Alexander Devrient’s world has always been a broad one. Born into a German–Lebanese family and fluent in English, German, French, and Spanish, he brings that multicultural, multilingual background straight into his work, whether he’s fronting a BBC drama or disappearing into a tense spy thriller.

This winter, that experience feeds into his biggest TV role yet. Devrient stars as Colonel Christofer Ibrahim in The War Between the Land and the Sea, a five-part BBC One and Disney+ Doctor Who spin-off from Russell T Davies that drops viewers into a world on the brink, as an ancient species rises from the ocean and forces humanity — and UNIT — into an escalating global crisis. Airing on BBC One and iPlayer in the UK, the series utilizes Devrient with a cast that also includes Russell Tovey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jemma Redgrave, Ruth Madeley, and Colin McFarlane, mixing returning Whoniverse favourites with new faces and a large-scale, effects-driven story.

For Devrient, it’s both a step up and a familiar return. Fans already know him as Colonel Ibrahim from Doctor Who, where he’s shared the screen with Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor and an ensemble that includes Millie Gibson, David Tennant, and Catherine Tate. Beyond the Whoniverse, his credits span Ted Lasso, Motherland, Industry, FBI: International, The Bureau, The Danish Girl, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, and more.

As The War Between the Land and the Sea brings UNIT to the forefront and introduces Colonel Ibrahim to a wider audience, Stardust sits down with Devrient to talk about stepping into a leading role and shaping a character inside one of television’s most iconic universes.

You’ve been playing Colonel Ibrahim in Doctor Who for a little while now. What does The War Between the Land and the Sea let you explore with him that you didn’t quite have room for on Doctor Who?

Alexander Devrient: Ibrahim and I have been on a journey together since the 60th anniversary specials back in 2023. We’ve seen him in a work and military context a lot, serving, protecting, fighting. But in The War Between the Land and the Sea, we get to see a different side of him. We get to go behind the military curtain and observe him in more private environments. It’s been equally riveting and intense to add those layers and delve deeper into his emotional landscape.

The series drops UNIT into a crisis sparked by an ancient species emerging from the ocean. How did Russell T Davies and the team first pitch that premise to you, and what hooked you about this particular story?

Alexander Devrient: There had been rumors going around whilst we were shooting Doctor Who, but nothing concrete had reached me or my team. When my agents called me in early 2024, they were like: ‘It’s happening, they want you for the spin-off!’ I got to read a few episodes and was instantly hooked. Bringing back the Sea Devils, a clear and urgent sustainability angle, and a blockbuster sci-fi script that wasn’t following your traditional hero approach. I called my agents and said, ‘Let’s do it!’

How did working day-to-day with Russell Tovey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jemma Redgrave, and Ruth Madeley shape your sense of the show, and is there a scene that really crystallized that for you?

Alexander Devrient: I’d been working with Jemma and Ruth within UNIT on all the Doctor Who seasons. We’ve formed a strong bond over the years, and our characters are deeply intertwined. Being on set with them felt familiar, but within that, everything was new. The scale of it was absolutely epic! Pretty much from day one, the stakes were as high as they could be. That was amplified when we set foot in Empress Hall, where a lot of the negotiations within the series take place. That entire set is real and was built for the show. Gugu as Salt looked and sounded spectacular, and Russel Tovey is just the most giving actor ever. Their interactions anchored it all deeply for me.

The Whoniverse has such a vocal, passionate fandom and a long history. Has playing Ibrahim changed your relationship with that world, whether through fan reactions, conventions, or just knowing you are now part of this expanding canon?

Alexander Devrient: Having grown up in Brussels, in a German and French-speaking household, it wasn’t a world I was particularly familiar with. It was definitely a huge learning curve! The fandom is super dedicated and knowledgeable. It’s been really interesting to delve into the show’s history through their eyes and hear about their feedback at conventions and in the street. Whether good or bad [grins], everyone is entitled to their opinion. One thing’s for sure: their fan art comes from the heart, and their support has been a real gift.

You’ve done sharp comedy, dense ensemble drama, and high-stakes thrillers. When you look back at Ted Lasso, Industry, The Bureau, FBI: International, and the rest, is there one project that felt like training ground for a series on this scale?

Alexander Devrient: They all were, to be honest—each one is a massive show in its own right. But nothing can prepare you for the scale of sets on Doctor Who or The War Between. Especially after reading the scripts and trying to imagine it all in your head. It’s sci-fi in its most expansive form and allows for a level of immersion that is above and beyond anything I’d done before.

The War Between the Land and the Sea plays out over five episodes, which is quite contained for a story this size. From your perspective, how did that shape the way Ibrahim’s story is told and the kind of performance you wanted to give?

Alexander Devrient: It meant we had to get to the crux of things quickly. We needed to establish connections from the start and make everything super clear, especially for non-Whovians. The result is a show that’s accessible to everyone, with all the sci-fi blockbuster thrills that come with it! For Ibrahim specifically, it was about establishing both Colonel Ibrahim the soldier and Christofer Ibrahim the civilian—and then questioning whether that division is truly clear-cut, or if the lines between them begin to blur.

Looking ahead, what kind of roles or stories are exciting you right now?

Alexander Devrient: There’s a lot of deeply humane, powerful drama coming out of the Arab world at the moment, much of it sadly inspired by real-life events. The Voice of Hind Rajab by Kaouter Ben Hania, Palestine 36 by Annemarie Jacir, and A Sad and Beautiful World by Cyril Aris are all taking the festival circuit by storm. As someone of Lebanese heritage, it genuinely makes me happy to see these films getting the recognition they deserve. That level of exposure wasn’t always a given, and I am here for it.

On a personal level, I’ll be delving into my first Spanish series called SIRA for Netflix Spain and Atresmedia early next year. It’s set in the post-war 1940s, so it’ll take me into a completely different universe.