Whittaker began her career with guest roles, appearing in The Afternoon Play, Doctors, Dalziel and Pascoe, and Tess of the D’Urbervilles (2008). In the successful Wired, she then briefly played Louise Evans, a young woman caught in a web of financial fraud. Not exactly her most cheerful role, but one that demonstrates her ability to carry a dark and complex storyline. This was followed by smaller appearances in series like Cranford, Accused, and Marchlands, roles that may not have been as memorable, but which nevertheless showcased her versatility. Whittaker also makes an appearance in the anthology series Black Mirror.
Whittaker's big breakthrough came in 2013 with Broadchurch, in which she played Beth Latimer. As a mother who loses her son to a horrific crime, Whittaker delivers one of the series' most emotionally charged stories. After Broadchurch (2017), she again demonstrates her ease in switching characters in Trust Me, this time as nurse Cath Hardacre, who assumes a false identity out of necessity. In between, she also appeared in the miniseries The Smoke and The Assets.
If it's 2017, the year the BBC announced Jodie Whittaker would become the Thirteenth Doctor, the popularity floodgates are open. Whittaker in Doctor Who is television history, as she is the first female incarnation of the Time Lord. From 2018 to 2022, she was the face of the series, in seasons that sometimes divided opinion, but in which Whittaker herself was never questioned. Her Doctor is curious, energetic, and distinctly human. A role you simply can't ignore.
After leaving the TARDIS, Whittaker chooses a different path. In One Night (2023), she delves into an Australian drama about collective trauma, while in the second series of Time, she plays a woman struggling to survive in prison. She also starts as a voiceover for Ready Eddie Go!.
In 2025, Whittaker will once again play a mother fighting for justice in Toxic Town, this time after her child falls victim to an environmental scandal. She will also make a one-off return to Doctor Who (2024). And now, something new is on the horizon: Frauds. In this six-part British series, Whittaker plays Sam, a former con artist forced to return to the criminal underworld. Together with Suranne Jones, she forms a duo that not only has to settle old scores but also navigates the fine line between survival and slipping back into old habits. It promises to be a mix of suspense, moral ambiguity, and that typically British edge of humor and drama.
Jodie Whittaker fans are in for a treat. With Frauds, she seems poised to surprise again. And there's also a miniseries planned for the future: Dear England. Whittaker has long been much more than just "the female Doctor," will you join us?
Are you a fan? Look here for more (guest) roles played by Jodie Whittaker.
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