David Tennant was born David John McDonald in West Lothian, Scotland, to Essdale Helen decided to leave. Playing the Doctor made him a household name. Since leaving the series in 2010 his career has continued to rise, with lead roles in films, TV series and theatre.
David Tennant is a respected classical actor who has performed numerous starring roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company, including Touchstone in "As You Like It," Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet," Antipholus of Syracuse in "The Comedy of Errors," and Captain Jack Absolute in "The Rivals.".
He was nominated for a 2003 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Actor of 2002 for his performance in "Lobby Hero" performed at the Donmar Warehouse and the New Ambassadors Theatres.
Attended Paisley Grammar.
Graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
Acted with the 7:84 Theatre Company, a genre-bending, ground-breaking, political Scottish Theatre Group.
Decided to be an actor at the age of three.
While attending Paisley Grammar School, he wrote an essay on how his greatest desire was to play the Doctor in "Doctor Who" as he was an avid fan of the series, especially during the Tom Baker and Peter Davison eras. His dream came true when he was cast as the Tenth Doctor in "Doctor Who" by Russell T. Davies.
While attending Paisley Grammar School, he wrote an essay on how his greatest desire was to play Doctor Who on TV.
Best friends with Louise Delamere ( "No Angels" ). They went to Glasgows Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama together and shared a flat.
Chose his acting surname from Neil Tennant , singer with Pet Shop Boys. This came after reading an interview with Tennant in "Smash Hits" shortly after learning that he would have to change his professional name in order to join the actors union, Equity, as there was already a registered member with his real name, David McDonald.
Nominated for Best Classical Actor Under 30, Ian Charleson Award for his theater role in "Comedy of Errors" as Antipholus of Syracuse.
Won Best Male Performance, Critics Award for Theatre in Scotland, for his role in "Look Back in Anger" as Jimmy Porter.
Won Best Actor, Theatre Management Association, for his role in "The Glass Menagerie" as Tom.
Is a big fan of film director Alfred Hitchcock.
He is the second of three Scottish actors to portray the character of the Doctor, following Sylvester McCoy and followed by Peter Capaldi. He got a chance to use his actual accent, once, when the Doctor poses as a Scottish physician in episode "Doctor Who" {Tooth and Claw (#2.2)} ).
On August 31, 2007, he turned on the illumination lights for Blackpool.
His acting heroes are comedy star John Cleese and Shakespearean performer Derek Jacobi.
He is the son-in-law of actors Peter Davison and Sandra Dickinson. Davison had also been his favorite Doctor from the original "Doctor Who" television series. Tennant was chosen to present Come in Number Five , a documentary which covered the production of Davisons era as the Fifth Doctor, which appeared as an extra on the Special Edition DVD release of "Doctor Who" {Resurrection of the Daleks: Part One (#21.11)} .
Considers Paisley as his hometown.
His father is Sandy McDonald , a retired minister; mother Helen died of cancer in July 2007.
Has a brother, Blair, and a sister, Karen.
Favorite actress is Audrey Hepburn.
Favorite book is "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger.
Along with Matt Smith , Elisabeth Sladen , John Leeson , Tommy Knight , Alexander Armstrong , Lachele Carl , and Nicholas Courtney , he is one of only eight actors to play the same character in both "Doctor Who" and "The Sarah Jane Adventures" .
So many people wanted to see him in the 2009 RSC Production of Hamlet; the London run at the Novello Theater sold out in three hours.
Missed out for a nomination for the 2009 Laurence Olivier Award for his "Hamlet" because he did not perform enough shows in London after the show transfered from Stratford-Upon-Avon, due to a back injury and surgery during the London run.
Nominated 2009 Evening Standard Theater Award for Best Actor for his Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Won 2009 Critics Choice Award for Best Shakespearean Performance for his Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
He was nominated for the 2008 Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor for Recovery and "Doctor Who" .
Nominated for the 2009 Broadcasting Guild Awards-Best Actor for his portrayal of "Sir Arthur Eddington" in Einstein and Eddington and "The Doctor" in "Doctor Who" .
Winner 2009 Theatregoers Choice Award Best Regional Production was RSC Production of Hamlet with David Tennant and 2009 Theatregoers Choice Award for Theatre Event of the Year was David Tennants return to the stage in the RSC Production of Hamlet.
From his first appearance in the role of the Doctor in June 2005 to when he gave the role up in January 2010, he became the second longest actor to play the title role continuously on television (Tom Baker is the longest, who was on screen from 1974 until 1981) and the third longest overall (Sylvester McCoy first appeared in September 1987 and exited in Doctor Who but the series was not broadcast between 1990 and 1995).
Married to Georgia Moffett since 30th December 2011. They met on the set of "Doctor Who" in November 2007, but did not become a couple until some time later. She is the daughter of former "Doctor Who" star Peter Davison , who played the Fifth Doctor. In January 2011, UK tabloids reported that they had moved in together and become engaged. Moffett gave birth to the couples first child two months later, and they married nine months after that. Tennant has never spoken about or confirmed their relationship to the media, though Moffett occasionally posts about him on her social media pages.
Tennant revealed on "The Paul OGrady Show" that he had auditioned for the role of "the Blue Meanie" in the remake of Yellow Submarine .
His fiance, actress Georgia Moffett , gave birth to his first child, a daughter named Olive, on 29 March 2011.
He is the second of three non-English actors to portray the "Doctor Who" character. Along with Sylvester McCoy , and Peter Capaldi , all three are Scottish.
Married Georgia Moffett on the 30th December 2011.
He adopted his wifes son, Tyler, in 2011.
He started acting with the hope that he would one day get to play the title role on "Doctor Who".
Is a big fan of the TV series, "Firefly" .
Stepson-in-law of Elizabeth Heery.
His all-time favourite Doctor Who character is the Zygons, who first appeared in "Doctor Who" {Terror of the Zygons: Part One (#13.1)} , a Fourth Doctor adventure.
Auditioned for the lead role in the American NBC TV series Hannibal. Tennant was unsuccessful, but show-runner Bryan Fuller said in a magazine interview that Tennants audition was so impressive, he wanted to write him a guest spot as a deranged serial killer.
His wife became pregnant for the third time seven months after their wedding, and gave birth on 3rd May 2013.
Did not enjoy doing the automatic dialogue replacement in post-production for "Doctor Who" episodes.
Used to get in trouble at school because all of the essays he wrote were about "Doctor Who" in some way.
His most treasured childhood possession was a scarf that an aunt had knitted him which was modeled on the iconic, multi-colored one worn by Tom Baker on "Doctor Who" in the 1970s.
The appearance of Lex Luthors assistant Spalding in Paul Cornell s run on Action Comics is based on him. Cornell has written many expanded universe stories featuring Tennants Tenth Doctor.
Legally changed his name to David Tennant, due to rules of the Screen Actors Guild of America (ones stage name must be the same as ones legal name).
(October 2008) Announced he is leaving "Doctor Who" after he films four "Bank Holiday" specials and a Christmas special for 2009. Has already finished work on the 2008 "Doctor Who" Christmas special.
(April 2010) Filming mini-series drama, "Single Father" , for BBC Scotland in Glasgow, Scotland.
(September 2011) Margate, Kent: filming "True Love" . Tennant started work on "True Love" two days after his play, "Much Ado About Nothing", ended.
(June 2012) London: Filming the TV series, "The Politicians Husband" . (In June and July).
Filming for Fright Night , in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
(December 2010) In Carlisle and Newcastle filming United (2011/I) .
(January 2011) Recording the radio play Kafka, the Musical in London.
In London rehearsing for the play Much Ado About Nothing. Rehearsals started on 4 April in Shepherds Bush.
(April 2013) Cardiff, Wales: Filming Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special
(April 2012) Poland: shooting "Spies of Warsaw" (between early April and mid-June).
(August 2012) Los Angeles, attending the TCAs. Tennant was in LA for three days only as he was in the middle of shooting different projects.
(December 2012) London, shooting a TV commercial for Virgin.
(April 2013) Wales, filming the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special.
(January 2013) London: Recording the audiobook How to Steal a Dragons Heart.
(June 2010) Filming for the film, The Decoy Bride , in Scotland and Isle of Man.
(August 2012) Bristol and West Bay in Dorset: Filming the TV series, "Broadchurch" (from early August to December).
(December 2012) Los Angeles: Auditioning for acting work and doing publicity for Spies of Warsaw.
Filming "Single Father" in Edinburgh.
(November 2012) London: recording the comedy panel game show Comedy World Cup (as presenter). Tennant filmed Broadchurch Mon-Fri in Bristol and returned to London on the weekends to record Comedy World Cup.
(February 2013) Hertfordshire and London, filming The Escape Artist.
(March 2013) Scotland, filming The Escape Artist
(October 2010) Guest starring in the comedy stage show Celebrity Autobiography at the Leicester Square Theatre in London. Tennant made his first performance two days after he returned to England from New Mexico, where hed been shooting the film Fright Night.
(October 2011) Coventry, Wales and Warwickshire: filming Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger! (filming took place during October and November).
(April 2005) As of April 16, 2005, officially announced as the tenth actor to play the classic television character "Doctor Who," taking over from Christopher Eccleston for the second series of the BBCs Sci-Fi show revival.
(July 2007) Filming the 2007 Christmas episode of "Doctor Who" , "Doctor Who" {Voyage of the Damned (#4.0)} , with Kylie Minogue in Cardiff.
(November 2010) Newcastle: shooting the BBC2 film, United (2011/I) .
(November 2010) In Uganda filming for Comic Relief.
(January 2013) London, filming the BBC1 drama series The Escape Artist . During this month Tennant also recorded numerous audio books and radio plays.
(August 2008) Playing "Hamlet" in RSC Stratford-upon-Avon, alongside Patrick Stewart.
(June 2012) London and Watford, Hertfordshire, filming "The Politicians Husband" (between mid-June and the end of July). Tennant started work on the series two days after he returned from Poland.
June-July 2012. London, filming )The Politicians Husband .
August - December 2012. Dorset and Somerset, filming Broadchurch.
January - March 2013. London, Scotland and Hertfordshire, filming The Escape Artist .
April - May 2013. Filming the "Doctor Who" {The Day of the Doctor} in Wales. His son was born the day after his final day on set. Tennant then took three weeks off, though he recorded several voice overs and TV commercials, and took a trip to Stratford-upon-Avon to have meetings for Richard II during this time.
June - August 2013. Filming the movie What We Did On Our Holiday in Scotland.
January - May 2014. Filming Gracepoint in Victoria, Canada. David flew to Canada the day after the final performance of Richard II.
May - October 2014. Filming Broadchurch series 2 in Dorset, Devon and Somerset. David started work on Broadchurch three days after flying home from Canada.
August 2013 - January 2014. Playing Richard II in the Royal Shakespeare Production of the play in London and Stratford-upon-Avon.
His favorite band is The Proclaimers. He is also a huge fan of Madonna and says "Like a Virgin" was the first single he ever bought.
Is a huge fan of "The West Wing" .
In 2007, Tennant became only the second actor to play the Doctor in the Doctor Who TV series to be interviewed as a guest on the UKs most celebrated talk show, "Parkinson" . The first had been Jon Pertwee , who had been interviewed in 1980, six years after he had left the part.
Won Best Actor Award for his role in Richard II at British Stage Awards 2015.
Amazed the audience at his first appearance on the BBC radio quiz show "Just a Minute" (25 Feb 2015) by speaking extemporaneously for a full minute on the topic "Exit, Pursued by a Bear.".
(February 2015 - August 2015) New York, shooting aka Jessica Jones.
Is the only actor to play two canonical incarnations of The Doctor.
His fourth child, a daughter named Doris, was born in 2015.
His adoptive sons name Tyler was transferred use of the surname derived from the Old French tieuleor, tieulier (tiler, tile maker) and the Middle English tyler, tylere (a brick, a tile). The name originated as an occupational name for a tile or brick maker or layer.
His second daughters name Doris means "a gift" in Greek. From the ancient Greek name Doris which meant "Dorian woman". The Dorians were a Greek tribe who occupied the Peloponnese starting in the 12th century BC. In Greek mythology Doris was a sea nymph, one of the many children of Oceanos and Tthys.
His sons name Wilfred means "desiring peace" from Old English wil "will, desire" and frith "peace". Saint Wilfrid was a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon bishop. The name was rarely used after the Norman conquest, but it was revived in the 19th century.
Early in his career David appeared with Felicity Jones and Benedict Cumberbatch in a BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Jane Austen s "Mansfield Park".
Much was made of Tennants attractiveness and sex appeal when he was playing the Doctor in "Doctor Who" . Wendy Padbury called him "gorgeous". Michael Parkinson even quoted a journalist who had described him as the first "Time Phwoar" when he interviewed him in 2007. However, he was not actually the first actor to be cast in the role with this in mind. John Nathan-Turner cast Peter Davison partly because he had "a large following with feminine viewers" and Jo Wright said Paul McGann was her first choice partly because he was "very good-looking".
Unlike other enduring characters such as Sherlock Holmes or Tarzan,being the Doctor allows you a certain freedom that is both very,demanding and very thrilling. It allows you to make the character using,elements of yourself.
I love a bit of political drama; "The West Wing" (1999) is,probably my favourite television series of all time.
I was hugely formed by stories I was told as a child whether that was in,a book, the cinema, theatre or television and probably television more,than any medium is what influenced me as a child and formed my response,to literature, story-telling and, therefore, the world around me.
(At the 2006 National Television Awards) I think if my eight-year-old,self could see me at the Royal Albert Hall winning a prize for playing,the Doctor on telly, he would need a stiff shot of Irn-Bru.
Drama school is a pretty intense experience, and I think it changes who you are.
