Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker opens up about her version of the iconic character's final farewell.
Speaking to Empire, Whittaker discussed her Doctor's impending regeneration and subsequent exit from the series. "I cannot talk about it without crying," Whittaker said. "I’ve got to get better at this because this is the next few weeks for me -- talking about my regeneration."
Whittaker, who has portrayed the Thirteenth Doctor on the iconic series since 2017, broke the mold with her introduction as the first woman to take on the role. The upcoming Doctor Who Centenary Special, entitled "The Power of the Doctor," will mark the end of Whittaker's tenure in the leading role, as well as the introduction of the first gay Doctor, portrayed by Ncuti Gatwa. Neil Patrick Harris recently confirmed the groundbreaking turn, saying of Gatwa, "I got to meet and interact with him a bit and he’s glorious. He’ll be the first gay Doctor, which is going to be super cool, a sexier Doctor."
Jodie Whittaker's Regeneration
Whittaker commented on her upcoming Regeneration itself. "I love the dialogue Chris wrote for my regeneration," she said. "It captures my Doctor beautifully. It's simple, epic and beautiful." Whittaker described the single-take shot and the reaction on set to the finished scene. "When I could see the crew was happy with that last shot, that's when my bottom lip started going," she said. "I was like, 'Well, they can't say they need another take now because I’ve fucking lost it!"
Whittaker remarked on the overt fan service "The Power of the Doctor" has in store, describing the special as "one for Whovians" and "a huge treat" for dedicated fans of the long-running sci-fi series. "It's got all the iconic things that you associate with Doctor Who. It's massive," she said. The Centenary Special is set to see a plethora of fan-favorite characters return, including some of the series' most iconic villains. Sacha Dhawan's Master, the Cybermen and the Daleks will all have a part to play in the story. Classic companions such as Sophie Aldred's Ace and Tegan Jovanka's Janet Fielding will also return alongside the Doctor's current companions, Yasmin "Yaz" Khan and Dan Lewis, played by Mandip Gill and John Bishop respectively.
Dhawan previously discussed his final scene with Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor, saying, "I wanted it to be epic and moving, and when I watched the episode myself, I thought, 'I'm so glad we landed that,' because it kind of takes your breath away a bit... Even though the characters have so much animosity between them, me and Jodie really adore each other. Which actually makes the scenes much more electrifying, and a lot more moving than I thought they would be."
"The Power of the Doctor" will premiere in October on BBC One.
Source: Empire