Breakout star Yasmin Finney, who captivated in Netflix’s fantastic LGBTQ+ young adults series Heartstopper as Elle Argent, will play Rose in the next Doctor Who.
“How can there be another Rose?,” said Russell T Davies, teasing a reference to the same character played by Billie Piper from 2005 to 2010. No more information on Rose’s return was released, but Finney’s casting comes just a day after David Tennant and Catherine Tate were revealed to be returning for the series’ 60th anniversary, reprising their respective roles as the Doctor and Donna Noble.
It’s unclear how Finney’s Rose is linked to Piper’s character, and fans will likely have to wait a while longer before answers are provided. The new series is set to air next year.
“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,” said Finney. “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. Get ready.”
Opposite Ncuti Gatwa as the first Black Doctor, Finney will be among the first transgender actors to appear in the long-running series. Hers follows a history-making turn by Bethany Black, who was the first openly transgender actor to be cast on Doctor Who when she debuted as 474 in 2015. Later, Rebecca Root became the first transgender actor to play a Doctor Who companion when she took on the role of Tania Bell in the Stranded audio series.