Jodie Whittaker on what drew her to "intoxicating" thriller One Night
Whittaker stars in the series which arrives on Paramount Plus this week.
Having left the TARDIS last year, and having just starred in prison drama Time, Jodie Whittaker will next be seen in One Night, an Australian thriller arriving on Paramount Plus later this week.
In the series, she stars as Tess, one of three friends whose bond was almost broken by a traumatic event one night 20 years ago.
The trio reunite when one of them writes a novel, the plot of which is based on the events of that night.
Speaking in this week's issue of Radio Times magazine, Whittaker explained what drew her to the series, saying: "Emily Ballou’s writing was absolute poetry.
"The use of our younger versions within scenes, of flashbacks and memory; the celebration and complication of friendship; the exploration of trauma… I found that intoxicating.
"Horrific sexual assaults against women are shown on television all the time, but this point of view hasn’t been explored before in anything I’d seen."
Whittaker also spoke about whether One Night being an Australian production gave her a sense of freedom, to which she said she would "never be offered this in England".
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"There’s no way you’d look at my CV and think Tess," Whittaker explained. "As we meet her, she’s super-business, incredibly still… like a shark. I was like: 'Me, really? Also: have you heard my voice?'"
Asked how difficult she found grasping the Australian accent, Whittaker said: "Thank God Tess had lived in England for 20 years! I came in with what my idea of an Australian accent was. It was clear it’d be like someone going, 'This is what people oop nawth talk lak.'"
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Beyond One Night, Whittaker's next role is narrating the BBC Julia Donaldson animation Tabby McTat, which will air on BBC One this Christmas.
Whittaker said of the animation: "Tabby McTat is such a beautiful story about embracing change, and the transitions in life as well - from childhood to adulthood and people going on journeys.
"There is so much warmth and celebration of family and community, but then there's also the moments of fear and loss that is often a gain."
One Night is coming to Paramount Plus on Friday 24th November - get a seven-day free trial of Paramount Plus on Amazon Prime Video.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
