Trans Heartstopper star Yasmin Finney joins cast of Russell T Davies’ Doctor Who
Heartstopper’s Yasmin Finney. (Netflix)
Heartstopper‘s Yasmin Finney has joined the Doctor Who universe as a new character that will debut next year, coinciding with the show’s 60th anniversary.
Finney rose to fame for her role as Elle Argent, a trans teen who recently moved to an all girls’ school, in Netflix’s coming-of-age LGBTQ+ series Heartstopper. The amazing series has been heralded as one of the most important queer TV shows in a generation for its beloved characters and heartfelt story.
The BBC confirmed on Monday (16 May) that Finney has joined the cast of Doctor Who and is currently filming scenes that will air in 2023 to coincide with the show’s 60th anniversary.
Finney will play a character named Rose, but the BBC didn’t offer any more details about her character beyond her floral name.
Yasmin Finney said in a statement that she would have “never in a million years” believed that she would one day be part of the iconic sci-fi series.
“If anyone would have told 8 year old Yasmin that one day she’d be part of this iconic show, I would have never in a million years believed them,” Finney said. “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.”
She added: “I cannot wait to begin this journey and for you all to see how Rose blossoms. Get Ready.”
Doctor Who gains its own heartstopper as Yasmin Finney joins the cast 🌹➕🔷⁰
Read more here ➡️ https://t.co/3O9LudD4uc pic.twitter.com/KS9z2SsWd4
— Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) May 16, 2022
Davies, who is returning to Doctor Who once again as a showrunner, added that fans all “fell in love” with Finney on Heartstopper – which he said was a show that “changes the world” – and now Finney can “change the Whoniverse”.
“Life on Doctor Who gets brighter and wilder, how can there be another Rose?” Davies teased. “You’ll find out in 2023, but it’s an absolute joy to welcome Yasmin to the Doctor Who set.”
Of course, Rose is also a particularly symbolic name in the Doctor Who universe as it was the name of Billie Piper’s beloved companion, who starred in the series alongside David Tennant and Christopher Eccelston.
“Rose” was also the title of Davies’ first Doctor Who episode when he rebooted the series, and it’s appropriate that he’d add a new Rose to the mix.
The BBC revealed earlier that both Tennant and Catherine will appear in the sci-fi show’s 60th anniversary, which is set to premiere in 2023.
The last time fans saw the pair, the Tenth Doctor (Tennant) had to wipe Donna Noble’s (Tate) memory to save her life, and he even warned her family that she could die if she ever remembered their adventures together.
In her final moments on the series, Donna married her fiancé Shaun Temple (Karl Collins), becoming Donna Temple-Noble. The dying Doctor anonymously gifted her a winning lottery ticket to ensure she would be financially secure in the future.
Doctor Who fans speculated that Yasmin Finney might be joining the cast after Ncuti Gatwa was announced as the Fourteenth Doctor. Gatwa, who rose to fame in Netflix’s Sex Education, will be taking over from Jodie Whittaker and will be the first Black lead in the show’s history.
Eagle-eyed fans spotted a photo of Gatwa and Finney together in February, which was around the time he got cast in the iconic role. Though there was no proof at the time, fans were absolutely enthralled with the idea that Finney could play a future companion to Gatwa’s Doctor.
