Matt Smith reunites with Doctor Who co-stars Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill

The trio are back to celebrate Eleven turning 40.

By Joe Anderton

30 Oct 2022

Doctor Who aired Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill's last episode as Matt Smith's companions a decade ago, and now the three have reunited for a very special celebration.

The duo, who played Amy and Rory, joined Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith in the Galápagos Islands for the former Time Lord's 40th birthday.

In pictures and videos shared on Gillan's Instagram, a host of Smith's friends and family members can be seen enjoying a swim and all the flora and fauna of the famous islands, where Charles Darwin developed his theories on evolution in the 1800s. Their tour of the island was actually with the Leaders for Change Summit and the Charles Darwin Foundation.

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A post shared by Karen Gillan (@karengillan)

Captioning part 1 of the adventures: "A couple of Ponds in the Galapagos", we see the former on-screen couple on boat rides and being mesmerised by crabs, birds, seals and iguanas.

Meanwhile her part 2 post features Darvill's spectacular dance to try get into a wetsuit and Smith's funny facial expressions as Gillan captures him from the other side of a boat.

Smith's mum Lynne wrote a sweet message on Twitter for her son's birthday too: "Happy 40th Matt. You've always been the kindest sweetest boy. You've worked so hard and I'm so incredibly proud of all your achievements. Your Dad would have been bursting too but I know he'll always be with you in your (heart). Keep shining my boy and have the best day."

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A post shared by Karen Gillan (@karengillan)

Smith has recently been appearing in Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon, and despite how massive that franchise is, he says he felt less stress doing it than he did for Doctor Who.

"The pressure that came with Doctor Who is extraordinary," he said. "On this, you're sharing it with like ten other actors. Doctor Who is Doctor Who, Hamlet is Hamlet, you know?

"I was 26 [when I was cast], and I don't know if I'll ever feel pressure like that again. In Britain, anyway, the focus on that job is enormous. [House of the Dragon] is a huge global franchise, or so they tell me, but I just go to work in a studio in Watford and try to get the lines in the right order."

Doctor Who returns in 2023 on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Meanwhile, in the US, the show airs on BBC America, with series 1-12 available on HBO Max. Classic Doctor Who streams on BritBox in the UK.