'Doctor Who' Plot: Jodie Whittaker to Play First Female Doctor in Show's History
The identity of the 13th Doctor has been announced, and the person succeeding Peter Capaldi as the Time Lord is English actress Jodie Whittaker.
Whittaker is the first woman to take on the role in the BBC1 series "Doctor Who." Her acting credits included ITV's crime drama "Broadchurch."
"After months of lists, conversations, auditions, recalls, and a lot of secret-keeping, we're excited to welcome Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor," Chris Chinball, "Doctor Who" head writer and executive producer, said about Whittaker's casting, as quoted by The Guardian.
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"I always knew I wanted the 13th Doctor to be a woman and we're thrilled to have secured our number one choice. Her audition for the Doctor simply blew us all away," he added.
Whittaker is expected to bring a lot of "wit, strength and warmth" to the role that has been held by male actors ever since its creation. Actors who played the Doctor included Matt Smith, David Tennant and Peter Cushing.
There were mixed responses to Whittaker's casting, and a lot expressed similar skepticism as when the all-female "Ghostbusters" ensemble was cast. The majority, however, were very supportive of the show's decision to enlist a woman as the first ever female doctor in the show's history.
Emily Cook, the editorial assistant of "Doctor Who" magazine, said having a woman play the iconic role will bring a certain freshness as she will certainly have a different approach to the role.
However, Whittaker told fans of the show not to fear her because of her gender.
According to The Rolling Stone, the 35-year-old actress said that she does not want to "be boxed in by what you're told you can and can't be."
"The fans have lived through so many changes, and this is only a new, different one, not a fearful one," she added.
Whittaker, an early top contender for the role, beat out actresses such as Tilda Swinton and Phoebe Waller-Bridge for the role of The Doctor.
