Russell T Davies Defends Ncuti Gatwa From Tear-Hating Fans

As you know, the choice of having Ncuti Gatwa being The Doctor in Doctor Who was a very controversial one for some fans, despite the fact that Gatwa proved to be a brilliant fit for the role and this iteration of the series.

In light of that, the actor has been subjected to a lot of criticism, even hate, from some fans. The reason? Well, they varied and were motivated by different things, but one of the more ridiculous was his on-screen crying.

Yes, there were actually those who though that the Doctor shouldn’t (been allowed to) cry on the screen and they criticized the series for that. Now, Russell T Davies has officially reacted to these comments.

Among the many things that you could criticize someone for, crying doesn’t seem like one of the first choices, does it? But, there are those who think that the Doctor shouldn’t cry. We don’t know the reasons behind these criticisms, but they do seem silly.

Perhaps it has to do something with toxic masculinity, as men shouldn’t cry, but embracing your emotions is a good thing from a purely psychological standpoint. It’s good for your mental health. But, the Doctor would be denied this basic right by some.

“But it does make me laugh…. I know sometimes fans get up in arms about and they complain about it. They’re the same fans who say, ‘Why don’t you do something new with the program?’ and you’re like, hello,” Russel T Davies told the media about such comments.

He stressed out that it was a question of diversity, while praising Gatwa’s performance. “Diversity is many things, and sometimes it’s putting emotions on screen you haven’t seen before, or that the Doctor has withheld himself from,” he said. ““It’s literally a princely performance. I’m just here to watch and thank the lucky stars that I get to share in a princely performance like that. What an actor. Amazing.”

He finally concluded on a very strong note, defending both Gatwa’s personal choice, as well as the writers’ choices. “You don’t tell an actor whether to cry, not to cry, not an actor of that stature. Absolutely not. It’s like, you wouldn’t tell anyone to laugh or not to laugh! It’s beautiful thing he does, and it’s a completely new thing for the Doctor, that opens doorways into whole new experiences,” he concluded.

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