Posted on December 11, 2023

Doctor Who’s Casting Director Responds to Isaac Newton Casting Backlash

Hannah Gearan, Screenrant, December 8, 2023

The casting director for Doctor Who responds to the recent backlash surrounding one casting decision in the show’s “Wild Blue Yonder” special. As Doctor Who awaits the release of season 14, the show is currently airing its 60th anniversary specials. The final anniversary special, titled “The Giggle” is set for release on December 9.

After “Wild Blue Yonder” received backlash about its Isaac Newton casting, the Doctor Who casting director reacts to the online response. Speaking with Digital Spy, casting director Andy Pryor says that “it’s sad that we’re in a time where people villainise minorities.” Pryor went on to express the importance of giving “people a voice” on screen, saying that seeing one’s identity reflected on screen “can be a huge lifeline for some people.” Check out the full quote from Pryor below:

It’s sad that we’re in a time where people villainise minorities, This sort of chatter, I’m very good at kind of tuning it out. And I’m also very, very happy to block people on Twitter. I don’t really have any time for bigotry at all.

It then becomes even more important to give people a voice and for people to be represented, especially for young people growing up who might be trans or from any minority. If they can see themselves on screen, then that can be a huge lifeline for some people. That can make them feel part of the world, which indeed they are.

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In “Wild Blue Yonder,” the Fourteenth Doctor and Donna Noble are sent back in time and end up meeting physicist Isaac Newton. In the Doctor Who episode, Isaac Newton is played by Nathaniel Curtis, who is a person of color. Some people on social media were upset about this decision, pointing out that the real-life Isaac Newton was a white, English man.

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Original Article