David Tennant

David Tennant (born David John McDonald; 18 April 1971) is a Scottish television, film and stage actor from Bathgate in West Lothian, best known as the tenth actor to portray the Doctor in the television series Doctor Who.

Quotes

I often stop when I'm doing something, in the middle of rehearsals or some other job, and I try to take a minute to think "Okay, this might be as good as it gets, so drink it in, appreciate it now". So far, I've been lucky because another job has always come along to equal the last.
- What's on Stage, 20 Questions with David Tennant (17 November 2003)

The Doctor does have some long speeches and he talks very quickly. Learning all his babble can take a while, but it's very well written babble so I don't mind and you do get quicker. When I filmed Recovery during the break in Doctor Who I would sit down at the weekend and learn the script in an hour and I was like 'Hang on??' You do get used to it though.
- Davidtennant.com exclusive interview (February 2007)

I really wouldn't. We have such good writers on the show. And I couldn't walk up to Russell and hand it over and say 'Here's 45 minutes for you' and then he would have to hand it back and say 'Thanks, but it's shit!'
- When asked if he'd ever write an episode, in Davidtennant.com exclusive interview (February 2007)

I would quite like to try my hand at directing although I would do it in the theatre rather than in TV or film. Theatre is more just about telling the story. I understand the way the theatre works. I will leave the TV to the experts. Doctor Who is very complicated to direct. It would be impossible to direct that and act in it as well.
- About being on the other side of the camera, in Davidtennant.com exclusive interview (February 2007)

Billie and I got chased through the traffic once in a car. You expect paparazzi to do that, but when it's normal people you start to think the world's gone a bit mad.
- Radio Times interview (April 2007)

Back in 2005, when I was Christopher Eccleston, we saw one of the largest increases on record, of CO2 in the atmosphere. Unless we keep the rise in global temperature to under 2 degrees, by the time I'm Daniel Radcliffe or wee Jimmy Crankie, I won't be able to save the planet. I won't be here to help you -- well I might, but I'll be that bloke who won Any Dream Will Do.
- Live Earth concert 2007

I was once asked for my autograph in the shower on one of my rare visits to the gym. I was washing my hair, facing the wall, when I was tapped on the shoulder so already it's quite inappropriate. I turned round and there was another naked man standing there with a piece of paper. And I think 'if you can't see how inappropriate this I am just going to have to play along' so I took the paper, which is slowly becoming mulch, and carved my name in it.
- David Tennant on fan obsession, The Graham Norton Show, 14 April 2011^[1]

Getting the call to be in The Goblet of Fire was like being welcomed into the most exclusive upper circle of some elite actors' club. You sit on set with the cream of the National Theatre and the RSC, all clutching wands or wearing witches' hats.
- Radio Times (16-22 July 2011)

I am so glad, I didn't get stuck in traffic!
- The opening line of his acceptance speech, winning the NTA for Special Recognition (2015)

[About Donald Trump] When he was over here, he was saying that he was going up to Scotland, my golf course in Scotland, cause people in London are protesting but up in Scotland they really like me. Can I say on behalf of the Scottish nation? We fucking don’t.
- The Last Leg (3 August 2018)

If I'm honest I'm a little depressed by the fact that acknowledging that everyone has the right to be who they want to be and live their life how they want to live it as long as they're not hurting anyone else should merit any kind of special award or special mention because it's common sense, isn't it?
It is human decency. We shouldn't live in a world where that is worth remarking on.
However, until we wake up and Kemi Badenoch doesn’t exist any more – I don’t wish ill of her, I just wish her to shut up – whilst we do live in this world, I am honoured to receive this.
- From a speech at the British LGBT Awards, as cited in "Kemi Badenoch brands David Tennant 'rich, lefty, white male celebrity' in trans row", The Telegraph (25 June 2024).
- Tennant had been honoured as an ally of the trans community. In response, posting on X, Badenoch commented: "A rich, lefty, white male celebrity so blinded by ideology he can't see the optics of attacking the only black woman in government by calling publicly for my existence to end." Tennant made the comments on 21 June 2024.

This man is talking about rape survivors who want female-only care, the nurses currently suing their health trust for making them change in front of a man, girls and women losing sporting opportunities to males and female prisoners incarcerated with convicted sex offenders.
- J.K. Rowling in a post on X, as cited in "JK Rowling criticises David Tennant for allegedly calling feminists 'little whinging f------'", The Telegraph (28 June 2024).
- Rowling was responding to reports that after he made the comments about Kemi Badenoch at the British LGBT awards (cited above), Tennant had commented backstage about women’s rights activists: "a tiny bunch of little whinging f------ who're on the wrong side of history and they'll all go away soon."

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David Tennant