Posted in: BBC, Doctor Who, TV | Tagged: doctor who

Doctor Who: The Doctor & Yaz Are "Love in Its Purest Form": Whittaker

Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker discusses why she played the Doctor as neurodivergent, the love between the Doctor and Yaz, and much more.

Jodie Whittaker is back in Doctor Who in a series of twelve audio dramas from Big Finish, which will be released bi-monthly and will take up the next two years. That's probably how long the TV series will be on hiatus before it returns to the screen, so guess what? The regular Doctor for now is the Thirteenth Doctor in audio drama. The Big Finish production is a chance to revisit her and see the writers fill in the gaps between Whittaker and Mandip Gil's second season and third, "Flux." In a wide-ranging interview with Doctor Who Magazine, Whittaker admitted that she always played the Doctor as neurodivergent, a trait spotted by many viewers, especially those in the neurodivergent community, which is one reason she's a beloved Doctor in the fandom.

Playing the Doctor as Neurodivergent without Naming it

"I don't think it was a discussion, but it was absolutely there. The Doctor's response in certain situations felt, to me, so authentically her that it celebrated a neurodiverse character without slapping on a label. It was just 'the Doctor'. So, me? I absolutely was aware. It's playing it without the label, in a way. Just: the Doctor responds like this. That's what I loved about it. And that's why the Doctor is such a brilliant part to play. Sometimes we explain certain traits by saying, 'This person is neurodiverse, or has ADHD, or is autistic,' and that can be a positive thing – explaining is not negative. But with the Doctor, it wasn't about explaining. She has characteristics that potentially, in a human form, would be associated with autism, but the joy is – as you said – it's not in any way negative, in any way something to be fixed. It's something to be celebrated. The Doctor is the Doctor. What is so beautiful about playing the Doctor is that there is no conforming."

On Masking

"My response to certain things, or someone else's response, is… well, different. And, you know, people mask [a strategy some autistic people use, consciously or unconsciously, to appear non-autistic]. Maybe, for a lot of people, there's an expectation to mask. But the joy of not masking, of seeing the rainbow of personalities and interactions? Yeah, that was a joy to play. Because it's close to my heart, too. And to celebrate all versions of our [expletive] community – who we can learn a million things from. To think outside of a box. To not conform to expectations of 'acceptable', 'non-acceptable', 'right', or 'wrong'. It's about celebrating traits, rather than labelling them in order to 'fix' them. What I was trying to do with the Doctor was articulate that."

The Doctor and Yaz Love Story

It was Whittaker who spotted the memes by fans who were stanning The Doctor and Yaz, and brought it to the attention of Chris Chibnall with the suggestion they make the love story canon on the series. Chibnall proceeded to write the love story as unrequited as a result of The Doctor's neurodivergence and asexuality.

"And then there's the love between the Doctor and Yaz, and that is a massive thing for us – and a massive thing in the show. These two people, whoever these two people are, whatever they represent, they really love each other – and that's what I loved about it. Even if they find it hard to express. Even if the Doctor has difficulties interpreting it. It's love in its purest form."

"There's that scene in Can You Hear Me? where she can't find the words to comfort Graham about his cancer fears. She calls herself "socially awkward" and says she might try again later. It's uncomfortable viewing, but it feels true – because sometimes we don't know what to say quick enough. And you just know – and the Doctor knows – that five minutes later, she'll think of what she should have said."

"For me, the thing I have, in so much of my response to certain things, is that I'm so aware there's going to be a 'right' response that sometimes I end up saying the absolute opposite. I try to give every version. Maybe they want humour? Maybe sadness? Maybe tactile? Throwing every response at them, all at once. Trying to tick every box. Then I'll think, I've given you everything in that response. And that's what the Doctor is battling with in that moment, even if it's far from the 'perfect' reaction.

"What's brilliant is that, even when the Doctor does find the words, they don't need to be the bulkiest physique in the room, with the highest physical skillset, for heroics. In a lot of genre pieces, the 'hero' – in inverted commas – is whoever can fight the hardest or physically protect the most. But saving the day by non-conforming, by thinking differently? That's a joy, because it makes heroism accessible to everyone. Anyone, whether they're into Doctor Who or not, can see themselves in the Doctor. It's a celebration of traits that aren't always represented in sci-fi or heroic storytelling."

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