David Tennant is probably the best-known for his role as the 10th incarnation of The Doctor in Doctor Who. What may surprise media watchers everywhere is that the Scottish-born actor has over 150 credits to his name. In fact, some of his best performances are even more dramatic and heart-wrenching than his portrayal of the famed Time Lord.

Tennant started acting in a stage play of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui co-starring Ashley Jensen; one of a few plays in which he performed as part of the 7:84 Theatre Company. Tennant continued in stage work until 1994, when he got his big break as Campbell Bain in the BBC Scotland drama series Takin’ Over the Asylum.

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7 Jessica Jones

     Disney, Marvel Television

The second Marvel Netflix series that built up to the crossover miniseries The Defenders was Marvel’s Jessica Jones, which is situated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and acknowledges the chronology of the franchise’s movies. Jessica Jones, a former heroine turned private detective who establishes her own gumshoe firm, Alias Investigations, is played by Krysten Ritter. When the evil Kilgrave, played by Tennant, reappears after having driven her to kill someone, Jessica must take action to stop him. Kilgrave is a distinctive character because of the way Tennant interprets him. There is an interesting parallel between the character’s own emotional anguish and how much he wants to control Jessica. Tennant himself noted, “Kilgrave’s quite a difficult character to write, because it’s difficult to get conflict. Either he can make you do anything, or he can’t,” according to The Direct when discussing his character’s possible return in August 2022.

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6 Deadwater Fell

     Endemol Shine UK

The Scottish real crime drama Deadwater Fell, starring Tennant as a psychiatrist named Tom Kendrick who is suspected of killing his family, debuted in January 2020. Additionally, he earned his first executive producer credit for the series. Even if you’re not sure if you should watch, Tennant does a wonderful job of getting you to identify with his character. He is the major reason the program works so well, even though the finale fell a bit short. The performances of the actors, including co-stars Cush Jumbo as Jess Milner and Matthew McNulty as Steve Campbell, are what make the show worthwhile to watch. Two BAFTA nominations and one Royal Television Society nomination were earned for Deadwater Fell in 2020.

5 Secret Smile

     Granada Television

Tennant plays the dramatic character in the two-part British drama series Secret Smile, one of his creepiest performances. Based on the 2003 novel of the same name by Nicci French, the miniseries. In the episode, an apparently innocuous flirtation occurs when Miranda, played by Kate Ashfield, meets charming and self-assured Brendan, played by Tennant. However, her attempt to end things with him results in a passionate tangle of lies, trickery, and fatality. Tennant’s character can be quite endearing one second and scary the next. He effortlessly transitions between a variety of emotions, which makes you care about these characters in a way that other performers are never able to. Secret Smile eventually makes you question who the real villain is when a relationship becomes stalking and one person chooses revenge.

4 Good Omens

3 Broadchurch

Three seasons of the British crime drama television program Broadchurch were broadcast between 2013 and 2017. The show centers on Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) and is set in the eponymous Broadchurch, a made-up English town on the Dorset coast. The first season is centered on the town’s reaction to the passing of 11-year-old Daniel “Danny” Latimer and the effects of sorrow, mistrust, and media attention. Tennant portrays a stoic guy who values morality, but conceals a stormy background beneath a dashing exterior. Tennant is an incredibly gifted actor who has the ability to convey emotion with the perfect glance. The American version of Broadchurch, titled Gracepoint, did not do as well as the original when it was released in the United States by Fox Broadcasting Company in the beginning of 2014. Overall, Broadchurch is worth a watch just to see how skilled of an actor Tennant really is.

2 Des

     All3Media

The 1983 arrest of Scottish serial murderer Dennis Nilsen after the discovery of human remains clogging a sewer near his home led to the production of the three-part British television drama miniseries Des. Des is a skillfully written real crime thriller that is just creepy enough, led by a terrifying performance from Tennant. Tennant portrays the perfectly average laborer, highly-regarded by coworkers, terrible narcissist, and serial killer Nilsen with a superbly controlled, quiet, yet dominating performance. At the 49th International Emmy Awards, Tennant took up the Best Actor prize for his work on the program in 2021.

1 Doctor Who

     BBC

As a fan favorite, David Tennant showcased an amazing range as the 10th Doctor in Doctor Who from 2005-2010. He even reprised the role in the 50th anniversary episode, “The Day of the Doctor,” in 2013 alongside the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith). Tennant is now set to portray the newest incarnation of The Doctor, number 14, in a series of specials for the show’s 60th anniversary in 2023, with past showrunner Russel T. Davies also returning to helm the series. In a surprise regeneration during her character’s finale episode, “The Power of the Doctor,” Jodie Whitaker’s 13th Doctor regenerated into Tennant, who expressed confusion at being the same face once again. The 15th Doctor has already been announced for after the specials and will be portrayed by Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa. How Tennant and Gatwa will regenerate is still a mystery, but fans can look forward to seeing the 10th Doctor’s companion Donna Noble, played by Catherine Tate, also return in the specials next year. According to Deadline, the BBC has also made a deal with Walt Disney Studios to stream these new episodes in the USA via Disney+. All we know is Doctor Who looks to be shaping up for an interesting future, as long as things don’t go too “Wibbly, Wobbly!”