Many actors have played the Doctor in Doctor Who over the years, but Jodie Whittaker and Ncuti Gatwa were the first leading actors to play a female Doctor and a Black Doctor, respectively. Whittaker succeeded Peter Capaldi as the Thirteenth Doctor in 2018, and was herself succeeded by David Tennant, who returned to the character for a year in 2022. Gatwa succeeded Tennant in 2023 and was the Doctor till 2025.
Whittaker and Gatwa had to face quite the criticism because viewers weren’t used to seeing women or black men play the Doctor, who was predominantly played by white men. But Peter Capaldi, who played the twelfth Doctor in Doctor Who, has slammed fans for their criticism of Jodie Whittaker and Ncuti Gatwa.
Peter Capaldi on fans criticising Jodie Whittaker and Ncuti Gatwa for being cast in Doctor Who
Despite all the criticism faced by Jodie Whittaker and Ncuti Gatwa, they both have worked hard on playing the Doctor Who character well, and are grateful for their experiences on the show. As Whittaker said to Times of London in 2025, looking back at her time on the show,
“There needed to be a first and I didn’t fully appreciate it,”
She continued,
“[In the show], I’m not like Jack Lemmon in ‘Some Like It Hot’: ‘I’m a girl, I’m a girl!’ I just am. But once it was announced — as well as a few grumpy pumps — for a lot of people it felt like a really wonderful moment.”
She further added,
“I’ve shot my version of regen, and it was singularly the most emotional day on set I think I’ve ever had. It’s a really bizarre feeling, because it’s the best time I’ve ever had on a job, and I made the decision to leave it, so it’s a really strange thing to do to yourself. It feels like you’re giving yourself stitches — like, ‘Why have you done it?’ But … it felt right.”
Gatwa, in an interview with BBC had also spoken fondly about his experience, saying,
“You know when you get cast, at some point you are going to have to hand back that sonic screwdriver and it is all going to come to an end, but nothing quite prepares you for it,” he said in a statement at the time. “There are no words to describe what it feels like to be cast as the Doctor, nor are there words to explain what it feels like to be accepted into this iconic role that has existed for over 60 years and is truly loved by so many across the globe.”
Peter Capaldi played the twelfth Doctor in Doctor Who from 2013 to 2017 and is quite well-appreciated for his portrayal of the character. While viewers took time to accept an older and tad bit more complicated Doctor, they eventually came to love the new side of the character. Whittaker and Gatwa however faced criticism for their gender and race, respectively. Speaking to Times of London, Capaldi slammed fans for their criticism of Whittaker and Gatwa. He said,
“It reflects its times and it’s a good thing in the world,”
He added,
“When I was a kid and watched it, it was just a monster show in the corner of the room. I dunno why people take it so seriously,”
His statement makes it clear that he thinks of was time the show evolved with time, which included casting actors based on talent and hard work, and not race or gender.
Seasons 1 to 13 of Doctor Who are available for purchase on Prime Video. Seasons 14 and 15 are streaming on Disney+.
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Edited by Sohini Biswas