Doctor Who Casts Neil Patrick Harris in 60th Anniversary Season

Neil Patrick Harris — star of How I Met Your Mother; Doogie Howser, M.D.; A Series of Unfortunate Events; and The Matrix Resurrections — has joined the cast of Doctor Who for the British sci-fi show’s 60th anniversary season in 2023. The BBC announced the news today as Harris prepares to shoot scenes for the series. The BBC offered no clear information on who Harris might be playing but did offer a first look at Harris in character and a possible clue in the emoji “❤️❤️➕💎” on social media. Previous announcements have used the two hearts to represent the Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa in the new season, but the diamond’s significance is a mystery.

Russell T Davies, who is returning to the series as showrunner for the anniversary season, said in a statement, “It’s my huge honor to open our studio doors for the mighty Neil Patrick Harris… but who, why, what is he playing? You’ll just have to wait. But I promise you, the stuff we’re shooting now is off the scale. Doctor beware!”

Harris is the latest special guest start in the series. In addition to Gatwa starring as the Fourteenth Doctor, David Tennant reprises his role as the Tenth Doctor for the special anniversary season along with Catherine Tate as returning companion Donna Noble. Heartstopper breakout Yasmin Finney plays a new character named Rose (not ), rumored to be Donna’s daughter.

“Life on Doctor Who gets brighter and wilder, how can there be another Rose? You’ll find out in 2023, but it’s an absolute joy to welcome Yasmin to the Doctor Who set,” Davies said when announcing Finney’s character. “We all fell in love with her in Heartstopper, one of those shows which changes the world – and now Yasmin can change the Whoniverse!”

Davies was similarly cryptic about Tennant and Tate’s returns. “Maybe this is a missing story. Or a parallel world. Or a dream, or a trick or flashback. The only thing I can confirm is it’s going to be spectacular, as two of our greatest stars reunite for the battle of a lifetime.”

Doctor Who is filming now, but the 60th anniversary season of Doctor Who won’t air until 2023. This year, fans will still bid farewell to Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor and current series showrunner Chris Chibnall in the upcoming Doctor Who BBC Centenary Special. The episode brings back two classic Doctor Who companions. The episode debuts in the fall. You can get caught up on Doctor Who with our streaming binge guide to the series.