David Tennant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Tennant
|
|
|---|---|
Tennant in 2023
|
|
| Born |
David John McDonald
April 18, 1971 Bathgate, Scotland
|
| Education | Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (BA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Known for | Tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who |
| Spouse(s) |
Georgia Tennant
(m. 2011) |
| Children | 5, including Ty |
| Relatives |
|
| Signature | |
 |
|
David Tennant (born David John McDonald on 18 April 1971) is a famous Scottish actor. Many people know him best for playing the Tenth Doctor in the exciting sci-fi show Doctor Who from 2005 to 2010. He even came back to the show in 2022 as the Fourteenth Doctor!
Besides Doctor Who, David Tennant has starred in many other popular TV shows. He played DI Alec Hardy in the crime drama Broadchurch and the villain Kilgrave in the superhero series Jessica Jones. He also plays Crowley in the fantasy series Good Omens and different versions of himself in the comedy show Staged. David Tennant is also a talented voice actor, like when he voiced Scrooge McDuck in the animated series DuckTales.
Contents
Becoming an Actor: David Tennant's Early Life and Training
David Tennant was born David John McDonald in Bathgate, Scotland, on 18 April 1971. His father, Alexander "Sandy" McDonald, was a minister. David grew up with his brother Blair and sister Karen.
When David was only three years old, he knew he wanted to be an actor. He was a huge fan of Doctor Who and watched almost every episode. He even met Fourth Doctor actor Tom Baker at a book signing! David acted in many school plays at Ralston Primary School and Paisley Grammar School. An actress named Edith MacArthur noticed his talent when he was 10 and told his parents he would be a successful theatre actor.
David attended special Saturday classes at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. At 16, he passed an audition and became one of their youngest students. He studied acting there from age 17 to 20. When he joined the actors' union, he found out there was another actor named David McDonald. So, he chose a new stage name, "Tennant," after Pet Shop Boys singer Neil Tennant. He later legally changed his name.
David Tennant's Acting Journey: From Early Roles to Stardom
David Tennant started acting professionally while still in high school. At 16, he was in an anti-smoking film shown on TV and in schools. The next year, he appeared in an episode of Dramarama.
His first big TV role was Campbell Bain in the BBC Scotland show Takin' Over the Asylum in 1994. He also appeared in the film Jude (1996) with Christopher Eccleston.
Early Theatre and TV Work
David Tennant also built his career in British theatre, often working with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). He played the jester Touchstone in As You Like It (1996) and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. He also lent his voice to several audio versions of Shakespeare's plays.
In the early 2000s, David Tennant appeared more on TV. He was in Blackpool (2004) and Casanova (2005). In 2005, he played Barty Crouch Jr. in the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Becoming the Doctor: Doctor Who Adventures
As a lifelong fan of Doctor Who, David Tennant had already done some voice work for Doctor Who audio plays.
When Doctor Who returned to TV in 2005, Christopher Eccleston played the Ninth Doctor. David Tennant took over the role as the Tenth Doctor at the end of the episode "The Parting of the Ways" (2005). His first full episode as the Doctor was "The Christmas Invasion" on Christmas Day 2005. He starred in three full seasons of Doctor Who and several Christmas specials.
In 2007, David Tennant's Tenth Doctor met Peter Davison's Fifth Doctor in a special episode for Children in Need called "Time Crash". He also voiced the Doctor in animated Doctor Who series like The Infinite Quest and Dreamland. He even appeared in the Doctor Who spin-off show The Sarah Jane Adventures.
In 2008, David Tennant announced he would leave the role after four special episodes in 2009. His final episode aired on 1 January 2010, when he was replaced by Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor.
David Tennant and Billie Piper returned for the 50th anniversary special, "The Day of the Doctor", in 2013. In 2022, it was announced that David Tennant would return to Doctor Who again for the show's 60th anniversary. He came back as the Fourteenth Doctor in three special episodes that aired in late 2023.
More Great Roles: 2005–2010
While playing the Doctor, David Tennant also took on other roles. In 2007, he starred in the BBC drama Recovery, playing a man rebuilding his life after a brain injury. He also appeared in the comedy drama Learners and had a cameo in the comedy series Extras.
In 2008, he played Sir Arthur Eddington in the film Einstein and Eddington. He also voiced Hamish the Hunter in the animated film Free Jimmy. In 2009, he presented Red Nose Day 2009 for charity. He also filmed St. Trinian's II: The Legend of Fritton's Gold.
From August to November 2008, David Tennant played Hamlet in a Royal Shakespeare Company production. His performance was highly praised. A TV film version of this Hamlet was made for BBC Two in 2009.
Busy Years: 2011–2015
In 2011, David Tennant starred in United, a film about the Manchester United football team and the 1958 Munich air disaster. He played coach Jimmy Murphy. He also filmed True Love, a BBC drama, and the comedy film Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger, where he played two roles.
In 2012, he filmed Spies of Warsaw for BBC Four, playing the lead role of Jean-François Mercier. He also hosted the comedy quiz show Comedy World Cup.
In 2013, David Tennant returned to the RSC to play the main role in Richard II. He repeated this performance in 2016.
David Tennant starred as DI Alec Hardy in the popular ITV detective series Broadchurch from 2013 to 2017. He also filmed the American version of Broadchurch, called Gracepoint, in 2014.
He also starred in The Escape Artist (2013) and the comedy film What We Did on Our Holiday (2014). In 2015, David Tennant played the villainous Kilgrave in the Marvel and Netflix series Jessica Jones.
Recent Work: 2016–Present
.jpg)
In 2016, David Tennant filmed Mad to Be Normal, a movie about Scottish psychiatrist R. D. Laing. In 2017, he appeared in the film You, Me and Him, which his wife, Georgia Tennant, helped produce. He also became the voice of Scrooge McDuck for Disney XD's DuckTales reboot.
David Tennant played the villain Cale Erendreich in the thriller film Bad Samaritan (2018). He also stars as Crowley in the series Good Omens, which started in 2019. In 2019, he launched his own podcast called David Tennant Does a Podcast With..., where he interviews other famous people.
In 2020, David Tennant starred in and produced the miniseries Deadwater Fell. From 2020 to 2022, he starred in and produced three seasons of the TV series Staged with Michael Sheen. In 2022, he played Reverend Harry Watling in the BBC series Inside Man and Alexander Litvinenko in the ITV drama Litvinenko.
In 2023, David Tennant voiced the droid Huyang again in the live-action Ahsoka series, a role he first played in The Clone Wars. He also played the lead role in a stage production of Macbeth. In 2024, he hosted the 77th British Academy Film Awards.
David Tennant's Personal Life
David Tennant is married to English actress Georgia Tennant. They met in 2008 while filming the Doctor Who episode "The Doctor's Daughter". They got married in 2011 and live in London. They have five children, including Ty Tennant, whom David adopted. David's father-in-law is actor Peter Davison, who played the Fifth Doctor in Doctor Who.
Accolades
Images for kids
-
Tennant at the 2017 Wizard World Columbus Comic Con
-
Tennant at San Diego Comic Con 2009
.jpg)
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: David Tennant para niños
