There aren’t many well-known American celebrities who have made appearances on Doctor Who (it’s best to keep Chris Noth’s appearance under wraps). The casting of Neil Patrick Harris as the Toymaker in the special Who episode commemorating its 60th anniversary is therefore quite significant. But in terms of Doctor Who, “He’d never heard of it in his life; bless him,” showrunner Russell T. Davies says in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, so Harris wouldn’t even have known what a huge deal it was.
Working with the great man on a production called It’s A Sin, which was about the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, was an incredible pleasure. According to Davies, “The Toymaker is a god of games; he performs magic tricks and shuffles cards, and all of that fits Neil Patrick Harris.” When dealing with agents, they frequently tell you to leave. I managed to send a simple text message that said, “Would you like to read this?” After reading it, he practically gave me a call and said, “Let me get this straight: the doctor is an alien, right?” “Oh my god, you really haven’t heard of Doctor Who?” I said. However, he was unable to resist and came to Cardiff, where we had an incredible time.In three special 60th anniversary episodes, the all-star Doctor and Companion pair, David Tennant and Catherine Tate, returned to reprise their roles, and Davies had set out to find “the villain who can match them.” Davies reveals that casting the toymaker’s part was “absolutely crucial, and this becomes a pivotal event in the doctor’s life.” Tennant concurs that Harris was the ideal choice because “you need a sort of all-round entertainer to play that part and a very good actor, so there aren’t many people who could have ticked all the boxes required.”After Tennant’s Doctor regenerates (again), Ncuti Gatwa will assume the position and, as Harris stated last year, he would “be the first gay Doctor.” Harris is now up to date enough to know this. In Harris’ episode “The Giggle,” Gatwa makes his formal debut in the series as a “sexier Doctor,” in Harris’ words. The former cast member of How I Met Your Mother said, “I got to meet and interact with him a bit, and he’s glorious.” On December 9, when the show airs, you’ll be able to witness for yourself.
