Jodie Whittaker reveals she would have shaved her head to play Eleven in Stranger Things
Opening up about her love of the character, actress Jodie Whittaker has admitted she would have shaved her head to play Eleven in Stranger Things.
Jodie Whittaker would have shaved her head to play Eleven in Stranger Things.
The 43-year-old actress, currently starring in ITV’s Frauds, made the comments in an interview with RadioTimes.com while reflecting on the breakout role made famous by Millie Bobby Brown, with Jodie adding she had been captivated by the Netflix hit when it first aired.
She said: “I would have loved to have been Eleven in Stranger Things.
“I would have loved to have been a kid with a shaved head!
“When I saw the first series I thought, ‘Oh my God, to be Millie Bobby Brown right now, what a part’.
“The first season of that show was incredible. It homages everything I adore, and that part is incredible. If I could have been a child with a skinhead, that would be the role for me, but I don’t think I was in the running.”
Jodie added: “So, no animosity to Millie Bobby Brown – maybe if I had tried a little bit of sellotape to make me look a bit younger?”
Created by Matt and Ross Duffer, Stranger Things has become one of Netflix’s most successful series since its debut in 2016.
The fifth and final season is expected to be released in three parts starting later this year.
Jodie, who first gained recognition for her performances in Broadchurch, Time, Doctor Who and Toxic Town, can now be seen as con-woman Sam in Frauds, starring opposite Suranne Jones.
Explaining what drew her to the new ITV series, she said: “When I read it, I was just blown away by how different these characters felt (and) this particular relationship, and the world that we were in… but it still felt authentic.
“I felt like I knew these people.
“As extreme as some of the characters are – we’re all pretty heightened – but there’s some kind of familiarity with it, and within this specific friendship.”
The series follows Sam and her partner-in-crime as they become entangled in a web of deception, exploring themes of loyalty and trust.
Jodie described the project as one that allowed her to embrace characters who “live on the edge”.
Earlier this year, Jodie also returned briefly to Doctor Who for a cameo appearance in Ncuti Gatwa’s final episode.
The actress, who became the first woman to play the Doctor in 2017, said she remains deeply attached to the role.
She added: “It’s just my absolute happiness, Doctor Who.
“If someone said to me in 20 years, ‘I’ve written an episode and the Thirteenth comes back’, I just wouldn’t hesitate. It’s absolute joy.”
