Pearl Mackie discusses her character being the first gay companion on DOCTOR WHO!
The new season of Doctor Who hits television later this month and with it comes something new for the show: Pearl Mackie has revealed that her character, Bill Potts, is the show’s first openly gay companion.
In an interview with BBC, the actress talked about representation and doing the best she can for the extraordinary character she’s been given the opportunity to play.
“It shouldn’t be a big deal in the 21st Century. It’s about time isn’t it?” said Mackie. “I remember watching TV as a young mixed race girl not seeing many people who looked like me, so I think being able to visually recognise yourself on screen is important.”
Though she knows the representation is important, she’s also looking forward to presenting Bill as a multi-faceted character.
“[Being gay] is not the main thing that defines her character – it’s something that’s part of her and something that she’s very happy and very comfortable with.”
Ultimately, Doctor Who is a show about inclusion and exploring lives beyond our own, so Pearl Mackie doesn’t think any of this should come as a surprise, stating “It’s important to say people are gay, people are black – there are also aliens in the world as well so watch out for them.”
Doctor Who returns to BBC and BBC America on April 15, 2017.