Profile of David Tennant on Famous Like Me

David Tennant — real name David MacDonald — (born April 18, 1971 in Paisley, Scotland, United Kingdom) is a Scottish actor best known for appearing in BBC Dramas such as Casanova, in which he played the title role. He has recently received much publicity as the tenth actor to portray the Doctor in the television series Doctor Who, though as yet he has only appeared for around 20 seconds in the episode The Parting of the Ways.

Biography

David's father was a minister, and later Moderator of the General Assembly, of the Church of Scotland. At the age of three, David 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 a British child of the 1970s, Tennant says he was "absurdly single-minded" in pursuing his goal. (He adopted the professional name "Tennant" because there was another "David MacDonald" on the books of Actors' Equity.)

Tennant began his career in the British theatre, frequently performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company for whom he specialized in comic roles such as Touchstone in As You Like It, Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors and Captain Jack Absolute in The Rivals, although he also played the tragic role of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet.

He has appeared in several high-profile dramas for the BBC, including 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 is to appear as Barty Crouch Jr. in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

He has also performed in several audio plays based on the Doctor Who television series by Big Finish Productions – not playing the Doctor – as well as having a small role in the BBC animated 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. He has appeared in several more Doctor Who-related audio plays and also played the title role in Big Finish's adaptation of Bryan Talbot's The Adventures of Luther Arkwright (2005).

Tennant's name was put forward as a possible candidate to take on 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 March 30 that he would not be returning for a second series, the BBC confirmed Tennant as his replacement in a press release on April 16. He made his first appearance in the episode The Parting of the Ways (2005) after the regeneration scene.

He began filming the new series of Doctor Who in late July 2005. Before that airs, he will be seen in the ITV drama Secret Smile.

List of credits

Television

• Takin' Over the Asylum (1994) (Campbell McBain)
• Duck Patrol (1998) (Darwin)
• The Deputy (2004)
• He Knew He Was Right (2004) (Rev Gibson)
• Blackpool (2004) (DI Carlisle)
• Casanova (2005) (Giacamo Casanova)
• The Quatermass Experiment (2005) (Dr Briscoe)
• Doctor Who (2005 - ?) (The Doctor)

Film

• Jude (1996)
• Bite (1997)
• L.A. Without a Map (1998)
• Nine 1/2 Minutes (1999)
• The Last September (1999)
• One Eyed Jacques (2001)
• Sweetnightgoodheart (2001)
• Bright Young Things (2003)
• Free Jimmy (2004)
• Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (2005) (Barty Crouch Jr.)

Radio

• Dixon of Dock Green PC Andy Crawford BBC Radio 4 (2005)

Theatre

• 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)
• 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
• The 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): 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

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