Doctor Who is preparing to bid farewell to yet another lead actor, and this time around it’s going to be more difficult than ever. When Jodie Whittaker was revealed to be the next Doctor, she made history as the first woman to play the role.
Since 2017, fans have fallen in love with Whittaker and her energetic, spunky version of the time-traveling alien. She’s been such a welcome addition to the franchise, but now it’s time to say goodbye, although she does still have three more specials coming in 2022 for us to enjoy.
Jodie Whittaker says goodbye to Doctor Who
Recently, Whittaker looked back on her journey with The Guardian. She revealed that she had filmed her final scene as the Doctor. “I’ve literally just got off the phone with Mandip . It’s been four years of my life,” she said. “My grief of saying goodbye to the job is one thing. But it won’t feel like the end until it’s the end.”
"It’s the everydayness of these people and this atmosphere and this group…I find myself monologuing at various people on WhatsApp, checking that they miss me! Mandip’s had to take the blue ticks off because I’m “exhausting”."
I’m sure if Whittaker spoke with former Doctors she would find she had a lot in common with them. It’s not easy to let go; even as fans we can barely let go of the Doctors once they regenerate.
Whittaker also shared how she feels about the inevitable announcement of who will play the next Doctor:
"I don’t mean in a patronizing sense, but I think it will be more like a maternal [thing]. Even if they’re 20 years older than me, there’ll be that thing of knowing: ah, you are going to have the best time and you’re going to smash it. But the good thing is, for me now, it hasn’t been cast, and I don’t have to know about it. So it’s still mine, which is really lovely for me, because it just means that I have my joy of sharing the season and going: I hope everyone’s enjoying it."
Basically, she is still the current Doctor and, no one can’t take that away from her…for now!
Jodie Whittaker felt pressure over being the first woman to play the Doctor
Whittaker also spoke about the pressure of taking on the role of the Doctor, recalling one particular moment during the 2018 New York Comic-Con:
"The most heightened point of pressure for me was at Madison Square Garden in September 2018, at New York Comic Con. The very first episode was being shown live in front of a massive audience, and I went and sat next to my husband, and I’d absolutely gone. 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…”"
As we all know, Whittaker did not hold anyone back. In fact, the lore has expanded and revealed that while Whittaker was the first woman to play the Doctor on television, there have been female versions of the character before her. (Hi, Jo Martin!)
Jodie Whittaker’s time on Doctor Who may be nearing an end, but don’t let yourself get too down. The first of her three final specials, “Eve of the Daleks,” will air on New Year’s Day.
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