Movie stars will take to the pink carpet and viewers to their screens Sunday for the British Academy Movie Awards—commonly known as the BAFTAs—in London. Happening on the Royal Pageant Corridor, this 12 months’s ceremony shall be hosted by actor David Tennant.
First-time BAFTAs host Tennant, 52, is a celebrated Scottish actor well-known for the Harry Potter movies, TV reveals together with Doctor Who, Broadchurch and Good Omens, and far more.
Apparently he’s not nervous for his inaugural gig, telling the Associated Press that he feels much less stress as an actor within the position than a comic.
Right here’s 10 info you might not know in regards to the award-winning actor in honor of his BAFTAs internet hosting debut.
David Tennant was initially a stage title
The actor was born David John McDonald. He mentioned during an interview on The Late Late Present with James Corden in 2018 that he needed to decide one other final title when he was 16 and registered with the actors’ union, which already included somebody together with his title.
Tennant instructed Corden he gained inspiration for his stage moniker by flipping via a music journal and is “sort-of named” after Neil Tennant of the British music group Pet Store Boys. David later officially changed his last name.
He’s the son of a Presbyterian minister
Tennant was raised in Bathgate, a city in Scotland made well-known in the song “Letter from America” by Scottish band The Proclaimers, which Tennant’s website says is his favourite music group, together with the Beatles. Tennant cites Paisley, a city close to Glasgow, as his hometown.
His father was an area Church of Scotland minister.
David Tennant dreamed of changing into an actor as a toddler
In line with his web site, he wished to be an actor since he was three or 4 years outdated.
Tennant told the Guardian in 2011, “I do know it is absurd and precocious,” however mentioned that he had a dialog together with his mother and father about who the individuals on TV had been, and when he discovered they had been actors, determined that’s what he wished to do. He started showing on display earlier than he was out of college.
Tennant is a seasoned Shakespeare performer
In 1996, at 25, Tennant joined the Royal Shakespeare Firm. He’s continued to behave in Shakespeare performs all through his work in TV and movie. In 2008, he played the titular character in a Hamlet run in London, tickets for which sold out in hours. A Guardian review of the show said Tennant was the “best Hamlet of his era.”
Tennant returned to his theater roots in Dec. 2023, starring in a critically-acclaimed Macbeth production in London.
He was a Physician Who fan earlier than changing into the Time Lord himself
Tennant portrayed the 10th doctor within the in style, long-running sci-fi TV collection Physician Who from 2005 to 2010, returning for a reunion episode in 2013, and collection of particular anniversary episodes in 2023. He was voted “The U.Okay.’s Favourite Physician” by Radio Times magazine.
Tennant told the Guardian that years earlier whereas at school, he wrote an essay on Physician Who. “Am I as geeky because the Physician Who followers? Sure,” he mentioned.
Tennant was launched to a worldwide viewers because the character of Barty Crouch Jr., a villainous wizard, within the Harry Potter film variations. When requested in a 2018 Q&A whether or not he was star-struck by every other actors, Tennant reportedly mentioned he was initially nervous to fulfill his Harry Potter co-star Maggie Smith, who portrayed Professor McGonagall, since “she’s fairly an intimidating presence… she goes method again. She’s correct.” “And I bear in mind being a bit of bit nervous of her after which simply utterly falling in love together with her. She’s nice. And there’s nothing extra scrumptious than Maggie Smith in a witch’s hat. Nothing higher.” Tennant married actor and producer Georgia Tennant, who was additionally his co-star in Physician Who, in 2011. Georgia’s father is actor Peter Davison, who starred as the 5th doctor within the hit BBC collection. David and Georgia Tennant have 5 youngsters—Ty, Georgia’s son whom Tennant adopted, together with Olive, Wilfred, Doris, and Birdie. Ty, 21, has adopted in David’s footsteps, starring in Tolkien, Struggle of the Worlds, Home of the Dragon, and most lately with their father—and grandfather Davison—in a Season 2 episode of Good Omens. The actor has lengthy supported the LGBTQ+ group, lending his voice to an anti-gay bullying marketing campaign again in 2012. Final 12 months, on a podcast throughout Delight Month, he mentioned, “You need your youngsters to be accepted for whoever they’re, no matter they wish to be,” including that“we’ve all obtained to be preventing that struggle.” Extra lately, Tennant was noticed wearing a pin within the colours of the transgender flag that raises cash for an LGBTQ+ youth charity with its gross sales. He reportedly told Attitude magazine whereas carrying the pin on the Rolling Stone U.Okay. Awards present in November that “we simply have to banish the noise and banish the hate,” including that Physician Who “has at all times supported the opposite, the bizarre, the disenfranchised. That’s what that present’s about.” According to a post on his wife’s Instagram account, one of many couple’s youngsters makes use of they/them pronouns. Amongst his many accolades, Tennant gained the Finest Actor award in 2007 for Physician Who at BAFTA Cymru (Wales) and in 2014, bagged a win for Finest Male TV Efficiency at BAFTA Scotland for The Escape Artist. He hasn’t been nominated for any awards on the major BAFTAs, though tasks through which he’s starred have gained high prizes. On the BAFTA TV Awards in 2023, Tennant presented the trophy celebrating the Finest Function. Tennant told Variety he took notes for his BAFTAs internet hosting debut after Jo Koy’s gaffe at the Golden Globes. “Don’t diss Tay Tay, I feel is the lesson to be discovered. I reside in a home of Taylor Swift followers, so I do know higher,” he mentioned.Tennant was star-struck on the Harry Potter set
Tennant has an enormous—and recognizable—household
David Tennant can be identified for his work away from the display
He’s no stranger to the BAFTA stage
Tennant has a rule for his BAFTA Movie Awards internet hosting debut