Jodie Whittaker: Boys didn't look up to a female Doctor Who
Following her 2017 unveiling as the 13th Doctor, Peter Davison, another former Time Lord, lamented the move which he said had removed the 'vitally important' hero figure for boys.
But Whittaker, 42, has now publicly questioned why her being a woman mattered, because she spent her childhood looking up to male actors who played the role.
'It's never been questioned that I had to look up to men,' she told The Sunday Times.
'So it was fascinating that for some, we [women] could not be role models.
'The Doctor is still the Doctor. But also, I was playing an alien.
' My gender was not the issue.'
Whittaker's selection for the iconic TV role was welcomed by many, including Theresa May, the prime minister at the time.
But Whittaker recalled 'really loud rage' from a 'noisy few'.
The Broadchurch star added that she was 'sent into a spiral' when she thought about how her performance may affect others because she was a woman.
'If Peter [Capaldi] hadn't been good as the Doctor, it would only have reflected on him,' she continued.
'Whereas I felt that if I wasn't very good at this, I've f----- it for other actors.
'I think it's completely unacceptable if that was the case, but that's how I felt.'
Her comments come as the future of the time-travelling Doctor is uncertain, with the show said to be facing the axe.
The casting of Ncuti Gatwa, best-known for his role in Sex Education, was originally warmly received and popular with audiences.
But poor reviews and viewing figures of his first series have sparked fears Disney will pull the plug on the show after the conclusion of the current deal.
However, a spokesman for the broadcaster was quick to dismiss reports of it being shelved as 'incorrect'.
'The deal with Disney+ was for 26 episodes – and exactly half of those still have to transmit,' the spokesman said.
'And as for the rest, we never comment on the Doctor and future storylines.'
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