DAVID TENNANT

'David Tennant' is the stage name of 'David John McDonald' (born 18 April 1971), a Scottish actor from Bathgate, West Lothian, best known for portraying the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in the television series ''Doctor Who''.
Already a well-known theatre actor, Tennant achieved wider fame for his TV roles in ''Casanova'' and ''Doctor Who'', as well as his film role as Barty Crouch Jr in ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire''.
He was ranked the 24th most influential person in the UK's media, in the 9 July, 2007 ''MediaGuardian'' supplement of ''The Guardian''. Tennant also appeared in the paper's annual media rankings in 2006.

Contents

Early life

Career

''Doctor Who'' (2005–present)

Other work (2005-present)

Popularity

Personal life

List of credits

Television

Film

Radio and CD audio drama

Theatre

Awards

References

External links

Early life

Tennant was born in Bathgate, West Lothian, but grew up in Ralston, Renfrewshire, where his father (the Reverend Alexander ("Sandy") McDonald) was the local Church of Scotland minister (and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1997). Tennant was educated at Ralston Primary, Paisley Grammar School, and the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, where he was friends with Louise Delamere.
At the age of three, Tennant told his parents that he wanted to become an actor because he was mad about ''Doctor Who''. Although such an aspiration might have been common for any British child of the 1970s, Tennant says he was "absurdly single-minded" in pursuing his goal. He adopted the professional name "Tennant" — inspired by Neil Tennant, the lead singer of the Pet Shop Boys^[1] — because there was another David McDonald already on the books of the Equity union.

Career

Tennant's first professional role upon graduating from drama school was in a staging of ''The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui'' co-starring Ashley Jensen, one of several plays in which he performed as part of the agitprop .
Moving to London in the early 1990s, Tennant lodged with comic actress and writer Arabella Weir, with whom he became close friends and then godfather to one of her children. He has subsequently appeared alongside Weir in many productions; as a guest in her spoof television series, ''Posh Nosh''; in the ''Doctor Who'' audio drama ''Exile'' and as panelists on the ''West Wing Ultimate Quiz'' on More4.
Tennant developed his career in the British theatre, frequently performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company for whom he specialised in comic roles such as Touchstone in ''As You Like It'', Antipholus of Syracuse in ''The Comedy of Errors'' (a role he recorded for the 1998 Arkangel Complete Shakespeare production of the play) and Captain Jack Absolute in ''The Rivals'', although he also played the tragic role of Romeo in ''Romeo and Juliet''. It was announced on 30 August 2007 that he is returning to the RSC, to play Hamlet from July to November 2008.^[2]
In 1995, Tennant appeared at the Royal National Theatre, London, playing the role of Nicholas Beckett in Joe Orton's ''What the Butler Saw''. The plot required Tennant to appear near-naked on stage.
Tennant appeared in several high-profile dramas for the BBC, including ''Takin' Over the Asylum'' (1994), ''He Knew He Was Right'' (2004), ''Blackpool'' (2004), ''Casanova'' (2005) and ''The Quatermass Experiment'' (2005). In film, he has appeared in Stephen Fry's ''Bright Young Things'', and as Barty Crouch Jr. in ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire''. One of his earliest big screen roles was in ''Jude'' (1996), in which he shared a scene with his ''Doctor Who'' predecessor Christopher Eccleston, playing a drunken undergraduate who challenges Eccleston's Jude to prove his intellect.

''Doctor Who'' (2005–present)

Tennant's name was put forward as a possible candidate for the role of the Ninth Doctor for the new series that began in March 2005, although the role eventually went to Christopher Eccleston. With Eccleston's announcement on 30 March that he would not be returning for a second series, the BBC confirmed Tennant as his replacement in a press release on 16 April. He made his first, brief appearance in the episode "The Parting of the Ways" (2005) after the regeneration scene, and also appeared in a special shown as part of the 2005 Children in Need appeal, broadcast on 18 November 2005.
He began filming the new series of ''Doctor Who'' in late July 2005. His first full-length outing as the Doctor was a sixty-minute special, "The Christmas Invasion", first broadcast on Christmas Day 2005. He was also seen in early December in the ITV drama ''Secret Smile''.
Tennant has expressed enthusiasm about fulfilling his childhood dream. He remarked to an interviewer for GWR FM, "Who wouldn't want to be the Doctor? I've even got my own TARDIS!" In 2006, readers of ''Doctor Who Magazine'' voted Tennant "Best Doctor", over perennial favourite Tom Baker. David Tennant named 'best Dr Who'
Tennant had previously had a small role in the BBC's animated ''Doctor Who'' webcast ''Scream of the Shalka''. Not originally cast in the production, Tennant happened to be recording a radio play in a neighbouring studio, and when he discovered what was being recorded next door managed to convince the director to give him a small role. This personal enthusiasm for the series had also been expressed by his participation in several audio plays based on the ''Doctor Who'' television series which had been produced by Big Finish Productions, although he did not play the Doctor in any of these productions. In 2004 Tennant played a lead role in the Big Finish audio play series ''Dalek Empire III''. He played the part of Galanar, a young man who is given an assignment to discover the secrets of the Daleks. In 2005, he starred in '' for Big Finish, recreating his role of Brimmicombe-Wood from a Doctor Who Unbound play ''Sympathy for the Devil''. He also played an unnamed Time Lord in another Doctor Who Unbound play ''Exile''. ''UNIT: The Wasting'', was recorded between Tennant getting the role of the Doctor and it being announced. He also played the title role in Big Finish's adaptation of Bryan Talbot's ''The Adventures of Luther Arkwright'' (2005). In 2006 he recorded abridged audio books of ''The Stone Rose'' by Jacqueline Rayner, ''The Feast of the Drowned'' by Stephen Cole and ''The Resurrection Casket'' by Justin Richards, for BBC Worldwide.
Tennant will continue to play the Tenth Doctor into the revived programme's fourth series in 2008, and in the three specials that will make up the 2009 series.^[3]
The ''Daily Mirror'' has also reported that Tennant is forbidden from attending ''Doctor Who'' fan conventions while he is playing the role.^[4]
He said at the Children in Need concert that his favourite ''Doctor Who'' story is ''Genesis of the Daleks''. He has also stated that his favourite monsters are the Zygons.
He made his directorial debut directing the ''Doctor Who Confidential'' episode that accompanies Steven Moffat's episode "Blink", entitled "Do You Remember The First Time?", which aired on 9 June 2007.

Other work (2005-present)

Tennant's casting in ''Doctor Who'' has not prevented him from taking on other roles. In January 2006, Tennant took a one-day break from shooting ''Doctor Who'' to play Richard Hoggart in a dramatisation of the 1960 ''Lady Chatterley's Lover'' obscenity trial, ''The Chatterley Affair''. The play was written by Andrew Davies and directed by ''Doctor Who's James Hawes for the digital television channel BBC Four. Hoggart's son Simon Hoggart praised Tennant's performance in ''The Guardian'' newspaper. "[E]xtremely convincing — the suit, the hair, the Yorkshire accent, and trickiest of all, the speech rhythms. The only thing wrong is his sideburns. To do this film he had to take 24 hours off from making ''Doctor Who'' in Cardiff and, as he explained, the sideburns would not grow back in a day."^[5]
On 25 February 2007, Tennant starred in ''Recovery'', a 90-minute BBC1 drama written by Tony Marchant. Tennant played Alan, a self-made building site manager who attempted to rebuild his life after suffering a debilitating brain injury. His co-star in the drama was friend Sarah Parish, who he had previously appeared with in ''Blackpool'' and an episode of ''Doctor Who''. She joked that "we're like George and Mildred - in 20 years' time we'll probably be doing a ropey old sitcom in a terraced house in Preston."^[6]
Tennant appears in a number of forthcoming TV productions. He will play Sir Arthur Eddington in biopic ''Einstein and Eddington'', a BBC and HBO co-production, with Andy Serkis depicting Albert Einstein.^[7] He will also star in ''Learners'', a BBC comedy drama written by and starring Jessica Hynes (another ''Who'' co-star, in the episodes "Human Nature" and "The Family of Blood"), in which he will play a Christian driving instructor who becomes the object of a student's affection. ''Learners'' is due to be broadcast on BBC One later in 2007.^[8]
It has also been announced that Tennant will appear in the 2007 christmas special of BBC One comedy Extras alongside Ricky Gervais.
Tennant is the voice behind the latest 2007 advertising campaign for catalogue retailer Argos, although he uses an Estuary English accent as in his role as the Doctor and not his natural Scottish voice.
He will appear in ''Love's Labour's Lost'' and ''Hamlet'' for the RSC in the second half of 2008.

Popularity

In December 2005, ''The Stage'' newspaper listed Tennant at #6 in its "Top Ten" listing of the most influential UK television artists of the year, citing his roles in ''Blackpool'', ''Casanova'', ''Secret Smile'' and ''Doctor Who''.^[9]
In January 2006, readers of the British gay and lesbian newspaper ''The Pink Paper'' voted Tennant the "Sexiest Man in the Universe" over David Beckham and Brad Pitt.^[10]
A poll of over 10,000 women for the March 2006 issue of ''New Woman'' magazine ranked him 20th in their list of the "Top 100 Men".^[11]
In October 2006, Tennant was named as "Scotland's most stylish male" in the Scottish Style Awards.^[12] He was named 'Coolest Man on TV' in 2007.
A one woman show titled ''Not Stalking David Tennant'' has been written by Emma Hutchins and performed at several small venues in the London area.

Personal life

Tennant is dating actress Sophia Myles, who appeared with him in the ''Doctor Who'' episode "The Girl in the Fireplace" as Madame de Pompadour. They started dating after filming in October 2005.^[13]
Tennant has a brother, Blair, and a sister, Karen. His mother, Helen McDonald, died on July 15, 2007.^[14] Tennant traced his family tree in an episode of BBC One's popular genealogy series ''Who Do You Think You Are?'', broadcast on 27 September 2006. His episode explored both his Scottish ancestry and that from Northern Ireland, against the backdrop of the Troubles in the latter. Tennant's maternal great-great-grandfather, James Blair, was a prominent Ulster Unionist member of Derry City Council after the partition of Ireland. Tennant displayed discomfort after learning of his great-great-grandfather's membership of the Orange Order.^[15] The programme also revealed that Archie McLeod, the husband of Nellie Blair who once played with Derry City F.C., was Tennant's grandfather.^[16] Tennant is now a member of the club's Exiles Supporter's Club.^[17]
According to an interview in issue 375 of ''Doctor Who Magazine'', Tennant drives a Škoda in which he was caught twice on the same day on the M4 for speeding while returning to London from Cardiff in October 2006.^[18]
Tennant is a supporter of the Labour Party and appeared in a Party political broadcast for them in 2005.

List of credits

Television

'Year'	'Title'	'Role'	'Other notes'
1993	''Rab C Nesbitt''	Davina	Season 3 Episode ''Touch''
1993	''The Tales of Para Handy''
1994	''Takin' Over the Asylum''	Campbell Bain
1998	''Duck Patrol''	Darwin
1999	''The Mrs Bradley Mysteries''	Max Valentine	Series 2, Episode 1, ''Death at the Opera''
2000	''Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased)''	Gordon Stylus	Series 1, Episode 1
2001	''People Like Us''	Rob Harker	Season 2, Episode 4
2002	''Foyle's War''	Theo Howard	Season 1, Episode 3, ''A Lesson In Murder''
2003	''Posh Nosh''	Jose-Luis	Episodes ''Comfort Food'' and ''Paella''
2003	''Trust''		Episode 6
2004	''The Deputy''	Christopher Williams
2004	''He Knew He Was Right''	Rev Gibson
2004	''Blackpool''	DI Carlisle
2005	''Casanova''	Giacomo Casanova
2005	''The Quatermass Experiment''	Dr Gordon Briscoe
2005 -	''Doctor Who''	Tenth Doctor
2005	''Secret Smile''	Brendan Block
2006	''The Romantics''	Jean-Jacques Rousseau
2006	''The Chatterley Affair''	Richard Hoggart
2006	''Ready Steady Cook''	Himself	Appeared alongside his father
2006	''Who Do You Think You Are?''	Himself
2007	''The Friday Night Project''	Himself
2007	''Recovery''	Alan Hamilton
2007	''Comic Relief Sketch''	Mr Logan/The Doctor	Appeared alongside future Doctor Who co-star Catherine Tate
2007	''Dead Ringers''	Regenerated Tony Blair
2007	The Weakest Link (Doctor Who Special)	Himself
2007	The Graham Norton Show	Himself
2007	''The Human Footprint''	Narrator
2007	''Learners''	Chris
2007	''Extras Christmas Special''	TBA

Film

'Year'	'Title'	'Role'	'Other notes'
1996	''Jude''	Drunk Undergraduate
1997	''Bite''	Alastair Galbraith
1998	''L.A. Without a Map''	Richard
1999	''The Last September''	Captain Gerald Colthurst
2000	''Being Considered''	Larry
2001	''Sweetnight Goodheart''	Peter
2003	''Nine 1/2 Minutes''	Charlie
2003	''Bright Young Things''	Ginger Littlejohn
2005	''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire''	Barty Crouch Jr.
2006	''Free Jimmy''	Hamish (voice)

Radio and CD audio drama

'Year'	'Title'	'Role'	'Radio Station/Production Company'
2001	''Much Ado about Nothing''	Benedick	BBC Radio 4
2001	''Doctor Who: Colditz''	Feldwebel Kurtz	Big Finish
2002	''Double Income No Kids Yet''	Daniel	BBC Radio 7
2003	''Doctor Who: Sympathy For The Devil''	Col. Brimmecombe-Wood	Big Finish
2003	''Doctor Who: Exile''	Time Lord # 2/Pub Landlord	Big Finish
2003	''Ceasar! - Peeling Figs for Julius''	Caligus	BBC Radio 4
2003	''Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka''	Caretaker	BBCi
2003	''The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents''	Dangerous Beans	BBC Radio 4
2003	''Pompeii''	Narrator	BBC Radio 4
2004	''Dalek Empire III''	Galanar	Big Finish
2004	''Doctor Who: Medicinal Purposes''	Daft Jamie	Big Finish
2004	''Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre''	Narrator	Time Warner
2005	''	Col. Brimmecombe-Wood	Big Finish
2005	''Dixon of Dock Green''	PC Andy Crawford	BBC Radio 4
2005	''The Adventures of Luther Arkwright''	Luther Arkwright	Big Finish
2006	''The Virgin Radio Christmas Panto''	Buttons	Virgin Radio

Theatre

★ ''The Ghost of Benji O'Neill''

★ ''The Princess and the Goblin'' Curdie

★ ''Antigone''

★ ''Jump the Life to Come''

★ ''The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui''

★ ''Scotland Matters''

★ ''What the Butler Saw'' Nick (1995) Royal National Theatre

★ ''Vassa — Scenes from Family Life'' Pavel (1996) Albery Theatre

★ ''As You Like It'' Touchstone (1996) Royal Shakespeare Company

★ ''The General From America'' Hamilton (1996) Royal Shakespeare Company

★ ''The Herbal Bed'' Jack Lane (1996) Royal Shakespeare Company

★ ''Hurly Burly'' Mickey (1997)

★ ''Black Comedy'' Brinsley Miller

★ ''Edward III'' (staged reading) Edward, the Black Prince (1999)

★ ''An Experienced Woman Gives Advice'' Kenny (1999)

★ ''The Comedy of Errors'' Antipholus of Syracuse (2000) Royal Shakespeare Company

★ ''The Rivals'' Jack (2000) Royal Shakespeare Company

★ ''Romeo and Juliet'' Romeo (2000) Royal Shakespeare Company

★ ''Comedians'' (2001)

★ ''The Real Inspector Hound'' Moon

★ ''Lobby Hero'' Jeff (2002) Donmar Warehouse

★ ''Push-Up'' Robert (2002) Royal Court Jerwood Theatre

★ ''The Glass Menagerie'' Tom

★ ''Long Day's Journey Into Night'' Edmund

★ ''Tartuffe'' Valere

★ ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf'' Nick

★ ''Hay Fever'' Simon, Edinburgh Royal Lyceum

★ ''Merlin'' Arthur Edinburgh Royal Lyceum

★ ''King Lear'' Edgar

★ ''The Pillowman'' Katurian (2003) Royal National Theatre

★ ''Twelve Angry Men''

★ ''Slab Boys Trilogy'' Alan Young Vic

★ ''Look Back in Anger'' Jimmy Porter (2005) Edinburgh Royal Lyceum

Awards

★ Theatre Management Association Best Actor Award: ''The Glass Menagerie''

★ 2000 — Nominated for Ian Charleson Award (Best classical actor under 30): ''The Comedy of Errors''

★ 2003 — Nominated for Olivier Award as Best Actor: ''Lobby Hero''

★ 2005 — Critics Award for Theatre in Scotland, Best Male Performance: Jimmy Porter in ''Look Back in Anger''

★ 2006 — TV Quick and TV Choice Award, Best Actor: ''Doctor Who''^[19]

★ 2006 - National Television Award, Best Actor: ''Doctor Who''

★ 2006 - Best Doctor, ''Doctor Who Magazine'' Awards

★ 2007- Welsh BAFTAs, Best Actor: ''Doctor Who''

★ 2007 - The Constellation Awards, Best Male Performance in a 2006 Science Fiction Television Episode: ''Doctor Who: The Girl In The Fireplace''

★ 2007 - UKTV Drama held a special weekend of Classic and Current Doctor Who as well as a "Who is the Best Doctor" Competition which was won by Tennant.

★ 2007 - TV Quick and TV Choice Award, Best Actor: ''Doctor Who''

References

1. David Tennant: His days of blissful anonymity are numbered Sarah Shannon
2. Doctor Who David Tennant poised to play Hamlet Baz Bamigboye
3. Series Five
4. BEEB IN DR WHO FAN BAN Cameron Robertson
5. Alcoholic? Not the Kennedy I knew Simon Hoggart
6. Scissor sister Sarah Dempster
7. HBO, BBC discover 'Einstein' project Nellie Andreeva
8. Press Releases: David Tennant and Jessica Hynes in the driving seat for new BBC One comedy drama Learners
9. The Stage 100 :: TV Ten
10. Dr Who Voted Sexiest Gay Icon
11. Introducing world's sexiest men: Bloom, Pitt...and Cameron
12. Top Scots chosen for putting on the style Shân Ross
13. Dr Who guest star quizzed
14. David Tennant's mother passes away
15.
16. "WDYTYA? Series Three: Celebrity Gallery", ''BBC''.
17. "Walk a million miles...", ''CityWeb'', 2007-02-12. Retrieved on 2007-05-14.
18. Dr Whoosh Ben Todd
19. Doctor Who lands three TV awards

External links

★

★

★ "David Tennant Conquers TV" - BBC News Article (16 April 2005)

★ Profile BBC website

★ David-Tennant.com David-Tennant.com

★ David Tennant on ''Who Do You Think You Are?''