David Tennant è un attore scozzese nato il 18 aprile 1971 a Bathgate, conosciuto principalmente per i suoi ruoli di Decimo Dottore nella serie televisiva britannica Doctor Who, Kilgrave in Jessica Jones, Alec Hardy in Broadchurch e Barty Crouch Jr nel film Harry Potter e il calice di fuoco. Il suo vero nome è David John McDonald.
Nasce in una famiglia composta dai genitori, Helen e Alexander, il fratello Blair e la sorella Karen. All’età di soli quattro anni decide di intraprendere la carriera di attore grazie al suo amore per la serie televisiva Doctor Who, per la quale anni dopo si ritroverà a interpretare il ruolo principale. Durante il suo percorso formativo presso la Ralston Primary e la Paisley Grammar School recita spesso negli spettacoli scolastici, trovando anche il tempo per studiare e partecipare ad audizioni per frequentare corsi di recitazione pomeridiani. Durante gli anni della scuola primaria e secondaria, David viene notato dall’attrice Edith McArthur, che, colpita dal suo grande talento, gli dice che avrà un futuro nel mondo del cinema. All’età di 16 anni infatti, viene ammesso alla Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, aggiudicandosi il merito di essere uno dei più giovani studenti in assoluto. E’ qui che decide di voler rinunciare al suo cognome, già attribuito a un altro attore famoso, e cambiarlo in Tennant, ispirandosi a Neil Tennant, il frontman dei Pet Shop Boys.
In seguito alla laurea trova lavoro nello spettacolo teatrale The Resistible Rise Of Arturo Ui, entrando successivamente a far parte della 7:84 Theatre Company e della Dundee Repertory Theatre. In seguito, poco prima di trasferirsi a Londra, recita anche nella sitcom scozzese Rab C Nesbitt (1993) e nella serie Takin’ Over the Asylum (1994). Il primissimo film in cui lavora è Jude (1996), insieme all’attore Christopher Eccleston. La sua carriera teatrale è costellata da ruoli comici, in spettacoli come As You Like It, The Comedy of Errors e The Rivals, e alcuni ruoli drammatici, come Romeo nella celebre tragedia Romeo and Juliet. Nel 1995 recita in What the Butler Saw per il Royal National Theatre.

Oltre alla sua partecipazione a Doctor Who, David lavora in altre numerose produzioni televisive, tra cui le celebri Marvel Jessica Jones (2015) e Broadchurch (2013-2016).
Per quanto riguarda invece la sua carriera teatrale, dopo aver recitato in Look Back in Anger nel 2005, si unisce alla Royal Shakespeare Company nel 2008, per lavorare in Hamlet e Love’s Labours Lost. Nel 2011 recita di nuovo insieme a Catherine Tate (Donna Noble in Doctor Who) in Much Ado About Nothing, vincendo il BroadwayWorld UK Award come Best leading actor in a play e nel 2013 vince il premio Best Shakespearean Performance ai Critics Choice Award per la versione televisiva di Hamlet prodotta dalla BBC.
Curiosità:
- David è un grandissimo fan della band scozzese “The Proclaimers”. Alla fine del suo percorso all’interno del mondo di Doctor Who, David ha partecipato alla realizzazione di un video insieme alle sue Companions e con la partecipazione di tutto lo staff, sulle note di “500 Miles”, al quale hanno partecipato gli stessi Proclaimers.
- Nel 2011 sposa l’attrice Georgia Moffett, figlia del Quinto Dottore Peter Davison. I due si erano conosciuti proprio sul set di Doctor Who, durante la realizzazione dell’episodio “La figlia del Dottore”. Insieme hanno quattro figli, il primo dei quali nato da una precedente relazione di Georgia, e in seguito adottato da Tennant.
Filmografia:
CINEMA
1993 | Spaces | Vinny[100] | Short film |
1996 | Jude | Drunken undergraduate | |
1997 | Bite | Alastair Galbraith[101] | Short film |
1998 | L.A. Without a Map | Richard | |
1999 | The Last September | Captain Gerald Colthurst | |
2000 | Being Considered | Larry | |
2001 | Sweetnight Goodheart | Peter | Short film |
2002 | Nine 1/2 Minutes | Charlie | Short film |
2003 | Bright Young Things | Ginger Littlejohn | |
2004 | Traffic Warden | Traffic warden | Short film |
Old Street | Mr. Watson | Short film | |
2005 | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | Barty Crouch Jr. | |
2006 | Free Jimmy | Hamish | Voice only |
2009 | Glorious 39 | Hector | |
St Trinian’s 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold | Sir Piers Pomfrey | ||
2010 | How to Train Your Dragon | Spitelout[102] | Voice only |
2011 | The Decoy Bride | James Arber[103] | |
Fright Night | Peter Vincent[104] | ||
The Itch of the Golden Nit | News announcer / Stretchy McStretch[105] | Voice only | |
2012 | The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists | Charles Darwin | Voice only |
Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger | Donald Peterson / Roderick Peterson[73][74] | ||
2014 | Postman Pat: The Movie | Wilf[106][107] | Voice only |
What We Did on Our Holiday | Doug | ||
2015 | Reds and Grays | Robbie | Voice only |
96 Ways to Say I Love You | Mark | Short film | |
2017 | Fireman Sam: Alien Alert | Buck Douglas[108] | Voice only |
Mad to be Normal | R. D. Laing | Previously titled Metanoia | |
Chew | Mason Savoy | Voice only | |
You, Me and Him | John | Previously titled Fish Without Bicycles |
|
Bad Samaritan | Cale Erendreich |
1987 | Anti-smoking film | Jim[14] | Glasgow Health Board PSA |
1988 | Dramarama | Neil McDonald | Series 6, Episode 13: “The Secret of Croftmore“ |
1992 | Strathblair | Hiker | Series 1 |
Bunch of Five | Policeman | Series 1, Episode 5: “Miles Better” | |
1993 | The Brown Man | Ventriloquist[109] | |
Rab C Nesbitt | Davina | Series 3, Episode 2: “Touch“ | |
1994 | Takin’ Over the Asylum | Campbell Bain | |
1995 | The Bill | Steve Clemens | Series 11, Episode 128: “Deadline“ |
The Tales of Para Handy | John MacBryde | Series 2, Episode 2: “Para Handy’s Piper” | |
1996 | A Mug’s Game | Gavin | Series 1, Episode 4 |
1997 | Holding the Baby | Nurse | Series 1, Episode 2 |
Conjuring Shakespeare | Angelo[110] | Episode 6: “Like a Virgin” (appeared in a scene from Measure for Measure) | |
1998 | Duck Patrol | Simon “Darwin” Brown | |
1999 | The Mrs Bradley Mysteries | Max Valentine | Series 2, Episode 1: “Death at the Opera“ |
Love in the 21st Century | John | Episode 1: “Reproduction” | |
2000 | Randall and Hopkirk | Gordon Stylus | Series 1, Episode 1: “Drop Dead“ |
2001 | People Like Us | Rob Harker | Series 2, Episode 4: “The Actor“ |
High Stakes | Gaz Whitney | Series 2, Episode 1: “The Magic Word” | |
Only Human | Tyler | Pilot | |
2002 | Foyle’s War | Theo Howard | Series 1, Episode 3: “A Lesson in Murder“ |
Boots UK advert | Husband | ||
2003 | Terri McIntyre | Greig Millar | Series 2 |
Scream of the Shalka | Caretaker | 1 Episode | |
Trust | Gavin MacEwan | Series 1, Episode 6 | |
Posh Nosh | Jose-Luis | Series 1, Episodes 3 and 8: “Paella” and “Comfort Food” | |
Spine Chillers | Dr. Krull | Series 1, Episode 1 | |
2004 | The Deputy | Christopher Williams | |
He Knew He Was Right | Rev Gibson | ||
Blackpool | DI Carlisle | ||
2005 | The Quatermass Experiment | Dr. Gordon Briscoe | |
Casanova | Giacomo Casanova | ||
Secret Smile | Brendan Block | ||
Doctor Who: A New Dimension | Narrator | Doctor Who Confidential pilot | |
2005–10, 2013 |
Doctor Who | The Doctor | Series 2, 3, 4, 2008–2010 Specials 50th Anniversary Special[111][112] |
2006 | Who Do You Think You Are? | Himself | Series 3, Episode 4 |
Ready Steady Cook | Himself | 1 episode | |
The Romantics | Jean-Jacques Rousseau | ||
The Chatterley Affair | Richard Hoggart | ||
2007 | Recovery | Alan Hamilton | |
Comic Relief Sketch | Mr. Logan / The Doctor | Appeared alongside Doctor Who co-star Catherine Tate | |
Dead Ringers | RegeneratedTony Blair | ||
The Infinite Quest | The Doctor | ||
Learners | Chris | ||
Extras | Himself / The Doctor | Christmas Special | |
The Friday Night Project | Guest host | Series 4, Episode 1 | |
The Human Footprint | Narrator | ||
Top Gear | Himself | Series 10, Episode 10 | |
2008 | Everest ER | Narrator | |
What Makes Me Happy | Poetry reader[113] | Series of short films that include poetry | |
Trick or Treat | Himself[65] | Series 2, Episodes 3 and 6 | |
The Friday Night Project | Guest host | Series 6, Episode 2 | |
Einstein and Eddington | Sir Arthur Eddington | ||
2009 | The Sarah Jane Adventures | The Doctor[26] | Series 3, Episodes 5 and 6: “The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith“ |
Rex Is Not Your Lawyer | Rex Alexander[36] | NBC pilot | |
Dreamland | The Doctor | 6 episodes | |
The Catherine Tate Show | Ghost of Christmas Present | “Nan’s Christmas Carol“ | |
Hamlet | Prince Hamlet | ||
Swarm: Nature’s Incredible Invasions | Narrator | ||
Comic Relief 2009 | Presenter | ||
Doctor Who: Tonight’s the Night | Himself | ||
Troubled Young Minds | Narrator[114] | ||
QI | Himself | QI Christmas Special | |
Never Mind the Buzzcocks | Guest host | Series 23, Episode 12 | |
Alan Carr: Chatty Man | Guest | Series 2, Episode 7 | |
2009–10 | Masterpiece Contemporary | Host | |
2010 | Single Father | Dave Tiler | |
Caught in the Web – A Newsround Special | Narrator[115] | ||
Eddie Izzard: Marathon Man | Narrator | ||
My Life | Narrator | Episode: “Karate Kids” | |
Diet or My Husband Dies | Narrator[116] | ||
Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide | Himself[117] | ||
Stealing Shakespeare | Narrator | ||
Ask Rhod Gilbert | Authenticator | Series 1, Episode 5 | |
Paul O’Grady Live | Guest | Series 1 | |
Chris Moyles’ Quiz Night | Himself | Regular slot: “David Tennant’s Celebrity Impressions” | |
Polar Bear: Spy on the Ice | Narrator | BBC Wildlife Specials | |
2011 | United | Jimmy Murphy | |
This is Jinsy | Mr. Slightlyman[118] | Series 1, Episode 1 | |
The Father of Australia | Narrator[119] | ||
Starlight: For the Children | Narrator[120] | Narrated episodes 5–10 | |
The TA & The Taliban | Narrator[121] | ||
Gerry Rafferty: Right Down the Line | Narrator[122] | ||
Shrek: Once Upon a Time | Narrator[123] | ||
Earthflight | Narrator[124] | ||
Laughing at the… | Himself[125] | Series 1, Episode 2: “Catherine Tate: Laughing at the Noughties” | |
2011–12 | Twenty Twelve | Narrator | Series 1 and 2 |
2012 | Playhouse Presents | Will[40] | Series 1, Episode 1: “The Minor Character” |
True Love | Nick[126] | Series 1, Episode 1 | |
Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Huyang[127] | Voice only | |
Tree Fu Tom | Twigs[128] | ||
Wild About Pandas | Narrator[129] | ||
We Won’t Drop the Baby | Narrator[130] | ||
Discovering Hamlet | Himself[131] | ||
Shakespeare Uncovered – Hamlet | Himself[132] | ||
Virgin Media adverts | Himself | ||
Comedy World Cup | Presenter | ||
Secret Universe: The Hidden Life of the Cell | Narrator | ||
2012–present | DreamWorks Dragons | Spitelout | Voice only; Series 1, Episode 12: “Thawfest”; Series 2, Episode 5: “Race to Fireworm Island”; Series 3, Episode 3: “Imperfect Harmony”; Series 4, Episode 1: “Astrid’s Team”; Series 4, Episode 5: “Snotlout Gets the Axe” |
2013 | Penguins – Spy in the Huddle | Narrator[133] | |
Comic Relief 2013 | Presenter | ||
Fish Hooks | Oscar’s Brain | Voice only; Series 3, Episodes 3 and 12: “Live at the Hamsterwood Bowl” and “Assignment Babies” | |
Spies of Warsaw | Jean-François Mercier[41] | ||
2013–present | Broadchurch | DI Alec Hardy | Series 1 – 2013, Series 2 – 2015, and Series 3 – TBA |
2013 | The Politician’s Husband | Aiden Hoynes | |
The Escape Artist | Will Burton[47] | ||
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot | Himself | ||
2014 | Gracepoint | Emmett Carver | US remake of Broadchurch |
Dolphins – Spy in the Pod | Narrator[134] | BBC Wildlife Specials | |
2014–present | W1A | Narrator | Sequel to Twenty Twelve |
2015 | Pets – Wild at Heart | Narrator[135] | BBC Wildlife Specials |
Growing Up Wild | Narrator[136] | BBC Wildlife Specials | |
Jake and the Neverland Pirates | Dread | Episode: “Dread the Evil Genie” | |
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse | Igor the Door | Episode: “Mickey’s Monster Musical”, Voice only |
|
Knights of Classic Drama | Narrator | ||
Dames of Classic Drama | Narrator | ||
Jessica Jones | Kevin Thompson / Kilgrave | 11 episodes | |
Inside Einstein’s Mind: The Enigma of Space and Time | Narrator | British version only. The US version was narrated by Jay O. Sanders | |
2015–16 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Fugitoid | Voice only; 15 episodes |
Have I Got News for You | Guest host | ||
2016 | Room 101 | Guest | |
Family Guy | Doctor Who | Voice only Episode: “Inside Family Guy“ |
|
2017 | DuckTales | Scrooge McDuck[137] | Voice only Replacing Alan Young |
1993 | The Fifty Friends of Simon Goberschmitt | Raymond | BBC Radio 4 |
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | Policeman | BBC Radio 4 | |
1994 | Knocking on Heaven’s Door | Lindsay Lerner | BBC Radio 4 |
1996 | Paint Her Well | The Son | BBC Radio 4 |
1998 | Hemlock and After | Eric Craddock | BBC Radio 4 |
The Airmen Who Would Not Die | Captain Raymond “Hinch” Hinchliffe | BBC Radio 4 | |
The Golden Triangle: The Order of Release | John Everett Millais | BBC Radio 4 | |
1999 | Fire in the Heart | Reader | BBC Radio 4 |
2000 | Henry VI, Part 1 | Henry VI | Arkangel Shakespeare |
Henry VI, Part 2 | Henry VI | Arkangel Shakespeare | |
Henry VI, Part 3 | Henry VI | Arkangel Shakespeare | |
The Sea | Willy Carson | BBC Radio 3 | |
2001 | Much Ado about Nothing | Benedick | BBC Radio 4 |
Sunday Worship | Himself | BBC Radio 4 | |
The Long Firm | Narrator | Whole Story Audiobooks | |
He Kills Coppers | Narrator | Whole Story Audiobooks | |
True Crime | Narrator | Whole Story Audiobooks | |
Doctor Who: Colditz | Feldwebel Kurtz | Big Finish | |
Dr Finlay: Adventures of a Black Bag | Jackson | BBC Radio 4 | |
2002 | Dr Finlay: Further Adventures of a Black Bag | McKellor | BBC Radio 4 |
Double Income, No Kids Yet | Daniel | BBC Radio 4 | |
Facade | William Walton[151] | BBC Radio 4 | |
2003 | Doctor Who: Sympathy for the Devil | Colonel Brimmecombe-Wood | Big Finish |
Doctor Who: Exile | Time Lord No. 2 / Pub landlord | Big Finish | |
Caesar! – Peeling Figs for Julius | Caligula | BBC Radio 4 | |
Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka | Caretaker | BBCi | |
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents | Dangerous Beans | BBC Radio 4 | |
Pompeii | Narrator | BBC Radio 4 | |
The Rotters’ Club | Bill Trotter | BBC Radio 4 | |
Mansfield Park | Tom Price[152] | BBC Radio 4 | |
Strangers and Brothers | Donald Howerd | BBC Radio 4 | |
2004 | Dalek Empire III | Galanar | Big Finish |
Doctor Who: Medicinal Purposes | Daft Jamie | Big Finish | |
Quite Ugly One Morning | Narrator | Time Warner | |
Starter for Ten | Narrator | Hodder & Stoughton | |
Whiteout | Narrator | Macmillan Digital Audio | |
The Merchant of Venice | Launcelot Gobbo | Arkangel Shakespeare | |
Richard III | The Archbishop / Ghost of Henry VI | Arkangel Shakespeare | |
How to Train Your Dragon | Narrator | Part of the How to Train Your Dragon series | |
How to Be a Pirate | Narrator | Part of the How to Train Your Dragon series | |
2005 | UNIT: The Wasting | Colonel Brimmecombe-Wood | Big Finish |
Dixon of Dock Green | PC Andy Crawford | BBC Radio 4 | |
The Adventures of Luther Arkwright | Luther Arkwright | Big Finish | |
The Beasts of Clawstone Castle | Narrator | Macmillan Digital Audio | |
Macbeth | Porter | Arkangel Shakespeare | |
King Lear | Edgar | Arkangel Shakespeare | |
The Comedy of Errors | Antipholus of Syracuse | Arkangel Shakespeare | |
Romeo and Juliet | Mercutio | Arkangel Shakespeare | |
2006 | The Virgin Radio Christmas Panto | Buttons | Virgin Radio |
Doctor Who: The Stone Rose | Narrator | BBC Audio | |
Doctor Who: The Resurrection Casket | Narrator | BBC Audio | |
Doctor Who: The Feast of the Drowned | Narrator | BBC Audio | |
How to Speak Dragonese | Narrator | Part of the How to Train Your Dragon series | |
2007 | The Wooden Overcoat | Peter | BBC Radio 4 |
How to Cheat a Dragon’s Curse | Narrator | Part of the How to Train Your Dragon series | |
2008 | Doctor Who: Pest Control | Narrator | BBC Audio |
Nebulous | Doctor Beep | BBC Radio 4 | |
2009 | Doctor Who: The Day of the Troll | Narrator | BBC Audio |
How to Twist a Dragon’s Tale | Narrator | Part of the How to Train Your Dragon series | |
2010 | Of Mice and Men | George Milton[69][153] | BBC Radio 4 |
Murder in Samarkand | Craig Murray | BBC Radio 4 | |
How to Ride a Dragon’s Storm | Narrator | Part of the How to Train Your Dragon series | |
Doctor Who: The Last Voyage | Narrator | BBC Audio | |
Doctor Who: Dead Air | Narrator | BBC Audio | |
Bear Snores On | Narrator[154] | Simon & Schuster Children’s Books | |
Dogfish | Narrator | Simon & Schuster Children’s Books | |
How Roald Dahl Shaped Pop | Narrator[155] | BBC Radio 2 | |
Book at Bedtime – A Night with a Vampire | Narrator[156] | BBC Radio 4 | |
2011 | My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece | Narrator[157] | Orion Books |
Kafka: The Musical | Franz Kafka[158] | BBC Radio 3 | |
The Gobetweenies | Joe[159] | BBC Radio 4 | |
Tales of Hans Christian Andersen | Narrator[160] | BBC Learning | |
The Purple Land | Richard Lamb[161][162] | BBC Radio 4 | |
Life and Fate | Nikolai Krymov[163] | BBC Radio 4 | |
How to Break a Dragon’s Heart | Narrator | Part of the How to Train Your Dragon series | |
A Hero’s Guide to Deadly Dragons | Narrator | Part of the How to Train Your Dragon series | |
Supermarket Zoo | Narrator | Simon & Schuster | |
Book at Bedtime – A Night with a Vampire 2 | Narrator[164] | BBC Radio 4 | |
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again | Narrator[165] | Macmillan Digital Audio | |
The Pied Piper of Hamelin | Narrator[166][167][168][169] | BBC Radio 4 | |
2012 | Love Virtually | Leo | BBC Radio 4 |
Book at Bedtime – Stonemouth | Reader | BBC Radio 4 | |
Believe It! | Young Richard Wilson | BBC Radio 4 | |
Romeo and Juliet | Prince Escalus[170][171] | BBC Radio 3 | |
Twelfth Night | Malvolio | BBC Radio 3 | |
Silver: The Return to Treasure Island | Narrator[172] | Whole Story Audiobooks | |
How to Steal a Dragon’s Sword | Narrator | Part of the How to Train Your Dragon series | |
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service | Narrator[173] | BBC Audio | |
2013 | Every Seventh Wave | Leo | BBC Radio 4 |
The Great Scott: The Fair Maid of Perth | Walter Scott[174] | BBC Radio 4 | |
2015 | Carmilla | Dr. Martin Hesselius[175] | Amazon Audible |
2016 | Doctor Who: Technophobia | The Doctor | Big Finish Productions |
Doctor Who: Time Reaver | The Doctor | Big Finish Productions | |
Doctor Who: Death and the Queen | The Doctor | Big Finish Productions |