Jodie Whittaker’s regeneration was her “most emotional” Doctor Who shoot

Every few years, fans of Doctor Who have to say goodbye to the actor currently playing the character and welcome someone new. That’s hard enough for a fan, but I can only imagine how hard it must be for the actor. Every time I’ve had to watch a Doctor regenerate I feel like I’ve lost a part of my heart, so I can’t even remotely fathom what the lead has to go through.

Jodie Whittaker, who’s played the Doctor for three seasons now, recently opened up about her “emotional” final day on set, and how hard it was to say goodbye to a character she has grown to love and admire.

Jodie Whittaker’s final day on the Doctor Who set

On New Year’s Day, fans got to watch the first of three specials that will air this year before the official regeneration. Whovians know “regeneration” means the current Doctor will officially hand off the role to someone else.

We still have to wait a bit to see this particular regeneration, but Whittaker has already filmed it. “I’ve shot my version of regen, and it was singularly the most emotional day on set I think I’ve ever had,” she told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s a really bizarre feeling, because it’s the best time I’ve ever had on a job, and I made the decision to leave it, so it’s a really strange thing to do to yourself. It feels like you’re giving yourself stitches — like, ‘Why have you done it?’ But… it felt right.”

I think every actor who has ever played the Doctor understands that there is a time where it feels right to leave. With the exception of Christoper Eccleston, who only played the Doctor for one season, everyone else has had a run of at least three seasons. It’s usually at that point when they opt to move on, and Whittaker is following suit. But just because you want to leave doesn’t mean it’s easy to do so.

“It was a wonderfully-celebratory-slash-grief-ridden day that I could spend with the family that I’d made,” Whittaker continued. “I suppose the best thing about it is that the episodes are still on. So until they’re off, I don’t have to really get my head around the fact that it’s not my part!”

I couldn’t agree more with her! We still have two more specials to enjoy before we find out who is actually playing the next Doctor. And when the time inevitably arrives to say goodbye for reals, there is some solace in knowing that you never really have to say goodbye. Many actors who have played the Doctor in the past have returned in some capacity, whether it’s for specials, anniversaries, or even audio adventures. So never assume it’s the last we’ve seen of someone on Doctor Who!

With Russell T. Davies returning as showrunner next year, who knows what surprises are in store for us? All I’m asking for is the return of David Tennant and Matt Smith, please! Can you imagine those two plus Jodie Whittaker?! That would be amazing!

The first of Whittaker’s three Doctor Who specials, “Eve of the Daleks,” is already out. Stay tuned for the other two specials airing later this year.

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