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STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT THE CEILING’S STILL THERE
Jodie Whittaker says that her casting as Doctor Who is being made into a bigger deal than it is, and the character is inspirational irrespective of gender
Jodie Whittaker calls being cast as the first woman to portray Doctor Who “a step in the right direction” when it comes to gender equality in Hollywood, but doesn’t feel that she’s broken a glass ceiling because there’s more work to be done.
Moments before the latest season of Doctor Who debuted in a global-wide telecast on Sunday, Whittaker was at New York Comic Con with showrunner Chris Chibnall and executive producer Matt Strevens talking about the new season and the historical casting decision.
“Do I think the glass ceiling is broken? No. Do I think that this is a positive step in the direction of equality in the representation on film? Yeah. But it’s not broken,” Whittaker said.
The long-running television series (it has been airing since 1963) chronicles the adventures of an extraterrestrial time lord who travels to different time periods to help people, without doing anything drastic that may alter the course of history. Whittaker, preceded by Peter Capaldi, became the 13th to play the eponymous character, and explains why she hopes to be a role model for everyone, regardless of gender.
“When I was growing up, there was never a question that as a girl you would look up to guys. That’s what you did. Whereas there’s a slight mythology in the sense if you’re a girl, you’re a hero for a girl, which is not the case,” she said. “And so, I think the wonderful thing about this is being a role model for anyone, which the Doctor has always been regardless of gender.”
While Whittaker was admittedly honoured to get the role, she noted that the casting announcement seemed like a bigger deal than it was. According to her, “gender becomes immediately irrelevant within the show because the Doctor is the Doctor.”
The actor calls herself a “New Whovian” that began watching the show after she got the role. What she learned from her binge watching was “how inclusive it is.”
The first episode smashed viewership records, with an average of 8.2 million.
Gender becomes immediately irrelevant within the show because the Doctor is the Doctor... the wonderful thing about this is being a role model for anyone, regardless of gender.
JODIE WHITTAKER ACTOR