Jodie Whittaker has revealed her hope that Doctor Who will inspire young girls to pursue their dreams.
Ahead of making her full debut in the TARDIS this September, Whittaker has opened up on the responsibilities that come with playing the first female time lord.
“There’s the chiselled superhero that we’re used to seeing and we’ve all grown up with, but Doctor Who has never been that, which is wonderful. It’s attainable in so many ways,” she told Radio Times magazine.
Describing the significance of being the first female Doctor, she said: “Now it isn’t just attainable for half of the population. The other half can be the Doctor as well.
“Girls will no longer just think, ‘Oh, I could be a companion.’ Being the first female Doctor and showing children that their heroes in shows don’t always look the same is a huge honour for me.”
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And despite the pressure traditionally associated with the role, she’s feeling the support of the famously passionate Whovians.
“As long as most people are happy, I’m all right with that because the fans are so loyal and so passionate, and it’s a huge deal to them”, she admitted.
“And obviously for Whovians this time the change has taken a very different direction than it has before.”
Meanwhile, the producer of Doctor Who recently opened up on Whittaker’s casting – describing it as a “no-brainer”.
“She was just so compelling,” said producer Matt Strevens.
“In a way, it was a no-brainer. The fact that we were casting a female Doctor disappeared really quickly from our minds.
“We were just casting the Doctor and she felt like our Doctor,” he said.