Jodie Whittaker recalls the adorable moment she told David Tennant she was playing the Doctor
The two Doctor Who stars shared a secret chat before Whittaker was revealed to the world
When stepping into the world of Doctor Who, Jodie Whittaker had a few people she could ask for advice, with the newly-crowned Thirteenth Doctor having already worked with plenty of ex-Who stars in ITV series Broadchurch.
And now Whittaker has revealed exactly what happened when she called former Tenth Doctor David Tennant for some advice a few days before she was announced to the world, with the Scottish actor reacting in disbelief to her casting.
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“Obviously the news was a secret,” Whittaker said during Doctor Who’s San Diego Comic-Con panel.
“But obviously I know David and [new Who showrunner Chris Chibnall] is really good friends with him. He said ‘Look, the person who’s getting announced tomorrow is a little bit nervous, so can they give you a ring?’
“They, not she, THEY can ask you a few questions. ‘So in the next 10 minutes, can you just keep an eye on your phone?’
“And my name popped up and he went WHAAAAAATTT?!?!?! And he was like ‘Why are you calling me…?’’
Apparently, Whittaker responded with some inaudible stutters of excitement (for which, we REALLY recommend you watch the video below), before asking “about a million questions” about playing the Doctor.
“All I remember him saying – and I actually was lucky to speak to Matt [Smith] and Peter [Capaldi], and all I remember of it all was ‘This is the most amazing thing that can happen to you. And there’s only a few of us who know how it feels.’
“And I thought ‘Oh wow….Ok. Cool. Cool cool cool cool cool,” she concluded.
And on the other side of the line, Tennant couldn’t help but be charmed by Whittaker’s excited reaction.
“A couple of days before it was announced I get this phone call from her and she’s in sort of a tunnel of excitement and panic,” he said in August 2017.
“I can’t think of someone better to join the gang and be poised to take it to a whole new level. It’s great.”
Clearly, the future of the series is in good (and very excited) hands.
Doctor Who returns to BBC1 this autumn
Authors
Huw Fullerton is a Commissioning Editor for Radio Times magazine, covering Entertainment, Comedy and Specialist Drama.
