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    Jodie Whittaker just recast these iconic male action roles with women

    And we love her even more.

    Jenny Proudfoot's avatar
    By Jenny Proudfoot
    Published 20 September 2018 In News

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    And we love her even more.

    Jodie Whittaker made history when she was announced as the thirteenth Doctor Who, becoming the first ever woman to take on the famously-male role.

    Now she’s our October cover star, gracing the front of our mag for our special 30th birthday issue.

    A female Doctor Who - it’s about time! And if anyone’s qualified for the job, we can safely say that it’s Jodie.

    Jodie Whittaker

    (Image credit: Image by Simon Emmett)

    ‘I also knew that there would be a huge amount of people it would be a shock for,’ Jodie explained of the public’s reaction to the role. ‘But this job celebrates change more than any other role – you have a physical regeneration, so casting [a woman] supports that story and doesn’t go against the rules of the show in any way.’

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    She continued: ‘I’m playing a Time Lord who’s essentially an alien and inhabits different bodies and this one is female. The best thing for me though is that, for the first time in my life, I am not playing a stereotypical woman because as much as I approach everything as an actor, I am continually labelled by the female version of that character.’

    ‘We’re starting to realise that women aren’t a genre – you know,’ she went on, and according to the 31-year-old actress it doesn’t necessarily have to stop at Doctor Who.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

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    Jodie Whittaker

    Jodie just took part in a Marie Claire casting call, recasting these traditionally-male iconic action roles with women.

    But who did she choose? Here's her video casting call...

    A photo posted by on

    For Robin Hood, Jodie cast Olivia Coleman. Her reasoning? 'She’s one of the most generous people I know'. For Batman: Gemma Arterton. 'She could kick your ass,' Gemma laughed before giving the role of James Bond to Naomie Harris for the reason that 'she's already qualified'.

    The role of Neo from the Matrix was given to Zawe Ashton and The Terminator was given to Mandip Gill, with Jodie insisting 'she'll find that funny!'

    'Who would you choose to save the day?' she pondered, when considering casting Superman, before settling on Gwendoline Christie. And for Jason Bourne? It was Charlotte Rampling, no question. ‘She could outthink and looks like she could outrun anyone'.

    Bring on the female action leads!

    Jenny Proudfoot
    Jenny Proudfoot
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    Contributing Features Editor

    Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

    In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.

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