David Tennant was “on the list” for James Bond
He may have played one of the most iconic roles in television in the shape of the Doctor in BBC’s flagship science fiction show Doctor Who, but apparently David Tennant was once considered for the most iconic role in movies, that of 007 James Bond when the casting was happening for Casino Royale, a role that would ultimately be given to Daniel Craig.
Speaking on an episode of Acting For Others, Tennant said that while working with a director recently, he learned that he was once in consideration for the spy role.
When asked about whether he had ever thought he’d been in the frame for Bond, Tennant said:
“I never believed I had. Until, I worked with a director recently who had worked with the Broccolis who said, ‘Yeah, you were on the list that time.'”
He continued: “I was like, ‘What time? What are you talking about?’ He went, ‘Yeah, the last time.’ I suppose it must have been Daniel Craig – before that I would have been a child!”
Tennant joked that although he may of been on the list, he wasn’t sure whether or not he was ever the number one choice.
“I think it was quite a long list – and I don’t think I was ever very near the top of it!”
There is currently a vacancy in the James Bond role as Daniel Craig, who began his Bond journey with Casino Royale in 2006 bowed out of the role with 2021 007 movie No Time to Die. Some of the current favourites for the role include Bridgerton actor Rege-Jean Page, Henry Cavill and Tom Hardy. However, speaking of Doctor Who connections to the role – last week there was a significant move in the betting odds as David Tennant’s successor in the TARDIS, Matt Smith saw his odds halve from 40/1 to 20/1 after receiving rave reviews for his performance in Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon.
David Tennant, who has recently starred in Steven Moffat’s Inside Man, will be returning to Doctor Who in 2023 as part of a series of 60th-anniversary celebration episodes for the show. The shows will be overseen by returning showrunner Russell T Davies who will also be overseeing the first full season of Ncuti Gatwa’s time as the Doctor which is expected to go into production in the coming month. David Tennant will also be returning for the second season of Good Omens opposite Michael Sheen in 2023.
Jodie Whittaker’s final episode as the Doctor, The Power of the Doctor, will air on BBC One on Sunday 23rd October at 7.30pm in the UK and will coincide with a weekend of celebrations celebrating the 100th birthday of the BBC.
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