RTD Responds to Gatwa “Crybaby” Complaints in Doctor Who: “You Don’t Tell an Actor Not to Cry”

Since Ncuti Gatwa’s debut in Doctor Who, some fans have raised eyebrows at just how often the Fifteenth Doctor ends up crying. From “The Church on Ruby Road” through to the current run of episodes, the emotional outbursts have become a regular occurrence, a stark departure from how previous incarnations tended to handle their feelings.

Historically, the Doctor has been more restrained, often expressing grief or sorrow through a quiet moment or a haunted look. Rarely did he break down in tears, and when it did happen, it usually marked a moment of exceptional weight. Now, some fans feel that Fifteen’s emotions are being placed front and centre a little too often.

Russell T Davies, however, is standing firmly behind the performance. Speaking to TVLine, he recalled the first instance of Gatwa’s tears on set.

“I mean, I remember the first time [Ncuti] did it, which is in [the 2024 Christmas special] ‘The Church on Ruby Road’,” Davies said. “He thought Ruby (played by Millie Gibson) had vanished, been erased from time and space, which was astonishing, and he turned around in the studio and gave us that performance, which was absolutely spellbinding.”

Davies dismissed thoughts that the crying is written into the script.

“You don’t tell an actor whether to cry, not to cry, not an actor of that stature. Absolutely not,” he said. “It’s like, you wouldn’t tell anyone to laugh or not to laugh. It’s a beautiful thing he does, and it’s a completely new thing for the Doctor, that opens doorways into whole new experiences.”

While some long-time viewers are unconvinced, Davies sees it as part of the show’s evolution.

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

Davies remains unapologetic in his praise.

“It’s literally a princely performance,” he said. “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.”

Still, as more Doctor Who episodes air, the question lingers: should the Doctor’s hearts be worn quite so visibly on his sleeve?