Companion Chosen
This latest companion choice isn’t one of ours - it’s who Steven Moffat and Piers Wenger have chosen to be Matt Smith’s companion in Series 5. 21 year old actress Karen Gillan, pictured above, has been cast in the role.
Here is the official BBC announcement for the New Companion!
As the release mentions, Gillan has appeared in Doctor Who before - as one of the soothsayers in The Fires of Pompeii. Judging by the photo I believe she is the one who follows the Doctor and Donna early on in that episode. Gillan would be the third companion who has first played a different role before being cast as the companion (Ian Marter and Freema Agyeman being the other two).
Another choice I don’t think anyone saw coming!
Posted by Luca on Friday, May 29 at 7:03 am
12 Comments...
My first thought was that she looks a little like Catherine Tate, but I know that it’s very unlikely that Karen’s character will be related to Donna.
I look forward to seeing some promo shots of Karen & Matt together. Do we know anymore about the companion role? Does she have a name yet? I seem to recall in the past that when Billie Piper, Catherine Tate & Freema Ageyman were all announced as Rose, Donna & Martha respectively, that we knew that that was whom they were.
Posted by Rachel on 05/29 at 10:43 AM
I think she’ll be a great choice! She was wonderful in that episode, and I’m soooooo glad that they didn’t pick someone who looks like a supermodel. (or sex kitten).
Posted by JJ on 05/29 at 10:47 AM
No character name has been given yet, mysteriously enough.
And while you can’t tell this from the photo I’ve included or from watching Fires of Pompeii, Gillan is actually 5 foot 11 (gulp!) and based on other photos I’ve seen since the announcement & her height (tallest female companion ever?) could easily pass for either a super model or a sex kitten…..
Posted by Luca on 05/29 at 11:39 AM
Courtney was the Brigadier/ Kingdom
Posted by max on 05/29 at 02:42 PM
Well I guess that all depends on the tricky definition of a companion - I’ve never considered UNIT members “companions”, but I suppose if one did, then yes, Nick Courtney played Bret Vyon. And if Sara Kingdom still counts as a companion these days (despite only being in one story) then yes, she also played Joanna before she played Sara Kingdom. I sort of stand corrected.
Posted by Luca on 05/29 at 04:53 PM
And Peter Purves had a role before being cast as Steven Taylor.
Posted by Dave on 05/29 at 05:56 PM
It’s just wrong to me that I should end up feeling old watching Doctor Who. Looking at the two of them, I feel like I’m seeing an advert for a teen-oriented dramatic movie like Twilight.
This is a show that’s over 40 years old, and here I am feeling like it’s suddenly being marketed at an age demographic way younger than I am.
I don’t like it :(
Posted by Noah on 05/30 at 08:39 AM
I too thought that she looked like Donna Noble/ Catherine Tate. Could it be that Donna regenerates along with the Doctor and becomes her younger self?
Posted by AndyBob in Ottawa on 06/01 at 11:47 AM
Noah, of course DW has never had a teenaged companion before…
Posted by John on 06/01 at 02:04 PM
Of course, Peter Purves played a different character than Steven in the same story as Steven’s debut - The Chase…
Posted by Steven on 06/01 at 05:47 PM
John - No, I know that. I guess what irks me is that neither of the actors chosen for the roles seem at all unique choices, just younger or alternate versions of the current actors (Tennant and Tate in this case).
There doesn’t seem to be any attempt to bring anything new to the table, just replacements.
Now granted, we haven’t seen costuming or any characterisations so they could both end up completely unique, which is what I’m hoping for (but not confident about).
Posted by Noah on 06/01 at 08:23 PM
It is to early to say anything about the new cast. I am still waiting to see if Billie piper is going to be in the finale.
Posted by mico phive on 07/26 at 01:58 AM
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