David Tennant in the Guardian - the irony!

[NImumconfused]

Can't believe he's so unaware that he thinks the trans side of the debate is the one that's been silenced! (about two thirds of the way down the article).

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/may/10/david-tennant-tv-baftas-interview

I'd have more respect for actors if they stood up for causes that are unpopular in their social circles. But they always seem to be supporting the Current Thing while expecting praise for their courage.

I have tons of respect for Richard Gere, who was willing to nuke his own career rather than stay quiet about Tibet. He is a morally serious man.

Most actors, when they get into politics, are more like Mike Myers lavishing North Korean style praise on whoever happens to be Prime Minister of Canada at the moment.

It will be very amusing watching them adjust as this cause becomes less popular. Though so many of them have transed their own kids that they'll be the last holdouts.

Yes. In the world of luvvies a cause isn’t a cause unless it’s fashionable.

’Solidarity’ has nothing to do with it. It’s all about reserving a seat on the latest bandwagon.

This cannot be said often enough.

Thank you, that's great. I watched it when it was first done, I hate to think how long ago that was, and I rewatched it about 20 years ago. Definitely going to binge it.

I've never seen him on stage or as Dr Who so have a fairly limited view of his acting but I also liked the programme he did fairly recently, think it was called There She Goes Again.

I might have only seen him in those two things.

Surely the election of Trump when Biden had the support of all the celebrity big hitters and Trump had that dodgy wrestler and still won shows how irrelevant performers political views are!

Don't forget, Trump also had the support of Chachi and that guy who played Hercules.

I mean, Hulk Hogan... Meryl Streep... regardless of personal taste, which one is more likely to be in line with the median voter?

Very good point. If T-Swizzle’s endorsement can’t swing an election, there’s no hope of influence by any thesp or pop minstrel.

@Rummly The ones I particularly resent are fabulously wealthy Hollywood types lecturing the world. Do you live in Beverly Hills and have a private jet? Quick, tell me about not using planes, or about poverty. 🙄

Or make most of your oscar acceptance speech about it (admittedly that was Leonardo Di Caprio rather than DT but the hypocrisy still rankles).

'If you don't sign this declaration of support for trans nutters, then you'll never work again' being a reliable reflection of opinion is the same logic which keeps women with financial responsibilities from speaking out and authorities then going 'oh well we had no complaints' as if coercion and threats are not real forces in life.

Well, but not brilliantly.

I saw two performances of Richard II at the RSC, once the full cast and once the understudy run (cheap tickets for that back then!) with DT's understudy, Oliver Rix, playing Richard II.

Oliver Rix was better in the role.

He's the Prince Harry type of 'nice'. We all bought into it back in the days when he had good PR. So often these things turn out to be a carefully curated image.

He hasn't explicitly said, but he said people were being treated badly by higher ups, and concerns weren't being taken into account. Rumour was that he has a problem with Barrowman, and now we know more about his behaviour, you can see why. Barrowman was going around flashing people, and the actors and other luvvies were chortling away, but can you imagine what it would have been like for a young runner or support staff? They complained and nothing was done. It was still happening when Tennant was there, because there is footage of them laughing about it.

I find he is good when hes acting in his native Scottish accent, but can only do one other part- his Estuary English Doctor Who accent, in which he plays the same character. He cant do accents and act at the same time. People blame his (admittedly batshit) wife for his lack of success in America, but I think hes just actually very average in a competitive field.

Why is he dressed like a clown..?

Oh.

All in all I don’t think self awareness is Dave’s strong point.

Exhibit A: wearing a T-shirt that says “You will have to get through me” when he looks like he’d have trouble remaining upright in a light breeze.

I think it's very difficult to be in the performing arts and not become indoctrinated into a form of groupthink, both here and the US. It's pretty much a sealed little bubble and because of the incestuous nature of that world where a hint of wrong think will put an end to opportunities, people just conform.

Added to that, these are people who spend all day creating fantasy and playing make believe so notions of 'authentic self' and 'you are who you say you are' probably resonate deep into the actor psyche to the point it probably feels personal on some level.

It will also be viewed, subconsciously or otherwise, as a status thing. These are the elite status beliefs to hold so if you aspire to be part of that group then you must believe these things too because how else can you manifest destiny and make it in such a competitive, crowded industry?

It's fascinating really but bears very little reality to...reality and the lives of people not in an industry bubble.

Interesting, I'm not familiar with Oliver Rix. I saw DT's Richard II after watching the BBC Hollow Crown version, and I did find his version better to watch than Ben Whishaw's, but I've never seen any other production. It's a difficult character to carry off, tbf.

Good for him, standing up for his principles.

He was on Room 101 once, bemoaning his inability to do a South African accent - I don't think that's the only one he can't do!! You hear the even estuary one slip now and then in Doctor Who.

The lack of self-awareness is gobsmacking: to tell a woman to "shut up" and then complain about being silenced - extraordinary. But I do think it's another example of the unthinking misogyny of certain males, ie women remaining silent is the default position, therefore good, while women speaking is bad (unless they're agreeing with men). Men speaking is the default (therefore good), men being told by women not to speak is bad.

It's an example of several of the rules of misogyny all at once:

1. Women saying no to men is a hate crime.
2. Women speaking for themselves are exclusionary and selfish.

14. Women have all the rights they need: The right to remain silent.

15. Men are the default human. Women are strange subhuman others.

Hear, hear.

Maybe not a 'bad person'

But definitely a tone deaf sexist.

However you want to cut it.

I agree. Him and David Walliams - there's plenty to come out on.

What’s “thoroughly nice” about telling a Black woman standing up for women’s rights to “shut up”?

What’s her skin colour got to do with anything? KB holds very unpleasant views about many things, all of which some people are prepared to overlook because of her stance on women’s rights.