David Tennant’s Former Agent Told Him to Reject His Now-Iconic DOCTOR WHO Role

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What is your preferred Doctor from Doctor Who? For many fans who joined the sci-fi series during its contemporary period, their favorite is the Tenth Doctor, portrayed by David Tennant. Despite not being everyone’s top choice, it’s easy to understand why so many admire him. He shares our enthusiasm for Doctor Who and brings an infectious combination of passion, emotion, and sheer delight to his performance. Interestingly enough, David Tennant has shared that his former agent advised him against accepting the leading role in Doctor Who.

David Tennant portrayed the Tenth Doctor from 2005-2010 and reprised the role as the brief Fourteenth Doctor in 2023 for the 60th anniversary specials. In his podcast, David Tennant Does a Podcast With…, he discussed why he initially hesitated to accept the role. “Approximately 40 hours after they offered it to me, I had to consider the implications. My agent at the time cautioned against it, saying ‘Don’t get involved; it won’t succeed.’ This wasn’t my current agent, but a retired one who was once exceptional and proved incorrect on this occasion. She said, ‘It hasn’t premiered yet, it won’t catch on. You don’t want that connection hanging over your career.’

It’s quite clear that the agent made a significant error, but it can be somewhat justified given the circumstances. At the time, Doctor Who was making its return to television screens, with David Tennant stepping into the role prior to the completion of the initial season.

In April 2005, just weeks following the premiere of the first season, I was officially announced as the next Doctor. Although the BBC had renewed the series for a second season, there was uncertainty about whether this revival would thrive. Maybe she assumed it might derail my career altogether.

However, as Georgia Tennant pointed out on a podcast episode, there was simply no refusal for David when Russell T Davies extended an invitation to his home to preview episodes of the revamped “Doctor Who” and personally asked him to play the Doctor. Naturally, he accepted the offer, and we’re all thankful that he did.

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2025-04-11 17:02