Why Jodie is Right FOR the Job
As Doctor Who returns, we give Jodie Whittaker our vote of confidence
On Sunday 16 July last year, after the Men’s Wimbledon Final, a 60-second video materialised on BBC1. A mysterious figure walked through a forest, revealed a key in their hand, and then pulled back their hood to reveal the new actor set to take on the title role of the super-successful Doctor Who.
The internet exploded, as it always does when a new lead joins this huge sci-fi show. This time, though, there was an additional element to the debate, because the thirteenth person to take on this iconic part was also the first-ever woman: Broadchurch star Jodie Whittaker. Darker (and dumber) online elements were not happy, often purely on gender-based grounds, but we were delighted. Jodie, 36, makes her debut this weekend, and here’s why we knew, right from that day in July, that she would be absolutely perfect.
EARLY ACCOLADES
As far back as 2006, the omens were good for the up-and-coming actress, when her first major role – as Jessie in the British comedydrama film Venus – landed her four award nominations, three of which were of the “Most Promising Newcomer” variety. After this triumph, Jodie wisely diversified herself across two different media. She shored up her CV with roles in films like the St. Trinian’s comedies (2007 and 2009) and Attack The Block (2011), plus TV work like Tess Of The D’urbervilles (2008) and Marchlands (2011).
‘A female Doctor keeps the show wonderfully fresh’
SMASHING THE MIRROR
Whenever Jodie was granted enough on-screen time, her appearances marked her out as an actress who brought something special, from the sheer breadth of her emotional range to a noticeably raw and downto-earth quality. Perhaps the first show that really gave her a platform to prove herself was The
Entire History Of You, the third episode in 2011’s first series of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror. Written by Peep Show’s Jesse Armstrong, it saw Jodie costarring as Ffion, a woman plagued by her obsessively jealous partner Liam (Toby Kebbell), in a world where everything seen is memorised and can be endlessly replayed. There’s no doubt that Jodie’s performance helped make this one of the show’s most memorable instalments, as she and Toby expertly walked the tricky line between comedy and intense drama.
THE CHURCH OF WHITTAKER
While Black Mirror became an instant cult hit, most mainstream viewers became fully aware of Jodie thanks to the brilliant
Broadchurch. The brainchild of Doctor Who’s new incoming showrunner Chris Chibnall, the ITV drama cast her as Beth Latimer, whose 11-year-old son Danny was found strangled at the base of a Dorset cliff. Jodie’s astonishingly emotional performance helped the audience invest in her stricken family’s plight and made the show such a huge success. There’s certainly no doubt that, across all three series, she more than held her own against the show’s two stars: former Doctor David Tennant and Olivia Colman. No wonder Chibnall was left so impressed.
WHAT’S UP, DOC?
Doctor Who has always thrived on variety. Constant change is the main factor that has kept it alive since 1963, and a female Doctor opens up wonderfully fresh possibilities for the show. But, far more importantly, Jodie is simply the best person for the job. When she made her debut as the Doctor in the final minutes of last year’s Christmas special, her natural charm was undeniable. And when
heat interviewed her this year, she was extraordinarily unfazed by the pressure of taking on British TV’S biggest role. We can’t wait to see her pilot the TARDIS and win hearts across the universe.
Doctor Who starts on Sunday 7 October BBC1 . See our review on page 84.