Doctor Who to feature transgender actress for the first time

Whovians, your favorite series has just bolstered its guest cast for the upcoming season — with an uber fan who just so happens to be transgender.

Bethany Black, who has previously had roles in Tofu, Cucumber and Banana — where she worked alongsideDoctor Who showrunner Richard T. Davies, will appear in an episode of Season 9, making her the first transgender actress to appear on the show.

Word is the episode Black will appear in was written by Mark Gatiss — so far, the only intel we have on the episode is that it will be “scary.” And while we don’t know much about the character Black will be playing, we do know that the character won’t be transgender and that Black was cast simply because she was the best person for the job.

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We are super-psyched that Doctor Who is breaking ground when it comes to the roles that transgender people are offered and, in doing so, helping to kick some stereotypes to the curb. We are beyond excited for Black to make her appearance, not just because of its monumental nature, but because Black appears to be a Doctor Who superfan — and we love to see a fellow Whovian get their due.

Just look at how she announced the exciting news on her Facebook page:

We gotta say, we love her announcement, and her excitement about the appearance is endearing. But more than that, Black’s explanation of how pivotal Doctor Who has been to her is nothing short of heartwarming.

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In a separate Facebook post, she explained in part, “Ever since I was little, I mean tiny, the TV has been my best friend. Growing up as a queer kid in rural Lancashire in the early 80’s That and my Commodore 64 were my only escape. I watched everything, but especially Doctor Who. My earliest TV memory was Peter Davison in Doctor Who in Four to Doomsday, I remember running into the lounge, running away from the music, running back in and hiding behind the couch, leaving when it got too much. I’ve been a Doctor Who fan ever since. The first time I remember seeing someone I wanted to be when I grew up it was Sophie Aldred as Ace. And I was heart broken when it was cancelled [sic].”

We would have been pretty excited for Black regardless, but we are that extra bit stoked for her because she clearly loves the show as much as we do, and we are looking forward to seeing her make her Doctor Who debut!

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