David Tennant recalls trying to 'make it' in Hollywood and 'never hearing from them again'
The Doctor Who star will next be seen presenting the BAFTA Film Awards this week.
While many film fans are waiting patiently for the BAFTA Film Awards 2024 this weekend, all eyes will, of course, be on the stars of the year's best films – but also on David Tennant.
The fan-favourite Doctor Who actor will helm the ceremony, which will be taking place at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London, and recently recalled his own experience trying to "make it" in Hollywood.
While Tennant is no stranger to the screen by any means, he told Radio Times magazine in this week's issue about trying to make the jump from TV to film. Commenting on that, Tennant said: “There’s never really a reason for anything I do. I just bumble from one choice to the next."
Recalling his Hollywood experience, he revealed: "The Los Angeles thing is hilarious. You meet all these extraordinary directors and producers and they’re all exploding with enthusiasm. I think most actors who have done that trip will recognise the journey.
"After a couple of days and 20 meetings you go, ‘Oh, I’m about to become the biggest star the world has ever seen!’ And then you never hear from any of those people ever again. No one likes delivering negative news in Hollywood. They just enjoy the excitement of the potential."
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Of course, Tennant has achieved widespread success with his TV roles, and in the movie realm is known for his part as Barty Crouch Jr in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Tennant was most recently seen on our screens in the three Doctor Who 60th anniversary episodes, in which he returned as the Fourteenth Doctor and 'bigenerated' with Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth.
The final scene of the third episode, The Giggle, saw Tennant's Doctor enjoying life with Catherine Tate's Donna Noble and family while Gatwa takes the helm of the sci-fi series.
Also speaking of his Doctor Who return in this week's issue of Radio Times magazine, Tennant said: "The door is not any more open than it ever was, because in Doctor Who if you want to bring someone back, there are endless ways of doing it. It’s very much the end of the story."
Read more:
- David Tennant says Doctor Who special is "very much the end of the story"
- The Iron Claw director recalls Kevin Von Erich's reaction to cutting out fifth brother
Even more recently, fans of Tennant have discovered (or re-discovered in many cases) miniseries Deadwater Fell, which originally aired on Channel 4 in 2020 but has been acquired by Netflix and has quickly risen up the charts.
The four-part drama sees Tennant take on an eerie main character role as Dr Tom Kendrick, a beloved local GP who tragically loses his wife and children in a house fire but soon becomes the prime suspect in their murders.
The BAFTA Film Awards will air on BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday 18th February. If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our Film hub for all the latest news.
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.