Doctor Who

The Doctor's sole purpose is the defend Planet Earth from the work of evil aliens - and he'll always use wit rather than violence in an attempt to overpower the enemy.

He has the ability to 'regenerate' his body when he's close to death and can do this a total of 12 times (David Tennant being the Doctor's Tenth incarnation).

David was born in West Lothian, Scotland, in 1971, and is the son of a Scottish vicar. David’s full birth name is David John McDonald – he changed his surname to Tennant because someone had already registered David McDonald with actor’s union Equity. The name Tennant was inspired by Pet Shop Boys lead singer Neil.

David's eclectic film and TV jobs include Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Casanova and BBC genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are?, where he discovered that his family stemmed from Northern Ireland. He also starred in Blackpool and the ITV drama Secret Smile.

David fulfilled his childhood dream when he landed the role as the Tenth Doctor in 2005, following the departure of Christopher Eccleston. His won the National Television Award for Most Popular Actor in 2006 and 2007.

As well as continuing to play Doctor Who in 2008, David will appear in Love's Labour's Lost and Hamlet for the Royal Shakespeare Company.