'A lifelong dream of mine has now been fulfilled': Game of Thrones star Jacob Anderson joins series 13 of Doctor Who

Game of Thrones star Jacob Anderson has joined the cast of Doctor Who.

The actor, 31, known for playing Grey Worm in the HBO show, will join forces with the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and her companions for the highly anticipated 13th series.

Jacob, who will play the role of Vinder, revealed his excitement of his casting, sharing that it is a 'lifelong dream' which has now been 'fulfilled'. 

He will play a recurring role in the hit BBC series and will accompany the Doctor, Yaz (Mandip Gill) and Dan Lewis (John Bishop) as she battles to face a manner of all evils across space and time.

His casting was announced during Sunday's Doctor Who San Diego Comic Con panel, in which which Chris Chibnall, Jodie, Mandip and John teased the upcoming series as well as sharing an exclusive trailer.

Speaking of his new role, Jacob said: 'The Doctor has been a part of my life forever, from watching and rewatching the serials on VHS as a kid and being terrified, to unexpectedly finding my eyes watering when the Tenth Doctor said “I don’t want to go”, I always wanted to live in the Whoniverse. 

'Not only has a lifelong dream of mine now been fulfilled, but to be playing a character as fun, adventurous and dynamic as Vinder is the cherry on top. This is very cool.'

As well as starring as commander of the Unsullied Grey Worm, Jacob has had varying roles across the stage and screen.

He's appeared in TV series such as Broadchurch, Skins and Episodes, while his theatre accolades include King Lear and War Horse.

The star has also branched out into music, performing under the name of Raleigh Ritchie.  

Meanwhile, Olly Alexander is reportedly set to be the new Doctor Who and will become the first-ever gay actor to play the Time Lord.

It comes following reports that Jodie Whittaker has quit after half a decade of playing the iconic role, having taken over from Peter Capaldi in 2017. 

According to new reports, Russell T Davies, who was previously an executive producer for Doctor Who, 'championed' Olly, 30, for the role.

Years & Years' Olly recently received critical acclaim for his role as Ritchie Tozer in Davies' groundbreaking Channel 4 series It's A Sin. 

A source told The Sun: 'Olly is on the verge of being announced as the new Doctor. Negotiations are at an advanced stage. 

'He's been heavily promoted for the role by Russell — who he's worked closely with on other projects. Russell was impressed with his work and felt he was a great fit for the Doctor.  

'It's definitely happening, he's just had to keep quiet about it while negotiations were finalised.' 

While a 'BBC insider' told the publication that bosses are staying 'tight-lipped' about what they have planned and that there is still 'lots more to come' for Jodie due to filming reportedly continuing for episodes in 2022. 

A representative for Olly denied the claims to MailOnline, saying that the singer is 'focusing on his music, for the time being.' 

MailOnline contacted Jodie and Russell's representatives, as well as BBC, for comment at the time.

Last month, it was reported that Jodie is set to star in two more specials in 2022 before leaving the sci-fi series after nearly five years in the role.

Sources claim the actress, who made the history as the first-ever female Doctor, will appear in the extra episodes once series 13 has aired later this year, with that instalment cut to just eight episodes to due to the Covid pandemic.

It comes following reports in January that Jodie has quit the role of Doctor Who after half a decade playing the iconic role, having taken over from Peter Capaldi in 2017.  

It is believed the episodes will feature stories which were axed from this year's series due to Covid restrictions.

One of the episodes is likely to feature the important regeneration scene which is custom for the change of every Doctor, The Mirror reports. 

While Jodie will still be on televisions as the Doctor until next year, she will conclude filming for the show in the coming months. 

MailOnline contacted representatives for BBC for comment at the time.