Sherlock star wants lead Doctor Who role

Sherlock star and co-creator Mark Gatiss has said he would jump at the chance to play The Doctor.

The actor has played several characters on Doctor Who over the years, including the villainous Professor Lazarus in 2007 and Captain Archibald Hamish Lethbridge-Stewart in 2017.

Speaking to The Guardian, Gatiss said he would gladly take on the lead role if the opportunity presented itself, though he did add that it's probably too late.

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"Of course I would! I think that ship may have sailed," he said

Gatiss went on to share his support for the beloved show's 15th Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa, who makes his debut later this year.

"I can’t tell you how excited I am about Ncuti Gatwa. Apart from the fact that he is clearly one of the sexiest, most talented men on earth, he can wear anything," he shared.

"He posted on Instagram how much he admires Jon Pertwee’s dress sense, and I was so thrilled. Pertwee was my doctor and I adored him."

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If Gatiss did ever get to play the Time Lord, he joked that he would take a "radical new approach" and "wear nothing".

"I’d be the first naturist Doctor and that would scare away the Daleks," he added.

Before Gatwa take over the TARDIS with his companion Millie Gibson in this year's Christmas special, David Tennant will return for three 60th anniversary specials alongside Catherine Tate as Donna Noble.

Doctor Who returns later in 2023 on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Meanwhile, in the US, the show airs on BBC America, with series 1-12 available on Max.

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