Time Made Of Strawberries – Un Temps De Fraises

Almost 54 years later, Doctor Who casts a woman for the prestigious leading role

By Mélissa M Azombo

So, the wait to find out who will play The 13th Doctor is finally over and the time has come for the Time Lord’s next face to be revealed. During today’s Wimbledon final on BBC 1, it turned out to be no other than Broadchurch’s Jodie Whittaker.

During a one-minute clip, the suspense was killing Whovians accross the UK, (soon to be the world, as the clip later made the rounds online) as they eagerly waited to discover who The 13th Doctor was to be played by. After hours of sitting through tennis, when yet again Doctor Who fans were expected to sit through sport for a major Doctor Who reveal (Bill Potts reveal-style), it was unveiled the next Doctor was to be played by a woman, with the face of Jodie Wittaker for the first time.

The 35-year-old actress has a vast acting career in her pocket. Since graduating from Guildhall School of Music and Drama with the gold medal in acting, she has starred in the St Trinnian’s films, Attack The Block and most recently ITV drama Broadchurch, penned by soon-to-be Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall.

Doctor Who actors welcomed the news, with Colin Baker tweeting “Change, my dears and it appears, not a moment to soon. She IS The Doctor, whether you like it or not,” paraphrasing a quote from his run as The Doctor.

Time For Change?

However, not all fans agree with the change. Some fans believe this casting decision alone, will damage the show, while others call it satisfying political correctness. Despite some, already refusing to continue watching the show, a large proportion of the fans are praising this decision. While some are glad it is finally a woman after all previous actors being men, others are just welcoming the casting of a talented actress.

On the topic of being the first woman to play the role, Whittaker told the Doctor Who team “I want to tell fans not to be scared by my gender… Doctor Who fans have lived through so many changes and this is only a new, different one, not a fearful one.”

The Yorkshire-born actress who has already had a brush with the Whoniverse, standing in for past Doctor Who actress Carey Mulligan in stage production The Seagull and acting opposite 9th Doctor Christopher Ecclestone in Antigone at The National Theatre, is “most excited” about fully becoming a part of the Doctor Who family. Talking to the Doctor Who website, she said “To be asked to play the ultimate character, to get to play pretend in the truest form: this is why I wanted to be an actor in the first place.”

She continued, making it clear that taking on this “unbelievable opportunity”, required no hesitation on her behalf. “If you need to be persuaded to do this part, you’re not right for this part and this part isn’t right for you.”

It is very clear she knows how iconic the role is, even choosing “The Clooney” as a code name for it, at home and with her agent, “because to me and my husband, George [Clooney] is an iconic guy.”

She has called being the 13th Doctor so far “nerve-wracking, because everything’s been so secret.” This is no longer her secret, so hopefully Jodie is now feeling a bit less nervous, ready for fans to see her in the role for the first time during the final minutes of the Doctor Who Christmas Special on BBC 1 on Christmas Day.

In the mean time, the only Doctor fans can see Jodie as, will be as her character who plays a nurse pretending to be a doctor in BBC Drama Trust me on Tuesday 8th August 2017 at 21h00.