Jonathan Groff Will Guest Star In 'Doctor Who' Series 14

Initially described as key, it's now a "mysterious guest" role for the 'Hamilton' and 'Spring Awakening' alum

Are you ready? Are you ready for this? Are you hanging on the edge of your seat? Jonathan Groff, who has amassed numerous credits across stage and screen, has been cast in a “mysterious guest” role on Doctor Who for series 14.

His role is unknown, but that didn’t stop Variety from initially believing he’ll be an ally because of the “jump aboard the TARDIS” language in the statement made by the BBC on the show’s website, instead of considering the TARDIS as the metaphorical vessel of the entire show. Groff has said about this new gig “I am so thrilled to jump into the extraordinary mind of Russell T. Davies and watch the incredible Ncuti Gatwa soar in this iconic role.” Davies meanwhile, is returning as showrunner following his first stint from the beginning of the show’s revival with the Ninth (Christopher Eccleston) and Tenth (David Tennant) Doctors from 2005-2010. He called casting Groff an “incredible coup, and a great honour”. If a certain liked Instagram comment on Davies’s post means anything, Groff might be a refreshed Captain Jack Harkness, following the firing of John Barrowman for inappropriate behavior.

Groff’s breakout role was as Melchior Gabor in the original Broadway cast of Spring Awakening. He was Tony-nominated for it. This parlayed into a recurring role as Jesse St. James on Glee, which starred his Spring Awakening co-star and best friend Lea Michele. He would appear in 15 episodes across four of Glee’s six seasons. In 2013 he voiced Kristoff in Disney’s animated megahit Frozen, reprising the role in all subsequent appearances. He would later star in HBO’s Looking, as well as its series finale TV movie and The Normal Heart, which was directed by Glee creator Ryan Murphy. Groff was an Original Broadway Cast member of Hamilton as King George III, and thus the filmed recording that was released in 2020. He was nominated for a Tony and Emmy for his performance. He would go on to star in Netflix’s series Mindhunter.

Recent film roles include Knock at the Cabin, and The Matrix Resurrections, a film that also featured Neil Patrick Harris. Harris has also been recruited by Davies to appear in upcoming Doctor Who, though he seems to only be part of the 60th-anniversary specials with Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor. Series 14 will star Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as companion Ruby Sunday. Guest appearances include a returning Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart, and undisclosed roles for Aneurin Bernard, Anita Dobson, Michelle Greenidge, and Jinkx Monsoon.

Doctor Who will continue to air on the BBC domestically, but air on Disney+ everywhere else, including the United States. Reportedly, it will be accompanied by a Doctor Who Confidential successor companion series, Doctor Who Unleashed.

Source: Doctor Who, RadioTimes