LONDON — British actress Jodie Whittaker was announced Sunday as the next star of the long-running science fiction series “Doctor Who” – the first woman to take a role that has been played by a dozen men over six decades.
Whittaker, best known for playing the mother of a murdered boy in detective drama “Broadchurch,” will replace Scottish actor Peter Capaldi at the end of the year, the BBC said.
Whittaker is the 13th official incarnation of the Doctor, a galaxy-hopping Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey who travels in the Tardis, a time machine shaped like an old-fashioned British police telephone booth.
In a testament to the place “Doctor Who” holds in Britain’s cultural life, the revelation was made on live television after the Wimbledon men’s tennis final. A film clip showed a mysterious hooded figure – revealed to be Whittaker – walking through the woods.
“Doctor Who” ran from 1963 to 1989, and was revived to acclaim in 2005. Its longevity is partly due to its flexible premise. The central character, known only as the Doctor, can travel across space and time and can regenerate into new bodies – allowing for endless recasting of the role.
– From news service reports
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.