Matt Smith has spoken out against fans who “attack” Doctor Who with racial abuse and criticism for prominent LGBTQ themes. Smith, who portrayed the Eleventh Doctor from 2010 to 2014, revealed his confusion in an interview with The Times (from a story by The Radio Times). The new run, featuring Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and the return of Russell T Davies as showrunner, launched with the 60th Anniversary Specials before Gatwa took over the role in the 2023 Christmas Special, The Church on Ruby Road.
“Those debates reduce it to a place that it doesn’t need to be in,” he said. “People that attack Doctor Who blow my mind. It’s about an alien who is cool and travels around the universe saving civilisations – what’s not to love?”
“Nobody knew who I was and suddenly I was f**king Doctor Who,” he recalled. “I feel very proud to have been in the show,” Smith reflected, having taken his career to new heights with roles in Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon.
He says Doctor Who, a series he rarely watches today, “changed my life” since the sci-fi show can be “watched by a nine-year-old, mum and dad and 83-year-old grandma. That’s three generations, and you’re in people’s homes at Christmas. It’s an amazing responsibility.”
In an interview with Attitude Magazine via The Independent, Gatwa responded to the racial backlash received from his casting. “It’s not something I’ll avidly keep up on. The hate? It is kind of fascinating to me because there’s so much energy they’re putting into it.”
“I think they need to go find a hobby is one thing,” he added. “But another thing is that we do see a shift happening in casting, in positions of power and in the status quo. I mean, not a fast shift, things could tip over the other way a little bit quicker, but you see people kind of malfunctioning because things are changing.”
Doctor Who is available to stream on the BBC iPlayer.
