Doctor Who Regeneration Scene Was Jodie Whittaker's Most Emotional Day
Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker has opened up on her emotional final day of filming as the Thirteenth incarnation of the Doctor. The actor, who was cast as the first female Doctor in 2017, is set to bow out later in 2022, handing over to a new time lord who is apparently yet to be cast. Her exit will also see the departure of showrunner and executive producer Chris Chibnall, who will be replaced by returning showrunner Russell T. Davies.
After the recent New Year’s Day special, which saw the Doctor and her friends caught in a time loop with her mortal enemies the Daleks, Whittaker will star in two more special episodes. The next of these will air in Spring, set in 19th century China, and feature the return of the classic series monsters, the Sea Devils. Her final special will be released in Autumn to coincide with the BBC’s centenary celebrations, and fans are eagerly anticipating a rumored final stand against her rival time-lord, the Master (Sacha Dhawan).
In an interview with EW, Jodie Whittaker has revealed details of her emotional final day on set. The actor confirmed that she had shot her scenes for the regeneration and described the experience as “the most emotional day on set I think I've ever had." She then elaborated on her thought process behind her decision to leave, despite her love for playing the part.
"It's a really bizarre feeling, because it's the best time I've ever had on a job, and I made the decision to leave it, so it's a really strange thing to do to yourself. It feels like you're giving yourself stitches — like, 'Why have you done it?' But… it felt right."
While emotions may have been high, the actor was quick to mention the sense of celebration she was allowed to share with the cast and crew after several years of work on the long-running sci-fi drama.
"It was a wonderfully-celebratory-slash-grief-ridden day that I could spend with the family that I'd made. I suppose the best thing about it is that the episodes are still on. So, until they're off, I don't have to really get my head around the fact that it's not my part!"
The actor’s struggle with the decision to leave is not uncommon, as behind-the-scenes videos and interviews have all seen her immediate predecessors, David Tennant, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi, emotionally struggle with leaving the role. It is understandable, considering how Doctor Who dominates the life and star image of the lead actor, that it would be a hard thing to say goodbye to. Fans have even read into the final line of Tennant’s Tenth Doctor, “I Don’t Want to Go” as a meta-commentary on this aspect of the production.
Whittaker’s leaving after three seasons does align with the precedent of past Doctors, most of whom usually serve three seasons. This seems to be a tradition ever since Fifth Doctor actor, Peter Davison, took the advice of Second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, to leave Doctor Who after three seasons due to the intense workload. Indeed, Whittaker’s three aforementioned predecessors all required some form of surgery while working on the show due to the frequent demands of running away from monsters and saving the universe on a weekly basis. While actors such as Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker have done 5 and 7 season-long stints in the 70’s, three seasons seems to be an appropriate amount of time for a show with modern production sensibilities. This should give fans an indication not to expect Whittaker’s replacement to break the mold as they are set to take the baton from Whittaker later on in the year.
Source: Entertainment Weekly