David Tennant says daughter was ‘bewildered’ seeing him reprise Doctor Who role

Image above: David Tennant at the annual Evening Standard Theatre Awards (2023); via Twitter

TV star and Chiswick resident chats about his Doctor Who return, his successor, and playing Macbeth at Donmar Warehouse 

TV and theatre star, and Chiswick resident, David Tennant has said his daughter was “bewildered” seeing him reprise his role as The Doctor in Doctor Who.

Thanks to a Children In Need special, David returned to his Time Lord role on Friday (13 November). Speaking at the Evening Standard theatre awards on Sunday night (19 November), he said:

“I watched it with my eight-year-old, who didn’t really know what was coming and didn’t really understand what she was watching!”

He last reprised the role in 2013, before his daughter was born.

“She was a bit bewildered that I was on the telly with big hair,” he said. “I think she was quite excited by it. It was nice. It was very good.”

Of his successor in the role, Ncuti Gatwa, Tennant said:

“He’s going to be great. I always tune in whether I’m in it or not. I think Ncuti is going to be particularly fine.”

Tennant is due to play Macbeth at the Donmar Warehouse from December, opposite Cush Jumbo as Lady Macbeth. He added that it was “thrilling” to be back working in the West End.

“The history of London theatre stretches back hundreds of years and it’s still the most important place on earth for the theatre. It’s exciting and I think there’s the potential for it to be a really great show.”

At the event, Tennant recalled his first London theatre experience to reporters:

“I came down with my mum and we saw Rowan Atkinson in The Nerd. I don’t know what the year was, but I’m sure you could look that up… [1984] Terribly exciting to see a big, one of the biggest TV stars, like, live!

“Yeah, we came from Paisley; these things were distant. I remember watching the Oliviers every year … and that all seemed terribly exotic and far away but very exciting.”

david tennant talking about his first london theatre experience and looking so happy about it 🥹 pic.twitter.com/LTLYCVEdVm

— rike ✨ olivia colman slapped my arm (@THEFAVOURITE_) November 19, 2023

Above: Interview with David Tennant at the Evening Standard’s Theatre Awards, posted on X