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As Doctor Who fans anxiously await what the new doctor (and season) will bring, BBC has heightened the anticipation by announcing veteran British actor Keeley Hawes will be playing the next villain.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. She Will Play Ms. Delphox
BBC and show runner Stephen Moffat announced that Hawes will play Ms. Delphox, a new villain unlike any the Doctor has ever faced. Moffat told The Guardian, “Now it’s about to get even better as she achieves the greatest villainy yet attempted on Doctor Who: she plays a banker.”
Hollywood Reporter reveals that the Doctor and Clara will “come face to face with the mysterious Ms. Delphox when they arrive on a strange and puzzling planet.”
Delphox is also said to have a “dark secret.” Naturally, there is already Internet speculation that she could be the new series’ first female Time Lord.
2. She’s Known for Recent Work on ‘Line of Duty’
Hawes is best known for her work on Season 2 of the UK’s popular police drama Line of Duty.
The show started in 2012 and has a regular viewership of over 4 million people.
She is also well known for her work on the show Ashes to Ashes, which won her a Glamour Award for “Best UK Television Actress.”
3. She Voices the Tomb Raider Game’s Lara Croft
In 2006, Hawes became Jonell Elliot’s successor to become the voice of Lara Croft, the main character in the mega-popular Tomb Raider video game franchise. Hawes voiced the character in six successive video game editions between 2006 and 2010.
4. Her Episode Was Written by a ‘Sherlock’ Writer
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Hawes’ episode will be penned by the revered Sherlock and Doctor Who writer Steve Thompson, a fact that will certainly get the nerdiest Moffat fans very excited.
Thompson wrote two of Sherlock’s most beloved episode, the Season 2 finale, “The Reichenbach Fall,” and Season 3’s wedding episode, “The Sign of Three.” He also wrote one of Doctor Who’s most compelling Season 7 episodes, “Journey to the Centre of the Tardis.”
It’s unknown whether Hawes will appear in additional episodes.
5. Season 8 Airs This Fall
Show runner Moffat has upheld his reputation for being incredibly tight-lipped about his shows, and as such, not much is known yet about the impending Season 8 of Doctor Who. The season is expected to begin Fall 2014.