David Tennant Says Jodie Whittaker's Gender Will Be "Irrelevant" When She Plays 'Doctor Who'
Tennant, who played Doctor Who for five years until 2010, was asked about Whittaker's appointment by US chat show host Stephen Colbert.
Amid the backlash from some quarters against the casting of a female Doctor Who, the BBC sci-fi show’s former star David Tennant has backed the newly announced Jodie Whittaker, saying that her gender will be “irrelevant almost immediately” when she makes her debut.
The 46 year old actor, who played the Time Lord between 2005 and 2010, chatted with American talk show host Stephen Colbert on ‘The Late Show’ on Thursday (August 10th). He said that although Whittaker’s appointment was the first time a woman has played the Doctor, the character has never been of any fixed gender, so a male actor is as relevant to the part as a female one.
“Whenever the Doctor changes, there’s a backlash,” Tennant explained. “Sure, Jodie is from a different gender – but that will be irrelevant almost immediately when she takes the part. It’s about finding the right performer at the right time, and that’s Jodie without a doubt.”
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