David Tennant, born David John McDonald on April 18, 1971, in Bathgate, Scotland, is a renowned Scottish actor best known for his portrayals of the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctors in the long-running BBC series Doctor Who.
He is the son of Helen McLeod and Alexander “Sandy” McDonald. Sandy is a Presbyterian minister who once served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Tennant grew up in Ralston, Renfrewshire, alongside his older brother Blair and sister Karen. From a young age, he exhibited a passion for acting. He was inspired by watching Doctor Who as a toddler. He famously told his parents at age three that he wanted to become an actor because of the show. This was despite their encouragement toward more conventional careers. He was born with polydactyly, an extra toe on his right foot, and has openly discussed dealing with anxiety since childhood.
Tennant’s education laid a strong foundation for his career. He attended Ralston Primary School and Paisley Grammar School, where he actively participated in school plays. When he was 10, actress Edith MacArthur spotted his talent during a performance. She predicted he would become a major success in theater. He auditioned successfully for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland at 16. He studied there from ages 17 to 20. He graduated with a BA in Dramatic Studies in 1991. To avoid confusion with another actor named David McDonald in the Equity union, he changed his stage name. He adopted the name “Tennant,” inspired by Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys. He later legally changed his surname to comply with Screen Actors Guild rules.
His professional career began early, with a debut at 16 in an anti-smoking educational film for the Glasgow Health Board, followed by a role in the children’s series Dramarama (1988). In the 1990s, he gained traction in theater and television, including a breakout TV role as the manic-depressive Campbell Bain in the BBC Scotland drama Takin’ Over the Asylum (1994). He performed with the politically charged 7:84 Theatre Company in productions like The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui and honed his skills at the Dundee Repertory Theatre. Early TV appearances included a transgender barmaid in Rab C. Nesbitt and a small part in the film Jude (1996). Tennant built a strong theater resume with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), starring in roles such as Touchstone in As You Like It (1996), Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors, and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. He also contributed to audio adaptations of Shakespeare plays and earned a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance in Lobby Hero (2002) and appeared in The Pillowman (2003).9285fd
Tennant’s international fame skyrocketed in 2005 when he took over as the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, succeeding Christopher Eccleston. He starred in three full series (2006–2008), multiple Christmas specials, and the 50th anniversary episode The Day of the Doctor (2013), before regenerating in 2010. He returned as the Fourteenth Doctor for the 60th anniversary specials in 2023. Beyond Doctor Who, his notable roles include Barty Crouch Jr. in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), DI Alec Hardy in the critically acclaimed Broadchurch (2013–2017) and its U.S. adaptation Gracepoint (2014), the villainous Kilgrave in Jessica Jones (2015–2019), the demon Crowley in Good Omens (2019–present) alongside Michael Sheen, and various self-parodying versions of himself in the lockdown comedy Staged (2020–2022). In voice acting, he has been Scrooge McDuck in DuckTales (2017–2021) and Huyang in Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2012) and Ahsoka (2023). His theater work remains prominent, with acclaimed performances as Hamlet (2008, adapted for TV in 2009), Richard II (2013, which toured internationally), and Macbeth (2023–2024) at the Donmar Warehouse and Harold Pinter Theatre.
In his personal life, Tennant married actress Georgia Tennant (née Moffett) in 2011 after meeting her on the set of the Doctor Who episode “The Doctor’s Daughter” (2008), where she played the titular character. Georgia is the daughter of actress Sandra Dickinson and former Doctor Who star Peter Davison (the Fifth Doctor). The couple has five children: Tennant adopted Georgia’s son Ty (born 2002), and they have four biological children together—Olive (born 2011), Wilfred (born 2013), Doris (born 2015), and Birdie (born 2019). Tennant is known for his privacy but has been open about his family in interviews. He has received numerous accolades, including multiple British Academy Scotland Awards, a Daytime Emmy for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and nominations for Olivier Awards, among others.
Recent BAFTA Performance: The “500 Miles” Song
In a memorable and quintessentially Scottish moment, David Tennant opened the EE BAFTA Film Awards 2025 on February 16, 2025, by performing a rousing rendition of “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers. Dressed in a kilt to embrace his Scottish heritage, Tennant “unleashed his inner Scot” during the opening monologue and song, which featured help from A-list friends joining in the chorus. The performance was described as hilarious and energetic, with Tennant encouraging the audience to turn the volume up to 11, and it quickly went viral on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Following the event, a single version of the song titled “500 Miles (feat. David Tennant) [BAFTA 2025]” was released on platforms like Apple Music, produced by Keiran Berry, capturing the live energy in a 3-minute track.ac5880 This appearance marked Tennant’s continued involvement with the BAFTAs, building on his previous hosting duties, and showcased his versatility as both an actor and entertainer.
