Trivia

Used to get in trouble at school because all of the essays he wrote were about Doctor Who (1963) 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 (1963) in the 1970s.

He started acting with the hope that he would one day get to play the title role on "Doctor Who".

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 (1996) but the series was not broadcast between 1990 and 1995).

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.

Is a big fan of the TV series, Firefly (2002).

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 Tennant's audition was so impressive, he wanted to write him a guest spot as a deranged serial killer.

Legally changed his name to David Tennant, due to rules of the Screen Actors' Guild of America (one's stage name must be the same as one's legal name).

He adopted his wife's son, Tyler, in 2011.

So many people wanted to see him in the 2009 RSC Production of Hamlet; the London run at the Novello Theatre sold out in three hours.

Favorite actress is Audrey Hepburn.

Married to Georgia Tennant (formerly Georgia Moffett, the daughter of former Doctor Who (1963) star Peter Davison (birth name Peter Moffett), who played the Fifth Doctor) since 30th December 2011. They met on the set of Doctor Who (2005) in November 2007 while filming the episode The Doctor's Daughter (2008), but did not become a couple until some time later. In January 2011, UK tabloids reported that they had moved in together and become engaged. Georgia gave birth to the couple's first child two months later, and they married nine months after that.

His acting heroes are comedy star John Cleese and Shakespearean performer Derek Jacobi.

His wife, actress Georgia Tennant, gave birth to his first child, a daughter named Olive, on 29 March 2011.

Is a big fan of film director Alfred Hitchcock.

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.

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 Tooth and Claw (2006)).

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 (1963) television series. Tennant was chosen to present Come in Number Five (2011), a documentary which covered the production of Davison's era as the Fifth Doctor, which appeared as an extra on the Special Edition DVD release of Resurrection of the Daleks: Part One (1984).

His father is Sandy McDonald, a retired minister; mother Helen died of cancer in July 2007.

Favorite book is "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger.

That his father-in-law, Peter Davison, is revered as the fifth Doctor has already been mentioned, but his mother-in-law, Sandra Dickenson is also honored in sci-fi as Trillian, Zaphod Beeblebrox's companion in the iconic TV series, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

While attending Paisley Grammar School, he wrote an essay on how his greatest desire was to play the Doctor in Doctor Who (1963) 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 (2005) by Russell T. Davies.

Announced he is leaving Doctor Who (2005) after he films four "Bank Holiday" specials and a Christmas special for 2009. Has already finished work on the 2008 Doctor Who (2005) Christmas special. (October 2008)

His all-time favourite Doctor Who character is the Zygons, who first appeared in Terror of the Zygons: Part One (1975), a Fourth Doctor adventure.

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.".

The appearance of Lex Luthor's assistant Spalding in Paul Cornell's run on ''Action Comics'' is based on him. Cornell has written many expanded universe stories featuring Tennant's Tenth Doctor.

Is a huge fan of The West Wing (1999).

Playing "Hamlet" in RSC Stratford-upon-Avon, alongside Patrick Stewart. (August 2008)

His wife became pregnant for the third time seven months after their wedding, and gave birth on 3rd May 2013.

Considers Paisley as his hometown.

Graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

Best friends with Louise Delamere (No Angels (2004)). They went to Glasgow's Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama together and shared a flat.

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 (2005) and The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007).

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 BBC's Sci-Fi show revival. (April 2005)

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 Tennant's return to the stage in the RSC Production of Hamlet.

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.".

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 for the 2009 Broadcasting Guild Awards-Best Actor for his portrayal of "Sir Arthur Eddington" in Einstein and Eddington (2008) and "The Doctor" in Doctor Who (2005).

Is the only actor to play two canonical incarnations of The Doctor.

April - May 2013. Filming the The Day of the Doctor (2013) 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.

Won Best Actor, Theatre Management Association, for his role in "The Glass Menagerie" as Tom.

Won 2009 Critics Choice Award for Best Shakespearean Performance for his Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Early in his career David appeared with Felicity Jones and Benedict Cumberbatch in a BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Jane Austen's "Mansfield Park" (2003).

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 he'd been shooting the film Fright Night. (October 2010)

Tennant revealed on The New Paul O'Grady Show (2004) that he had auditioned for the role of "the Blue Meanie" in the remake of Yellow Submarine (1968).

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.

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 Ambassador's Theatres.

Margate, Kent: filming True Love (2012). Tennant started work on "True Love" two days after his play, "Much Ado About Nothing", ended. (September 2011)

Won Best Actor Award for his role in 'Richard II' at British Stage Awards 2015.

Acted with the 7:84 Theatre Company, a genre-bending, ground-breaking, political Scottish Theatre Group.