Risky business

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Publication: TV & Satellite Week
Date: 2021-11-13
Author:
Page: 7
Language: English

As Yaz faces danger once again, Mandip Gill reveals how she thrives on adrenaline

Since meeting the Doctor on a train just outside Sheffield three years ago, Yaz Khan has travelled through time and space, battled alien forces, and cheated death.

But nothing could have prepared her for the threat that she, the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker), and new companion Dan Lewis (John Bishop) are currently facing as they come up against the Cybermen this week — and Mandip Gill, who plays her, is delighted to still be in the thick of the action, even if it occasionally means an uncomfortable day at work.

'In the first episode, there was a scene where we're above an acid ocean,' Gill recalls. 'Jodie and I were quite excited — an hour later, we're upside down, and I'm thinking, "My head's going to explode, it's not fun any more."

'It got a bit competitive, because we had to swing ourselves round. Jodie went first and she did really well, and when it was my turn I got applause from everyone for doing extra twirls, because I wanted to out-twirl her!'

Gill has been with the show since 2018, but making the six-part story Flux felt like a different experience from Doctor Who's usual standalone stories — and she appreciated the change in pace.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

'You have much more time to get to know people as actors, and as characters: she says. Tor instance, we spent six or seven months with Jacob Anderson, who plays Vinder, so you can develop relationships that bit deeper — nothing has to finish at the end of that episode.'

One guest star in the current series who left Gill and Bishop particularly awestruck was Pirates of the Caribbean star Kevin McNally — to the extent that they found themselves copying his acting style.

'John and I went to the school of Kevin McNally acting!' she laughs. 'Li 'Anything Kevin did, I was like, "I think I might play with my hat as well next time." The director would say, "Why don't you take your hands out of your pockets and not do that?" and I'd say, "But it looked good when Kevin did it..."'

Captions:

Dan, the Doctor and Yaz have a scary encounter

Caption: Old foes the Cybermen

Jacob Anderson as Vinder

Risky business

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