As viewers prepare for the final episode of Doctor Who: Flux, which marks the beginning of the end for the 13th Doctor, star Jodie Whittaker has spoken out about the moment she felt the most pressure over the role.
She made history after being the first woman cast as The Doctor in the sci-fi drama’s long history, but the intense interest in this milestone meant she had a different narrative to contend with than her predecessors.
In an interview with The Guardian, Whittaker opened up about how media coverage leading up to her debut had made her feel as if she was carrying the torch for all women, rather than her performance being judged on its own personal merits.
This culminated in a nerve-wracking experience at New York Comic Con in September 2018, where Whittaker’s first ever Doctor Who episode was premiered in front of a large live audience.
Whittaker continued: “I just thought, There’s this crowd of Whovians that are really excited and full of love and support. And I was like, What if I have pitched this so badly wrong? What if I’ve ruined it for actresses? Because I know full well that when lads were cast in the part, they weren’t representing men, they were representing their own personal casting.
“The way it was described in every outlet was not, Can Jodie Whittaker play the part? It was, It’s a woman! I suddenly thought, Have I hindered us? Have I held us back? Because we’d filmed the first series, and I’d loved it. I really felt confident all the way through. Then there is that moment where you go, oh God.”
The Broadchurch alum went on to say that while she was “delighted” her incarnation broke new ground, she hopes that the Doctor’s gender “never” again dominates discussion of a casting choice, concluding: “You’re not representing anyone other than yourself.”
When Whittaker exits the show after a series of specials next year, returning showrunner Russell T Davies will be handed the reins back from Chris Chibnall. But it’s yet to be revealed who he will choose to inherit the TARDIS as the next Doctor.
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