Jodie Whittaker has said she hopes the notion of women taking on roles that have long been played by men will soon be so commonplace, it will not need to be celebrated.
The Doctor Who actress, 36, sparked a debate over gender in casting when she was named as the 13th Doctor, the first woman to ever play the role.
Her 12 predecessors in the sci-fi series have been male, and Whittaker said stories need to be told from different perspectives.
Whittaker told Radio Times magazine: “I truly hope that in a couple of years, casting a woman in a traditionally male role won’t be so exciting – because when it’s not celebrated, it will mean it’s no longer unusual to have this sort of parity.
“I’m always asked, ‘Do you think James Bond should now be a woman?’ But that’s not the conversation.
“It’s really – ‘Should every point of view be the same?’ And the answer is no. Stories shouldn’t always be told from the same perspective.”
She added: “It’s a mistake to think that the only heroes are white men.”
The former Broadchurch star also said her costume as the Time Lord was influenced by Coldplay’s album covers, as the colours on them symbolise hope to her.
She said: “I needed it to have colour because I respond to colour.
“I really love the use of colour on Coldplay album covers, which I also showed to (Doctor Who costume designer) Ray Holman.
“Which is where the rainbow came in – nothing evokes a sense of hope in me more than hundreds of rainbows!”
Doctor Who airs on Sunday October 7 at 6.45pm on BBC One.
