"Oh Brilliant" .... Jodie Whittaker Quiz

Answer: West Yorkshire

Whittaker grew up in West Yorkshire, which was created in 1974. It is located in north central England and contains the cities of Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield. Whittaker specifically grew up in the small town of Skelmanthorpe, and she is by far one of the most famous people from the town. Residents of Skelmanthorpe are nicknamed "shatterers", as their ancestors were miners who shattered rocks; the village dates back to ninth century Vikings.

London is the largest city and national capital of the United Kingdom. Liverpool is the fifth largest city in England and home of the Beatles. Cornwall lies at the southwest corner of England and is well known for its beaches.

Answer: Guildhall School of Music and Drama

Whittaker is a graduate of the Guildhall School. She graduated with the Acting Gold Medal, the school's highest honor. It began as a a music academy in 1880, but had expanded to a drama school by 1935. Notable graduates of Guildhall include Daniel Craig (James Bond), Orlando Bloom (LOTR), Ewan McGregor (Obi Wan Kenobi), and David Thewlis (Remus Lupin). For "Doctor Who" fans, Peter Cushing and Sarah Sutton (Nyssa) are graduates. Whittaker has been named a fellow at Guildhall, making her a member of the Board of Directors..

The London Academy (LAMDA), founded in 1861, is the oldest Drama School in the UK. In 2018, Benedict Cumberbatch (of "Sherlock" fame) became LAMDA's president. For "Doctor Who" fans, Colin Baker was an alumni.

The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) was founded in 1904. Distinguished graduates of RADA include Richard Attenborough, Kenneth Branagh, John Gielgud, Anthony Hopkins, Peter O'Toole, Alan Rickman, Robert Shaw and Edward Woodward. For "Doctor Who" fans, Arthur Darvill (Rory), John Hurt (War Doctor), Alex Kingston (River Song), and Paul McGann (Eighth Doctor) are all graduates of RADA.

Central School of Speech and Drama was founded in 1906. Its distinguished graduates include Sir Laurence Olivier, Dame Judi Dench, and Vanessa Redgrave. For fans of "Doctor Who", both Peter Davison (Five) and Christopher Eccleston (Nine) are graduates.

Answer: In college

Christian Contreras is an American actor. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He went on to graduate school at the Guildhall in London, and that is where he met Jodie. Contreras has been acting regularly since 2009. His credits include the TV series "The Syndicate" (2012) and "Halo: Nightfall" (2014), as well as "Zero Dark Thirty" (2012).

Contreras is also a talented writer, and has written several scripts which are being produced as films. They include "LAbyrinth" (2018), which is about the murder of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, and "Principia", a mystery thriller currently in production, that involves Isaac Newton.

Whittaker and Contreras had a daughter in April 2015. They are very secretive about their private life, and haven't revealed her name.

Answer: Jodie Foster

She is named after Ms. Foster. Jodie Foster was born in 1962, and was a noted actress by the time she was 14, starring in "Taxi Driver" (1976). Foster won two Academy Awards for Best Actress for "The Accused" (1988) and "Silence of the Lambs" (1991).

Jodie Evans is an activist, noted for starting the feminist group Code Pink. She is old enough (born 1954) but did not become famous until 2008.

Jodie Sweetin was on the show "Full House" and is only a few months older than Jodie Whittaker, born January 1982.

Jodie Kidd is a British fashion model born in 1978.

Answer: Venus

Peter O'Toole received his last Academy Award nomination for "Venus" in which he plays a older man dying of cancer who initiates a relationship with a much younger woman named Jessie (Whitaker). O'Toole delivers a masterful performance as a washed-up actor and Whitaker gives a wonderful performance, especially for a newcomer.

Whittaker was nominated for multiple awards for her work in "Venus": an ALFS Award for British Newcomer of the Year, British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer (On Screen), London Critics Circle Film Award for British Newcomer of the Year, and a Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical.

Casino Royale was the reboot of the James Bond franchise, and was Daniel Craig's debut as Bond. The DaVinci Code, based on the Dan Brown novel, does have Tom Hanks and Audrey Tatou in London, but no Jodie Whittaker. One Night with the King is a 2006 film with Peter O'Toole but not Whittaker; it tells the Biblical story of Esther.

Answer: The receptionist

Jodie was Beverly, the receptionist. While her role wasn't that big, she made the most of it. She managed to be snobby in a Cockney accent, which is not exactly an easy task. Beverly was also quite used to the craziness that is part of everyday life at the school.

Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister, "Game of Thrones") played the English teacher. Fenella Woolgar, who has won awards for her work in West End theater, played Miss Cleaver, the sports teacher. And Bond Girl Caterine Murino ("Casino Royale") played Miss Maupassant, the foreign languages teacher.

"Saint Trinian's" is based on a cartoon series from the 1940s and film series from the 1950s. The film is a reboot of the franchise. It was followed up with "St Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold" in 2009; Whitaker reprised her role as Beverly.

Answer: A Thousand Kisses Deep

"A Thousand Kisses Deep" (2011) is so convoluted that I won't begin to try and explain the plot. Whittaker plays a young woman named Mia Selva who witnesses her own suicide in the year 2046, and uses an elevator to travel through time. The film stars Dougray Scott as her romantic interest (will not reveal a bizarre spoiler) and David Warner as the manager of an apartment building.

"Adult Life Skills" (2016) is a slacker film in which Whittaker played a young woman who made odd web videos. "Good Vibrations" (2012) was a biopic about record producer Terri Hooley; Whittaker played his wife Ruth. In "Journeyman" (2017), Whittaker played the wife of a boxer who suffered from brain damage.

Answer: Attack The Block

Whittaker was in "Attack the Block," which is about a group of very nasty aliens attacking London. She plays Samantha Adams, a nurse who is mugged by gang members until the attack is broken up by the aliens showing up. Later in the film, Samantha teams up with the gang to fight the extra-terrestrial threat. The film is notable as the debut of John Boyega, who would go on to become Finn in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2015).

"Battle: Los Angeles" (2011) stars Aaron Eckhart battling aliens. "Cowboys and Aliens" (2011) has Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig fighting aliens in the old west. And "Super 8" (2011) has Kyle Chandler and Elle Fanning helping an alien trapped on Earth, 2011 was a big year for extra-terrestrial monsters, with "The Darkest Hour," a remake of "The Thing" and another "Transformers" film.

Answer: Broadchurch

"Broadchurch" aired on ITV between 2013 and 2017. It was created by Chris Chibnall, who became the new showrunner for "Doctor Who" in 2018. "Broadchurch" was a police procedural starring David Tennant (DI Alec Hardy) and Olivia Colman (DI Ellie Miller) as police officers investigating the murder of a young boy in a small town in Dorset. Whittaker played the mother of the murder victim. Arthur Darvill (Rory Williams) played Reverend Paul Coates. David Bradley, who has played both William Hartnell and the First Doctor, won a BAFTA Award for his work on "Broadchurch".

Answer: Finals at Wimbledon (July 16)

The announcement was made during the finals of Wimbledon. The decision was made by the BBC several months early, but had been keep secret. Wimbledon was chosen because of its high ratings.

Most past Doctors welcomed the news of Whittaker's selection. Both Colin Baker and Sylvester sent supportive tweets, and Peter Capaldi gave glowing praise of the actress and says "She's going to be brilliant."

Not everybody was as enthusiastic. Some highly misognynistic viewers argued the Doctor could not possibly become a woman. This is despite the fact it is established canon that Time Lords can switch gender (see Master/Missy). The Internet had a field day, snarking that "Why do you have a problem believing a time traveling alien who can alter their DNA at the molecular level could change gender?"