout star Yasmin Finney will appear in the 2023 specials as fan-favorite companion Donna Noble's (Catherine Tate) trans daughter Rose, making her the second trans character ever featured on Doctor Who . Gay actor Neil Patrick Harris — who previously worked with Davies on his acclaimed drama It's A Sin — the will also appear in the specials as a mysterious villain. Meanwhile, actor Pete MacHale also recently joined the cast for Gatwa's first season, making him the trans man to ever appear on the show.
As for Gatwa, he's set to make history as the first gay Doctor, according to Harris .
"He'll be the first gay Doctor, which is going to be super cool, a sexier Doctor," Harris revealed during an August 2023 appearance on Variety 's Just for Variety podcast, calling Gatwa's performance "glorious."
Doctor Who has always enjoyed a massive LGBTQ+ fanbase , and with Davies at the forefront once again, here's hoping that the new season will give fans the gloriously queer sci-fi epic we deserve.
While no premiere date for Gatwa's first Doctor Who season has been set, expect to see him in full control of the TARDIS sometime in early 2024, following the holiday specials.
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