Interview: DOCTOR WHO Stars Ncuti Gatwa and Varada Sethu Discuss the New Dynamic of Team TARDIS & Tease Season 2

Doctor Who has been teaching lessons to its viewers for over 60 years. No matter which regeneration you look to, the long-running British sci-fi series constantly touts the importance of empathy, hope, and kindness. But another lesson that the show imparts is that sometimes you have to take the long way round when you’re going home. And whether she likes it or not, that appears to be a lesson that Belinda Chandra will have to learn sooner rather than later. 

Returning after a guest spot last season, Varada Sethu will play the latest companion for Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor. While a number of The Doctor’s friends have been able to keep up with them both literally and figuratively, things are slightly different with Belinda when a fairly routine trip back to Earth after an adventure is mysteriously impeded. 

To get the lowdown on the newest member of Team TARDIS and her dynamic with the courageous Time Lord, we spoke with Gatwa and Sethu about the next season, which is set to premiere on Disney+ and BBC later this month. While our conversation was brief and the stars had to remain tight-lipped about many details, we did get a few very interesting teases about what we can expect from The Doctor and Belinda, including the villains that they’ll face and their connection to the Eurovision Song Contest. Plus, inspired by Gatwa’s recent run in an iconic Oscar Wilde play for the National Theatre, the duo talk through glorious giggles about where their characters might go to avoid their duties and responsibilities (otherwise known as bunburying). 

Belinda Chandra isn't afraid to call the doctor out on his crap. You can already see that he already appreciates that in the brief time they’ve spent together. What else makes this Doctor and nurse tandem such a good team?

Varada Sethu: I love that!

Ncuti Gatwa: Oh my God! Belinda is a flipping hero. The nurses and healthcare workers are the heroes. The level of crisis that Belinda has to deal with every day is huge, so there's an equality between them. 

Varada Sethu: They're both grappling with life and death all the time. It's high stakes all the time, and they both have to lead with compassion. You have to be innately a caring person to be a nurse. But also it's very clear in the way that The Doctor conducts himself through the universe, and time and space, that he's also a very caring person. They’re two sides of the same coin. That's why they make such a great team. 

Ncuti Gatwa: They understand each other so well. That’s why Belinda can call him out. She gets it.

The world of Doctor Who can be a whimsical and timey-wimey place, but it can be strange and scary as well. How would you compare the antagonists of this new season to the rest of The Doctor's iconic villains? 

Ncuti Gatwa: How would we… The antagonist of this season compared to other seasons? Oh, you clever, clever chap! We can't tell you anything about the antagonists of this season! But certainly they are the greatest threats that The Doctor has ever faced. 

Can you at least tell us if they look really cool? 

Ncuti Gatwa: They look very cool. 

Varada Sethu: Very cool!

Ncuti Gatwa: Very exciting and cool.

Varada, how did it feel when you were cast as Belinda after appearing on the show before as Mundy Flynn in last season’s episode “Boom”? Was it a surprise or was this all part of Russell T. Davies' grand, mysterious plan? 

Varada Sethu: It was a huge surprise. I had no idea. I didn't realize what happened before with companions that have appeared in a previous episode, so I walked off the set of “Boom” and was like, “I'm done. And that's really sad.” 

When I got the phone call to [casting director] Andy Pryor's office to come in and have a conversation with Russell and Jane Tranter about potentially being the companion, it was so vaguely worded. I remember being confused even in that phone call. I thought it was an audition, but I've been in it already. They remember that, right? [laughs] My agent was like, “I think Russell's just going to be writing some magic in.” So I went in and was ready to pitch myself. I’ve done this and I've got this kind of gravitas and I can do that. I didn't need to do any of it! I went in and Russell was telling me the whole plot for the season. I just had this moment where I was like, “It's a lot of information he's giving to someone who he's auditioning…” for this.” And then I realized. At the end of it all, he was like, “It's yours, darling, if you want it.” 

I couldn't believe it. I really, really couldn’t, even though I was in the room being told it’s an offer. I was so excited to be back. It was such a beautiful team and it was just so easy to work. What a joyful experience!

Finally, Ncuti, I loved your performance in The Importance of Being Earnest. If either of you could go bunburying for a long weekend in the TARDIS, where would you go? And what excuse would you give to your loved ones about where you'd gone? 

Varada Sethu: Oh, good question! Oh my God. 

Ncuti Gatwa: Brilliant question. HA! Goodness. 

Varada Sethu: Where would we go? 

Ncuti Gatwa: (laughs) No, I can't answer that question, but I think The Doctor would go and see Rogue, [Jonathan Groff’s mysterious bounty hunter from last season]. And he would probably tell Belinda that he's off to get his hair cut. He's off to get his hair cut, but he’s actually seeing Rogue. That was a very, very good question!

Varada Sethu: (laughs) Where would Belinda go? I feel like she just loved the Interstellar Song Contest. She would just want to go there, but… You know, things are just fun there. [And she might] have an adventure with Rylan [Clark] without The Doctor. [And she would] probably tell him that she's gone for a dance class or something.

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The second season of Doctor Who on Disney+ begins streaming Saturday, April 12 at 12:00am PT/3:00pm ET (where available) and simultaneously on BBC iPlayer in the U.K.