We often glamorize the idea of an actor getting their big break and becoming an instant superstar, but we forget that, though they’re very fortunate, such a change can also cause a lot of upheaval to their lives. Former Doctor Who star David Tennant is the latest to open up about the stress that comes from suddenly finding yourself famous.
Back in 2005, the Scottish actor took over from Christopher Eccleston to become the Tenth Doctor and very quickly became not only one of Who‘s most popular stars but also one of the biggest TV talents around. In a revealing interview with The Times – ahead of the release of his new Amazon series Good Omens – Tennant spoke about how being famous wasn’t how he’d imagined it and for a while, it was difficult to deal with.
“The way you imagine it’s going to be is not the way it is at all. It’s much more exposing, and the imaginative leap you’ve had that it will give you status or make you invulnerable is all wrong. It makes you very vulnerable, and very raw.”
Tennant then went on to admit that he “wasn’t coping at all” at the time, but thankfully managed to find some help from “a very lovely older lady who was very calm and normal and just helped [him] cope with it.”
The star went on to stay on board the TARDIS until his last episode aired on New Year’s Day 2010, later returning opposite his successor Matt Smith for 2013’s 50th anniversary special “The Day of the Doctor.” Since then, he’s regularly reprised his role for Big Finish’s audio drama boxsets. The latest, which features him reuniting with Catherine Tate, is out now. Tennant also revealed this week that he’s expecting his fifth child with his wife Georgia (whom he met during her guest spot on the sci-fi series).
Production on Doctor Who season 12, meanwhile, is currently underway ahead of its release in early 2020.
