Pearl Mackie wants to return to ‘Doctor Who’ – eventually.
The 31-year-old actress hasn’t been seen as Bill Potts since the show’s 2017 Christmas special and though she’s keen to reprise the role one day, she thinks she needs to have some time to "miss" the character first.
Asked if she’ll ever be back, she told RadioTimes.com: "I think I need more time, to be honest. I still feel quite close to Bill. I need to miss her before I want to play her again, you know?
"I think I need to [do that] and find a way to add to her story before wanting to go back and play her again.
"I was happy to work with [Twelfth Doctor] Peter [Capaldi], and to do just one series was a gift."
And Pearl – who admitted she hasn’t yet seen Jodie Whittaker’s take on the Time Lord – will always be proud of her time on the show, and in particular the response to Bill, who was the show’s first gay companion.
She said: "This has happened a few times subsequently, but I’ll always remember when a girl came up to me to say that she identified with Bill so much that it enabled her to come out to her family and without me she wouldn’t have been able to do that.
"That’s not something that I ever dreamed to do as an actress, but if I’m able to give support, even in a secondary way, to a community that is marginalised then that’s wonderful and that is a fantastic gift to me."
The actress can next be seen playing Kay, a secretary to future president Donald Trump – played by Anthony Atamanuik – in an episode of ‘Urban Myths’ set in 1984 and featuring a cheerleading concert at Trump Tower, with Andy Warhol (Jack McBrayer) also making an appearance, and Pearl promised viewers will find the Sky Arts show hilarious.
She said: "In the style of ”Urban Myths’, it’s based on stories that might be true and then fictionalised.
"It’s just such a great dynamic to watch Trump and Warhol – they’re polar opposites. There are a few moments when you see Trump’s fear and his insecurity, which you can see how we’ve got the man today. But it is a funny piece!"
Pearl Mackie wants Doctor Who return some day
