TV

One Doctor Who Lead Who Was Cast Without Any Auditions (And Fit Right In)

One Doctor Who Lead Who Was Cast Without Any Auditions (And Fit Right In)
Image credit: BBC

True talent shines through without any screenings.

The beauty of Doctor Who is that everyone who has watched at least some of the series, be it Classic Who or a recent reboot, has their own favorite version of the Doctor to return to.

However, there are some that are so popular that the show itself acknowledges this by bringing them back time and time again.

David Tennant, who portrayed the iconic Tenth Doctor and is now set to return to portray the Fourteenth, is one of today's clear fan favorites. What many people don't know is that he didn't even go through the audition process, but was invited by Russell T Davies anyway.

The actor spoke about his experience getting the role on stage at the Madison Wizard World Convention in 2016. He explained that he was working on Casanova, written by Russell T Davies, when the Doctor Who production was wrapping up with his predecessor Christopher Eccleston.

Since they already knew each other, and the writer saw all the talent and potential David Tennant had, it was a very easy decision to invite him to take over.

What's even more interesting is that the suggestion was made quite informally, while watching what had already been filmed in series 1.

“So yeah, Russell asked me round to his house because he had a couple of rough cuts of the first series of Doctor Who and he knew that I was a bit of a fan and that I might want to see how the show was looking. And then they told me that they wanted me to take over!” the actor recalled.

Though he had his doubts, Tennant agreed and made the decision that would change his entire career by giving him the role of television's most beloved alien.

If you're feeling nostalgic and want to see David Tennant as the Doctor again, we've got good news: he'll be back this November for three special episodes as the Fourteenth Doctor to celebrate the show's 60th anniversary.

So be patient and buckle up for another great adventure!