Jodie Whittaker shares Doctor Who pressure that sent her “into a spiral”

Jodie Whittaker reflects on her time as the Doctor in ‘Doctor Who’, discussing how certain sexist comments negatively impacted her and left her feeling overwhelmed.

Jodie Whittaker made history by becoming the first female lead as The Doctor when she joined the popular BBC series in 2017. In a recent conversation, she discussed the intense pressure she faced upon assuming the role and expressed concern that her portrayal could influence future opportunities for women in acting.

She told The Times, “If Peter Capaldi hadn’t done a great job as The Doctor, it would just say something about his abilities.

Instead of feeling that my inadequacy would jeopardize opportunities for other actors, she clarified, “I believed that if I wasn’t skilled enough, it would be a terrible situation. However, that was merely my perspective at the time.

In response to encountering some sexist online harassment, the celebrity remarked: “A few noisy individuals caused quite a stir. Anger tends to be very vocal, while compliments often go unnoticed.

Moreover, there’s no equivalent for that series. It’s a common term in everyone’s language – The TARDIS, Daleks, ‘exterminate’ – she noted.

Previously, every incarnation of the Doctor was a white male actor. Though the performers differed greatly, they all seemed to conform to a particular mold, and that wasn’t me.

Whittaker further highlighted that the response to her role-casting showcased the existence of inconsistencies in empathizing with female characters, revealing underlying double standards.

“It’s never been questioned that I had to look up to men,” she said.

It was intriguing to discover that certain individuals found it impossible for us [women] to serve as role models. However, the character I portrayed was always The Doctor. Additionally, it’s worth noting that I was playing an extraterrestrial being, making my gender irrelevant in this context.

For three series, Peter Whittaker portrayed the character of The Doctor in “Doctor Who,” concluding his tenure following three special episodes in the year 2022.

David Tennant took on the character again in the show’s 2023 specials, portraying a distinct variation of The Doctor (not his Tenth), and subsequently, Ncuti Gatwa will assume the role as the Fifteenth Doctor in an unexpected two-Doctor transition.

In the United Kingdom, you can watch Doctor Who on BBC One, while viewers outside the UK can find it on Disney+. For those in the UK, classic episodes of Doctor Who can be found on BBC iPlayer.

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2025-02-24 20:19