David Tennant Recalls Being Told “Don’t Touch” ‘Doctor Who’ Role by Former Agent

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David Tennant almost didn’t portray one of his most iconic roles to date.

In a recent episode of “David Tennant Does a Podcast with…”, the actor revealed that his previous representative explicitly advised him not to pursue the part of The Doctor on the popular BBC series “Doctor Who”.

In the latest podcast, Georgia Tennant, his wife who stepped in to host, talked about how David was first approached for the lead role of Doctor Who. She mentioned that he encountered executive producers Russell T. Davies and Julie Gardner during work on the 2005 miniseries Casanova, which they also produced.

or more concisely:

In the latest podcast, Georgia Tennant shared that David was approached for Doctor Who while working with Russell T. Davies and Julie Gardner on Casanova in 2005.

Georgia expressed their search for a replacement for Christopher Eccleston as the Doctor in the 2005 revival of Doctor Who, and they enticed or invited the Broadchurch actor over to their home to view some episodes from the initial season.

Then she told me, ‘Can you believe this? Would you consider playing the role of [the Doctor]?'” She said. “To which I feigned a moment’s hesitation for a day or so.

David replied, “It’s actually larger,” before his wife pointed out, “You seem to have secured the role.

Admitting candidly, ‘It seemed quite certain that I would carry it out,’ the actor from Jessica Jones confessed. However, there was undeniably a point in time when I hesitated.

David went on to explain, “Approximately 40 hours after they inquired, I had to contemplate the implications. At the time, I had an agent who advised me, ‘Leave it alone; it won’t succeed.’ This wasn’t my current representative, but a talented one who has since retired. However, she didn’t foresee correctly, as it transpired. She said, ‘It hasn’t been tried before, so it won’t work. You don’t want to be associated with that.’

It turns out that his previous representative was incorrect, since his portrayal of the Doctor in “Doctor Who” has become one of his most significant roles. David Tennant initially assumed the role of the Tenth Doctor across three seasons from 2005 to 2010, and then reprised it as the Fourteenth Doctor for the special 60th anniversary episodes of “Doctor Who” in 2023.

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2025-04-11 03:54