I finally had a chance to look at the article and it's an excellent read. This early part in particular stood out:
A big part of the show’s post-2005 story revolves around the Doctor having survived a devastating war that wiped out the rest of his people. This is a plot point that has since been undone and then redone; its current status in the canon is somewhat unclear. But it’s this that Gatwa latched onto because in that storyline he was able to see a reflection of his own life. As a child, Gatwa and his family fled Rwanda, escaping the genocide against the Tutsi minority. They settled in Scotland. “This person survived a genocide. This person fits in everywhere and nowhere. I am the Doctor. The Doctor is me. I decided that I had to get this role,” says Gatwa.
I hadn't realized that part of of Gatwa's life so I love how this unexpected connection to
Doctor Who makes the role of The Doctor personal for him. And I love how he refuses to let the bigots (particularly those in the media) get to him and instead focuses "on the job and stay true to what the Doctor is: a mad scientist alien who has adventures and cares about everyone."
All in all, I'm very excited to see his incarnation of The Doctor
and Ken.
Also, I
love that some of the previous Doctors have a group chat. Oh, to be a virtual fly on that virtual wall.
I get the "the Doctor should have a recognizable look" stuff, but also I get the "Marilyn Monroe could make a potato sack look sexy" idea - the Doctor is the Doctor by sheer presence, not decorative vegetables or question-mark umbrellas or massive scarves.
I love that Gatwa immediately gravitated to the Ralph Lauren collection that was in partnership with Historically Black Colleges, showing while he might not have a specific outfit, he will have a specific fashion. Because, as he says, "It’s a statement — the Doctor is fucking
Black.”"
But I'm also not surprised that he loves The Third Doctor's frilly, velvet outfits.
