David Tennant’s Best Dramatic Performances, Ranked

David tennant is probably best known for his role as the 10th incarnation of The Doctor in Doctor who. What will surprise media viewers everywhere is that the Scottish-born actor has over 150 credits to his name. Some of his best performances are even more dramatic and heartbreaking than his portrayal of the famous Time Lord.


Tennant started acting in a play by The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui co-starring Ashley Jensen; one of the few plays in which he appeared as part of the 7:84 Theater Company. Tennant continued to act on stage until 1994, when he got his big break as Campbell Bain in the BBC Scotland drama series Taking over the shelter.

After that, Tennant easily rose to stardom, getting roles in movies and television such as: Jew, Bright young things, He knew he was right, Blackpool, Casanova, The Quatermas experimentand optionally Harry Potter and the goblet of fire. His career flourished and Tennant starred in the horror remake of fear nightas DI Alec Hardy in the ITV crime drama series Broadchurchas Kilgrave in the Netflix superhero series Jessica Jonesand as the demon Crowley in the Amazon Prime fantasy series Good omens. While recent news has emerged that fans are excited about Tennant’s return to Doctor Who in 2022/2023, where he will play the 14th Doctor, it’s only fair that we look back on some of his best dramatic performances.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

7/7 Jessica Jones

The second Marvel Netflix series built after the crossover miniseries The defenders used to be Marvel’s Jessica Jones, which is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and recognizes the chronology of the franchise’s films. Jessica Jones, a former heroine turned private detective and founding her own gumshoe firm, Alias ​​Investigations, is played by Krysten Ritter. When the evil Kilgrave, played by Tennant, reappears after driving her to kill someone, Jessica must take action to stop him. Kilgrave is distinguished by the way Tennant interprets him. There’s an interesting parallel between the character’s emotional anguish and how eager he is to control Jessica. Tennant himself noted, “Kilgrave is quite a difficult character to write because it’s hard to get conflict. Either he can make you do something, or he can’t.” the direct when discussing his character’s possible return in August 2022.

Related: David Tennant’s Son Hopes To Play Doctor Who Someday

6/7 Deadwater fell

The Scottish true crime drama Deadwater fell, starring Tennant as a psychiatrist named Tom Kendrick who is suspected of murdering his family, debuted in January 2020. Additionally, he earned his first executive producer credit for the series. Even if you’re not sure if you should watch, Tennant does a great job of making you identify with his character. He’s the main reason why the program works so well, even if the finale fell a bit short. The actors’ performances, which include co-stars Cush Jumbo as Jess Milner and Matthew McNulty as Steve Campbell, make the show worth watching. Two BAFTA nominations and one Royal Television Society nomination have been earned for: Deadwater fell in 2020.

5/7 secret smile

Tennant plays the dramatic character in the two-part British drama series secret smile, one of his creepiest performances. Based on Nicci French’s 2003 novel of the same name, the miniseries. In the episode, a seemingly harmless flirtation takes place when Miranda, played by Kate Ashfield, meets the charming and confident Brendan, played by Tennant. However, her attempt to end the affair with him results in a passionate jumble of lies, deceit and fatality. Tennant’s character can be very endearing one minute and scary the next. He moves effortlessly between different emotions, making you care about these characters in a way that other artists never can. secret smile eventually you wonder who the real villain is when a relationship turns stalking and one person chooses revenge.

4/7 Good omens

Based on the 1990 novel of the same name by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, Good omens is a fantasy comedy series developed and written by Neil Gaiman. The six-episode series was a collaboration between Amazon Studios and BBC Studios, with Douglas Mackinnon directing and Gaiman as showrunner. A large ensemble cast is led by Tennant and Michael Sheen. like the book, Good omens follows a variety of individuals as they attempt to promote or thwart the arrival of an impending Armageddon, as seen through the eyes of the angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley. Crowley, Tennant’s demon, is sardonic and empathetic in a way typical of many similar supernatural dramas. He gives the role a poignant intensity and works so beautifully with Sheen’s angel, Aziraphale. The program’s first season was so successful that a second season was ordered.

Related: Johnny Depp Almost Took The Crowley Role Of David Tennant In Good Omens

3/7 Broadchurch

Three seasons of the British crime drama television program Broadchurch were broadcast between 2013 and 2017. The show revolves around Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) and is set in the eponymous Broadchurch, an imaginary English town on the Dorset coast. The first season centers on the city’s response to the death of 11-year-old Daniel “Danny” Latimer and the consequences of grief, mistrust and media attention. Tennant portrays a stoic man who values ​​morality but hides a stormy backdrop beneath a dashing exterior. Tennant is an incredibly gifted actor who has the ability to convey emotion with the perfect look. The US version of Broadchurchtitled grace pointdidn’t do as well as the original when it was released in the United States by Fox Broadcasting Company in early 2014. Broadchurch is worth watching to see just how skilled an actor Tennant really is.

2/7 des

The 1983 arrest of Scottish serial killer Dennis Nilsen after the discovery of human remains clogged a sewer close to his home sparked the production of the three-part British television drama miniseries des. des is an expertly written true crime thriller that is just creepy enough, led by a terrifying performance from Tennant. Tennant portrays the perfectly average worker, highly regarded by peers, terrible narcissist and serial killer Nilsen with an excellently controlled, quiet, yet domineering execution. Tennant won Best Actor for his work on the program at the 49th International Emmy Awards in 2021.

1/7 doctor who

A fan favorite, David Tennant presented an amazing range as the 10th Doctor in doctor who from 2005-2010. He even reprized the role on the 50th anniversary episode, “The Day of the Doctor”, in 2013 alongside the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith). Tennant is now set to portray the latest incarnation of The Doctor, Issue 14, in a series of specials for the show’s 60th anniversary in 2023, with former showrunner Russel T. Davies also returning to the helm of the series. In a surprising regeneration during her character’s final episode, “The Power of the Doctor,” Jodie Whitaker’s 13th Doctor rained down on Tennant again, expressing his confusion at being the same face again. The 15th Doctor has already been announced for after the specials and will be played by Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa. How Tennant and Gatwa will regenerate is still a mystery, but fans can look forward to seeing the 10th Doctor’s companion Donna Noble, played by Catherine Tate, also back in the specials next year. According to Deadline, the BBC has also signed a deal with Walt Disney Studios to stream these new episodes in the US via Disney+. All we know is doctor who seems to be an interesting future, as long as it doesn’t get too “Wibbly, Wobbly!”

Leave a Comment