At a special screening, followed by a Q&A, of Doctor Who‘s New Year special “Resolution,” the Thirteenth Doctor herself, Jodie Whittaker, was asked by a young fan how it felt to be the first woman Doctor. In response, the actress admitted that this is a question she gets asked a lot, even though she doesn’t feel like it’s something she has to deal with on a daily basis.
“It’s interesting – it’s a question I have to answer, because obviously the history of the show has always been a male Doctor. But I’ve never walked round thinking, ‘I’m a girl in this situation’ – [though] there have been times where I’ve realised that there may have been some doors that were at a different angle to me, because of being a woman.”
More specifically, Whittaker explained that she doesn’t feel like there’s any limit to who can play the Doctor, as the Time Lord’s a face-changing alien with two hearts known for their eccentric personality – so it’s not a character who’s particularly male or female.
“I suppose playing the Doctor, because it’s an alien, and because the Doctor has two hearts, it means you don’t need any qualifications, you just need to go like that [gesturing outwards, with open arms] and that can be boy or girl.”
Finally, the star said that she’s heartened to be the one to break down those barriers and to prove that a woman can also play the Doctor.
“I think we knew that, but it’s wonderful to be the first person in a position to really say, ‘See? We can do it!'”
For the most part, season 11 didn’t make a big deal of the time traveler’s change of gender – this was certainly true of the premiere, which was a deliberate choice by showrunner Chris Chibnall. However, “The Witchfinders” did explore the Doctor facing sexism for the first time, as she was tried as a witch for her forthright attitude and intelligence during a trip to the 17th century.
In tonight’s special episode, Whittaker will tick off another major Doctor moment when she (probably) faces the Daleks. And you can catch all the excitement set to come our way in Doctor Who “Resolution” when it airs at 7PM on BBC America/One.
