Doctor Who is the ultimate show at taking on reinvention and, as a rule, doing it rather successfully. Tonight BBC One have announced the new companion, taking the place of Jenna Coleman‘s excellent Soufflé Girl Clara, and it is… Pearl Mackie who’ll play Bill!
With this announcement, Pearl had this to say in her about her first major TV role:
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the Doctor Who family. It’s such an extraordinary British institution, I couldn’t be prouder to call the TARDIS my home! Peter Capaldi is such a brilliant actor, and his Doctor is such a wacky and wonderful character, I can’t wait to see what adventures are in store for him and Bill throughout time and space. Reading the script at the audition I thought Bill was wicked. Fantastically written, cool, strong, sharp, a little bit vulnerable with a bit of geekiness thrown in – I can’t wait to bring her to life, and to see how she develops through the series.”
She continued…
“I always loved stage combat at drama school so I can’t wait to get on set and kick some evil monsters into the next dimension! Shooting the trailer was absolutely mental, there were pyro technics and smoke and I met my first Dalek! I’m not sure it will ever become ‘the norm’ seeing crazy monsters on set, but I cannot wait to meet some more! The weirder the better, bring it on!”
Our Doctor of the moment, Peter Capaldi, also had this to say:
“It is a genuine delight to welcome Pearl Mackie to Doctor Who. A fine, fine actress with a wonderful zest and charm, she’s a refreshing addition to the TARDIS and will bring a universe of exciting new possibilities to The Doctor’s adventures.”
After airing exclusively on the BBC, the new trailer ‘Friend from the Future‘ can be found here: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p03rw6hh – We loved the cheeky trailer and it felt like it had the quirky edge of Tennant’s era but still very Capaldi – we’re excited about what’s to come. Doctor Who returns with a 2016 Christmas Special and the new series begins in 2017.
[Photos by Ray Burmiston]
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