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鈥淚t was an absolute roller coaster that was going 7,000 miles per hour and when you reached the end you go, 鈥楳y god, how incredible,'鈥� says Ncuti Gatwa, the show鈥檚 star.

Now in his second season, he gets to share the ride with a new companion, played by Varada Sethu. 鈥淏uckle up,鈥� he told her but Sethu already had explored other worlds in 鈥淎ndor,鈥� a 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� spinoff.

There, she played Cinta Kaz, a rebel, who鈥檚 hardly the 鈥渨arm, selfless鈥� woman 鈥淲ho鈥檚鈥� Belinda Chandra is. While both series require a lot of imagination, 鈥淲ho鈥� 鈥渨as different tonally,鈥� she says.

Robots, for example, weren鈥檛 added through a green-screen process. Instead, they were walking through the world like Sethu.

鈥淚 found them really, really cute,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 know they were meant to be scary, and, at times, they were because of their size. But I know the actors who are inside, which obviously makes it a lot cuter. The whole thing feels like you鈥檙e a kid. As an adult, you don鈥檛 often get to interact with something that鈥檚 so over-sized. So when this giant robot comes through the kitchen and it looks like a toy, you kind of go back to your inner child. It鈥檚 just so exciting to be a part of.鈥�

Ditto Doctor Who鈥檚 wardrobe changes.

Because the series dips into different centuries around a multitude of planets, Gatwa was able to test-drive a new wardrobe. 鈥淭raditionally on 鈥楧octor Who,鈥� there has always been one uniform that the Doctor wears,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 become an iconic staple. But now, if you have access to all of time and space, you pick up a couple of pieces here and there 鈥� a little outfit from Neptune鈥 little something from the different galaxies.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a cool narrative plot point that the TARDIS (Doctor Who鈥檚 time machine) sort of instantly understands where they鈥檝e landed and will dress them for the occasion, including their hair and makeup. So, it鈥檚 cool to have a big wardrobe.鈥�

This season, the Doctor and Belinda hit a variety of times and places and, yes, do make an impression.

鈥淵ou do have very weird dreams after shooting the episodes,鈥� Sethu says.

鈥淭he things that people find weird become very normal in my dreams. So the aliens, the robots, all of those become very normal. But when someone from your normal life comes into your dreams, that feels bizarre.鈥�

During the聽hiatus, Gatwa got to perform on The Academy Awards (he was one of the Kens) and act in the National Theatre鈥檚 production of 鈥淭he Importance of Being Earnest.鈥�

鈥淭hat鈥檚 something I certainly would hope to do for the rest of my career 鈥� work in different mediums,鈥� Gatwa says. 鈥淏efore I came to the screen, I thought of myself as a 鈥榯heater鈥� boy.鈥�

Now, however, it鈥檚 like 鈥淒octor Who鈥檚鈥� trajectory: Anything is possible.

鈥淒octor Who鈥� begins April 12 on Disney+.

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