Drag performer Jinkx Monsoon will be joining the cast of Doctor Who in the upcoming 15th season of the show.
After winning two seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race and starring as “Mama” Morton in their Broadway debut of the iconic musical Chicago, Jinkx Monsoon will be joining the long-running Doctor Who television series in early 2024. Jinkx said that she is “…honored, thrilled, and utterly excited…” to join the cast.
I’m honored, thrilled, and utterly excited to join @bbcdoctorwho!
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! https://t.co/LaUqu3bS4g
— Jinkx Monsoon (@JinkxMonsoon) April 3, 2023
While details about their character have not been released, BBC has promised that Jinkx will have a “major role” on the show, and fans can not wait to see what that entails.
The series has recently earned praise for prioritising LGBTQ+ representation in its upcoming cast. In the next season, Monsoon will star alongside Ncuti Gatwa, who has been cast as the 15th Doctor. He is set to make history both as the series’s first openly gay and Black Doctor.
Both parts have been created by Russell T Davies, who was the showrunner for Doctor Who during its hugely popular revival seasons from 2005-2010. Davies is famous for his work in several LGBTQ+ productions, including Queer as Folk and It’s a Sin.
In describing his work with the series, he famously said, “It’s a very imaginative act to watch Doctor Who, and I think gay people are better and cleverer and more imaginative than anyone else!”
Doctor Who will now have Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa, Heartstopper’s Yasmin Finney, and Drag Race’s Jinkx Monsoon… there’s a very gay team behind all this that wants me to watch and they have won https://t.co/Jm0O2zfcM5
— Wendell (@RhodeToLove) April 3, 2023
Additional newly cast queer talent includes trans actors Pete MacHale and Heartstopper’s Yasmin Finney, who will play trans characters in a three-part 60th-anniversary special of Doctor Who, set to release in November 2023, ahead of the 15th season.
When asked about being cast as Rose, Finney said, “If anyone would have told eight-year-old Yasmin that one day she’d be part of this iconic show, I would have never in a million years believed them.
‘This show has a place in so many people’s hearts, so to be seen as a trans actress by the legend himself Russell, has not only made my year, it’s made my life. I cannot wait to begin this journey and for you all to see how Rose blossoms.”
wait is Pete MacHale our first trans male that has joined the cast of Doctor Who? this is very exciting!! ❤️?️⚧️ first Yasmin and now Pete! ?️⚧️? so glad we’re getting more trans representation as it’s NEEDED!! ❤️?️⚧️?#DoctorWho https://t.co/89xKarAc2I pic.twitter.com/SFIfmw5r1T
— Owen ✨ (@WhovianLife) March 29, 2023
Finally, an additional LGBTQ+ cast member we can expect to see in Doctor Who later this year is gay actor Neil Patrick Harris, who will play a mysterious villain in the upcoming special episodes.
The 15th season of the beloved British sci-fi series is coming in early 2024, and it will be available to watch on BBC One and Disney+.
© 2023 GCN (Gay Community News). All rights reserved.
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