Jodie Whittaker describes how she panicked and thought she was playing the Doctor wrong when she saw Peter Capaldi regenerate into her. Doctor Who is a cult-favorite sci-fi program on BBC that follows a human-looking alien called "The Doctor." He ran away from his home planet (Gallifrey) after stealing a machine known as the T.A.R.D.I.S that can travel through time and space, and he has been traveling ever since. The show has a run of almost 60 years thanks to the Doctor's regenerative abilities, which allows a new actor to step in and assume the role every few years. Whittaker plays the current iteration of the Doctor, which also happens to be the first female version of the Doctor's 14 regenerations.
Before Whittaker, Capaldi played the title character. Capaldi was one of the oldest actors to play the Doctor - certainly the oldest since the show's reboot in 2005. However, despite his age, he brought palpable energy and passion to his character, which can take a lot out of an actor. Capaldi's Doctor was often seen giving rousing speeches, with arms flailing about the place but with words that were composed and inspiring. His regeneration speech was no exception, and the speech was such an incredible performance that it gave Whitaker anxiety about her take on the role.
Whittaker says that several weeks into shooting, she decided to see Capaldi in action after a long stretch of not watching the show in order to feel less constrained once she went on set. According to Radiotimes, she told BBC Radio that Capaldi's regeneration scene made her panic about her own performance of the Doctor. Watching it made her think that she had been "doing it wrong." But showrunner Chris Chibnall assured Whittaker that she was here to bring a fresh perspective of the Doctor, not become a copycat of Capaldi's version or other previous iterations. Whittaker's full comment can be read below:
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve done it wrong. I’ve done it wrong’ and we were only like six weeks in and I had seven months left. I came in to work I was like, ‘You should have told me, I’ve been doing it wrong!’ They said, ‘No, this is the point,’ like, ‘You know, you aren’t supposed to be doing what someone else did’. But all the energy of the Doctor and all the references and the Whovian kind of pearls are in there. And you then take it and run with it. And actually it’s much more freeing.”
Chibnall's take is consistent with how the show has evolved in the past as it moves from one Doctor to the next. Each Doctor has a distinct tone. Often times, after the Doctor regenerates, the show is also entirely reinvented - both perceptively with its cast and internally with its showrunner, writers, and other behind-the-scenes roles. To viewers, each era of Doctor Who can look like an entirely different TV show.
This means that each transition can feel strenuous for fans, as new TV shows often take a season or two before they really nail down their town and message. Whittaker's era has received mixed reviews since she became the Doctor, with some saying her take is excellent and others feeling as though her era lacks the qualities that make Doctor Who a favorite. Regardless, Whittaker is set to stay for at least another season on the show, which will give Whittaker and Chibnall a chance to explore this version of the Doctor more.
Source: Radiotimes
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