Posted in: BBC, TV | Tagged: doctor who

Doctor Who: Whittaker on Thirteenth Doctor/Yaz, Fugitive Doctor & More

Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker on why the Thirteenth Doctor and Yaz's relationship wasn't "controversial," the Fugitive Doctor, and more.

As many of you know, the adventures of Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor and Mandip Gill's Yaz Khan are continuing in a series of very cool Doctor Who audio drama adventures from the fine folks over at Big Finish Productions. To help get the word out about the project, Whittaker covered a whole lot of ground during a recent interview with The Australian. Here's a look at some of the highlights, including how she connected to the role, why there's nothing "controversial" about the Thirteenth Doctor and Yaz's relationship, having Jo Martin's Fugitive Doctor join the series, and how she's ready for another return (she even still has the Doctor's outfit).

Whittaker on Change Being at the Core of "Doctor Who": "It wasn't something that, historically, I would've been seen for. For something that has so much history and so many people playing the role, what is really wonderful is it's the most freeing and individual representation you could ever have," Whittaker shared about joining the long-running series and how change is at the show's core. "If everybody just was meant to play it the same, there'd be no point regenerating. You can re-create it because the history is within it. The writers are so knowledgeable, and they will obviously keep the essence of the Doctor, but whatever your version is, it is allowed to be explored. And I loved that."

Whittaker on Connecting with Her Thirteenth Doctor: While she wouldn't say it's the role that's the closest to who she is personally, Whittaker shared that the Thirteenth Doctor is a character she has the easiest time connecting with. "When I got the part, I didn't think I'd ever say, 'Oh, it's the closest to who I am.' But the Doctor is by far the part that I fit so comfortably into outside of work. In parts that I've had, I've done a lot of like wandering around and crying. So, I don't really do that," she explained. "The things that wind everyone up about me – I don't stop talking, I change the subject all the time, I fidget, I move, I walk out of a room, and I keep talking – I could bring all of that to my Doctor. It was also in the writing. Because Chris [Chibnall] knew me so well, he managed to highlight all of my Marmite traits. Sorry, Vegemite traits!"

Whittaker Sees Nothing "Controversial" About the Doctor and Yaz's Relationship: "It wasn't controversial to me. They have that love of each other, that history, that familiarity, the ability to kind of like butt heads but still come back together. The Doctor and Yaz have this innate love and respect for each other that kind of plays out when it is just them two as well."

Whittaker on the Importance of Representation; Jo Martin, aka the Fugitive Doctor: "It had a massively positive impact for fans of the show regardless of gender, just in the sense of, you know, if you looked up to a role and it's now played by somebody else and that person maybe looks a bit more like you, then that's an exciting thing," Whittaker shared. That included the introduction of Black actor Jo Martin as the Fugitive Doctor, which blew open the show's canon in some very exciting ways. "What's already brilliant is I'm not the only female Doctor. Within my series and tenure, I got to share that joy with Jo Martin, and it's lovely when things become old news because you hope that that means there's a positive kind of change."

Whittaker's Always Available for a Return: "I've Still Got My Costume!" "Yeah!" Whittaker responded when asked if she would make another on-screen return. "It's Doctor Who! It'll always be there. It's very exciting. Doctor Who has a long life yet, and it's very exciting to know that there's always an opportunity for me to bob my head into something in the future. Like, I've still got my costume! I can turn up whenever I'm needed."

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!