Three years after her Doctor Who departure, Jodie Whittaker reveals she felt pressure throughout her portrayal of the Thirteenth Doctor to not negatively impact the casting of future Doctors. The star made her debut in 2017 following the departure of Peter Capaldi, leading the show across three full seasons and three standalone special episodes in 2022. After having faced troubling truths about her past and seeing Gallifrey fall once more, the Thirteenth Doctor regenerated in "The Power of the Doctor," after putting a stop to the Master's (Sacha Dhawan), Daleks, and Cybermen's deadly alliance.
Whittaker opens up to The Times (via RadioTimes) about the pressures her time leading Doctor Who brought her both during her tenure and after she departed. As the first female incarnation of the Doctor, Whittaker felt the pressure to always go above and beyond throughout her performance, to ensure that any perceived failure didn't lead to executives being reluctant to cast outside of a pool of typically white male actors in the future:
Everyone’s Doctor until then was a white man.They are very different actors, but they all fit a specific mould — and I didn’t. If Peter [Capaldi] hadn’t been good as the Doctor, it would only have reflected on him. Whereas I felt that if I wasn’t very good at this, I’ve f*cked it for other actors. I think it’s completely unacceptable if that was the case, but that’s how I felt.
Furthermore, Whittaker questioned why the uproar surrounding her casting suggested that male fans couldn't be inspired by her Doctor. Check out Whittaker's response below:
It’s never been questioned that I had to look up to men. So it was fascinating that for some, we [women] could not be role models. The Doctor is still the Doctor. But also, I was playing an alien! My gender was not the issue. I’m sure people wrote, 'I hated your Doctor,' but because I go 'la la la', I’ve got such a false sense of who I am.
What This Means For The Future Of Doctor Who
Despite The Uproar, Progressive Values Still Lay At The Heart Of Doctor Who
While an online contingent of commentators claiming that Doctor Who was being made "too political" predated Whittaker's casting, most notably through comments made about Pearl Mackie's season 10 companion Bill Potts, the actor's casting did bring further attention to the series. Alongside online vitriol, Whittaker found her casting being brought into the House of Commons, as former Conservative MP Nick Fletcher blamed her casting for rising crime statistics, as Fletcher claimed it deprived boys of role models.
However, it is clear that Whittaker has not had the negative implications that she had feared, as her era saw the introduction of a second female incarnation through Jo Martin's universe-shattering Fugitive Doctor, while Ncuti Gatwa's current Fifteenth Doctor would eventually follow her as the first black actor to lead the series. As such, it is clear that neither former showrunner Chris Chibnall nor current showrunner Russell T Davies have been intimidated by tabloids and toxic fandom, proving that Whittaker didn't have the negative impact she feared.
Our Thoughts On Whittaker's Doctor Who Fears
Despite Toxic Commentary, Whittaker Stands Out As A Perfect Ambassador For The Franchise
Whittaker's Doctor Who tenure isn't free of criticism, as the revelations of the Timeless Child and the handling of its implications have proven to be divisive to this day. However, these developments and the reception of certain episodes largely lie with the writing of the era rather than Whittaker. Nevertheless, this hasn't stopped both Whittaker and Gatwa from receiving unfair flack throughout their tenures, often made in bad faith by toxic individuals and outlets.
While Whittaker clearly did her best to avoid the toxicity, elements of the backlash left its toll. In spite of the pressure, the star set out to ensure her Doctor could be a hero for all, not only through her on-screen portrayal of the Time Lord, but through ensuring her costume could be donned by any fan, and providing a glimmer of hope in the darkness by making an in-character video to support those frightened during the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, Whittaker has more than proven herself as one of Doctor Who's best leads.
Source: The Times (Via RadioTimes)
