Biography of David Tennant
David Tennant is a talented Scottish actor who gained fame for his roles as the Tenth Doctor in the science fiction TV series "Doctor Who," Barty Crouch Jr. in the movie "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," and the demon Crowley in the mystical series "Good Omens."Childhood and Adolescence
David John McDonald (the actor's real name) was born in the spring of 1971 to Alexander "Sandy" and Essdale Helen McDonald from the Scottish town of Bathgate. He was the third and youngest child, with an older sister, Karen, and brother, Blair. The actor's grandfather, Archie MacLeod, was a well-known footballer in Britain.The boy's father, a Presbyterian church minister in Scotland, was assigned to parishes in Paisley and then in Ralston, Renfrewshire, after getting married. He introduced his children to faith from an early age, hoping that his sons would follow in his footsteps. David's mother dreamed that he would become a lawyer.
The boy first performed in public in his primary school choir. David did well in school, earning excellent grades in English, but he didn't take part in school plays. Instead, he traveled with his father to summer church missions on the island of Great Cumbrae. There they conducted various games and activities, and David performed in plays based on biblical parables. His desire to become an actor grew stronger.I remember a conversation with my parents after we watched the regeneration of Jon Pertwee into Tom Baker on 'Doctor Who.' I was very young, but we talked about actors and what they do. I remember realizing the difference between the character and the actor when they explained it to me. I understood very well what a fictional character was – and I'm always uncomfortable when people say that children don't understand the difference between fantasy and reality.
David was 17 years old when he became a student at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. The young man made a group of friends with whom he went to theaters and cinemas and had fun at parties.
Acting Career
In 1996, the press called Tennant "an extraordinary actor of his time." He rehearsed with three theater companies simultaneously – Manchester Royal Exchange, Dundee Rep, and Royal Lyceum Edinburgh. Then he moved to London, where he played Alan in The Slab Boys Trilogy (Young Vic Theatre), Nick in the production of What the Butler Saw (National Theatre), and Touchstone in As You Like It (Royal Shakespeare Company).However, director Stephen Pimlott saw Touchstone in Tennant. The actor brilliantly embodied this character on stage, after which he began to be offered comedic roles. From there, David switched to the opposite side and appeared in plays like Romeo and Juliet, The Rivals, Hamlet, Richard II, and others. For his performance in The Glass Menagerie, Tennant was honored with the Theatre Management Association's award for Best Actor.I remembered Touchstone in the play, and it seemed to me something I was utterly unsuited for, filled with clichéd moves and hints that had been outdated for 300 years. So I had nothing to worry about; they would definitely find some brilliant comic for this role who would enliven it with humor and modernity.
In September 2021, it was announced that David Tennant would play the former FSB agent Alexander Litvinenko, author of the book "Blowing Up Russia: Terror from Within," poisoned with polonium in London, and his wife was played by Margarita Levieva. The four-part series Litvinenko, revealing the details of the murder investigation, was released in 2022.
David Tennant's Personal Life
According to his sister, David was never a heartbreaker. He preferred spending time with friends, going to the movies, and attending theater performances. Tennant was named Europe's sexiest man four times, but he did not engage in serious relationships with women for a long time. Or perhaps, he skillfully concealed his romances from the press.In 2020, David's wife joined him in the TV series "Staged," playing herself just like he did.
David Tennant Now
In 2022, David Tennant featured in another adaptation of Neil Gaiman's work, this time the graphic novel "The Sandman," with Tom Sturridge in the lead role. Tennant and his wife provided the voices for Dora and Laura Lynn. He also starred alongside Stanley Tucci and Dolly Wells in the British thriller "Inside Man."Interesting Facts
- From his early childhood, Tennant's room was dedicated to "Doctor Who": filled with books, souvenirs, and various figurines, including a replica of the robot dog K-9. According to a close family friend Innes Smith, he decided to become an actor because he really wanted to play the Doctor. His grandmother even knitted him a long striped scarf like Tom Baker's, who was the fourth actor to play the role.
- One of Tennant's first theater productions in Edinburgh left a lasting impression on him. In the pantomime "Shinder, the Magical Monkey," a mechanical toy fell on David and broke his index finger.
- In the TV series "Doctor Who," Tennant appeared in four forms: as the Tenth Doctor's reincarnation, then as Lady Cassandra O'Brien who transferred her mind into his body, John Smith, who in the episodes "Human Nature" and "The Family of Blood" was a different person but considered to be the Doctor. The fourth incarnation was a half-human clone known as the "Meta-Crisis Tenth Doctor."
- In 2006, The Pink Paper, named Tennant the sexiest man in the world, to which David, with his characteristic irony, noted that "it's fine to think that Doctor Who is gay."
- For the actor's 50th birthday, an e-book "Tennant of Clan Macdonald" by Ukrainian author Galina Pavlenko was released with the help and cooperation of Russian journalist Anastasia Koroleva.
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