Groff plays a mysterious alien bounty hunter in the show’s sixth episode, Rogue.
One of the most exciting guest cast members announced for Doctor Who season 14 has surely got to be Jonathan Groff, and finally fans will get to meet his new characters in this week’s new episode, Rogue.
The sixth episode of the season, which has been written by Kate Herron and Briony Redman, sees the Doctor and Ruby attending a party in Regency era England, where they find that the guests are being murdered.
Meanwhile, the Doctor meets the mysterious titular character, Rogue, played by Groff. But just who is the character and what has Groff said about starring in the series?
Read on for everything you need to know about Jonathan Groff’s character in the Doctor Who episode, Rogue.
Who is Jonathan Groff’s character, Rogue?
Little is known about Jonathan Groff’s character heading into the sixth episode of Doctor Who, but we do know that he’s going by the name of Rogue, he’s an alien bounty hunter and he’s been described as “a man of mystery” who “is not necessarily who he appears to be when you meet him“.
The Doctor meets Rogue when he and Ruby attend a party in Regency era England, and we’ve been told that he is “about to change the Doctor’s life forever”.
What has Jonathan Groff said about joining Doctor Who?
Groff explained that he joined the show after getting “a very exciting text message from Russell T Davies”, who he was “a huge fan of” after seeing It’s a Sin.
He admitted that he had known of Doctor Who but never seen an episode until Davies sent him “about five episodes”, including the first ever instalment, An Adventure in Time and Space.
Asked about the biggest challenge in starring in the show, he said: “I would say the biggest challenge would be trying to understand and fit into the tone of the show – when you’re coming in as a guest star, jumping into a world, and Doctor Who is such a specific thing!
“In the episodes that Russell showed me, and in the experience of playing a role in it, Doctor Who has such a fascinating tone. It’s big, and it’s larger than life, but it’s also quite real and even though it’s fantasy, there is depth to the storytelling and to the relationships.
“I’d say the biggest challenge was coming in and trying to digest the tone as fast as possible, and to really articulate the character in the proper way in the world of the show.”
Groff also spoke about working with Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson, saying they were “both so warm and welcoming”.
He added: “Big smiles and full of laughs and embraces, they could not have been more warm. As an outsider, coming into the Whoniverse for the first time, they were the greatest hosts! They took such good care of me and everybody, truly everybody on the set, the crew, everyone!
“I spent most of my time with Ncuti and I am obsessed with him. I think he is such a star. He’s so unpredictable and thrilling to act with because you never see the same thing twice. He’s so spontaneous, and yet so deeply connected to what he’s doing. He really cares.
“He’s really in it fully, and he’s got this force and positivity that is completely unique to him. It’s just phenomenal. I just adore him. I think he is one of the most exciting actors working today.”
What has Jonathan Groff starred in before?
An actor of stage and screen, Groff shot to prominence in roles such as Jesse St James in Glee and King George in hit Broadway musical Hamilton.
He went on to star in shows such as Looking and Mindhunter, as well as in films including Frozen, The Matrix Resurrections and Knock at the Cabin.
Doctor Who continues on Saturday 8th June on BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Previous seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer with episodes of the classic series also available on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
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