Posted in: BBC, TV | Tagged: doctor who

Doctor Who: Whittaker on Thirteenth Doctor Haters: "Too Old to Care"

Jodie Whittaker doesn't plan on closing the door on Doctor Who, and she shares how she deals with the trolls hating on the Thirteenth Doctor.

From reprising her role as the Thirteenth Doctor for Ncuti Gatwa's final run as the Fifteenth Doctor in "The Reality Way" to reteaming with Mandip Gill for a series of new Big Finish audio adventures, Jodie Whittaker continues to embrace her "Whoniverse" backstory even as she expands her acting chops in projects such as One Night, Toxic Town, Time, and others. Speaking with The Times, Whittaker discussed what it was like being the first female Doctor, how she handled the haters, and how she doesn't plan on shutting the door on Doctor Who anytime soon.

"The second I got to Cardiff, I felt like I was home, even though it's a different studio, a different TARDIS. It's just my absolute happiness, 'Doctor Who.' If someone said to me in 20 years, 'I've written an episode and the 13th comes back,' I just wouldn't hesitate. It's absolute joy," Whittaker shared about returning as the Thirteenth Doctor for Gatwa's final episode during a recent interview.

But if you think returning for "The Reality War" offered some insights into what the future holds for Piper's possible Doctor, think again. "Nobody tells you anything. They didn't even tell Billie and me that the other was in it. I got on set, and half the crew didn't know [that Whittaker was appearing]. The thing that makes me laugh about 'Doctor Who' is the secrecy. You're, like, 'Oh, I have to get a day off work,' but not say what job I'm doing."

As for being the first female Doctor in the BBC series' long run, it's an honor that Whittaker has learned to appreciate more over the years. "There needed to be a first, and I didn't fully appreciate it," she shared. "I'm not like Jack Lemmon in 'Some Like It Hot: 'I'm a girl, I'm a girl!' I just am. But once it was announced — as well as a few grumpy pumps — for a lot of people it felt like a really wonderful moment." As for how she dealt with those "grumpy pumps," Whittaker says she took it in stride. "I don't think they're in my social circle," she said of the haters. "The hateful are always the loudest. If they're angry and loud, it doesn't mean you have to listen. Also, it's exhausting, and I'm too old to care."

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