The iconic horror villain David Tennant almost played: “A decision above my pay grade”
If you grew up in the United Kingdom in the mid-2000s, then you probably idolised David Tennant; I know I did.
As the star of the rebooted Doctor Who, his universe-saving adventures were appointment viewing when they beamed into our homes every week, with the way he balanced being an all-powerful alien demigod and a kind, merciful human striking a chord with millions across the nation and indeed the world. Everyone remembers where they were when he left the show, and I’m not afraid to admit that I bawl my eyes out every single time I watch that episode.
That’s not to say that the Scotsman can’t also play the villain, eerily convincing as real-life serial killer Dennis Nilsen in the ITV drama Des, and made a memorable (albeit brief) appearance as Barty Crouch Jr in Harry Potter and the Goblet Fire, but perhaps his greatest trip to the dark side takes place in the Marvel series Jessica Jones, where as the monstrous telepath Kilgrave, he served as a more-than-worthy opponent for Krysten Ritter’s titular detective.
There is an alternative universe out there in which Tennant also played one of the most notorious bad guys of all time. Speaking with Rolling Stone, Bryan Fuller, the TV developer behind the hit show Hannibal, revealed that the former Time Lord was one of the frontrunners to play Dr Lecter.
“It’s hard not to love David Tennant onscreen,” he said, “That may have had something to do with it. Honestly, it was a decision that was made above my pay grade. But that would have been an interesting extrapolation to see David Tennant as Hannibal. And I do still have the audition on my laptop, and I watch it from time to time, and wonder what it would have been like, just because I love David and his acting style”.
For those who don’t remember, Hannibal was set in a time before the events depicted in The Silence of the Lambs, and instead of revolving around Clarice Starling, the action focuses on Hugh Dancy’s Will Graham, a young FBI investigator, who meets with the titular character for advice on how to catch twisted serial killers.
Sadly for poor Will, he might as well have met Hannibal with a big sign on his forehead reading ‘psychologically abuse me’, and the series was beloved across its three seasons, with many who still clamour for its return.
Tennant was one of many big names in the running to play Thomas Harris’ most legendary creation, as executives at NBC wanted someone famous to play the iconic cannibal, with John Cusack and (bizarrely) Hugh Grant being their preferred choices. Elsewhere, Elliot Page was considered to play a younger version of Starling, although the character was never used, but honestly, the most fascinating bit of fantasy casting involves David Bowie, who was approached to play Hannibal’s uncle.
As we all know, Tennant would have been the wrong choice for this part because Mads Mikkelsen was absolutely perfect, bringing exactly the right air of sinister sophistication to the character, rivalling even Anthony Hopkins or Brian Cox with his portrayal, such that Fuller admits that the Dane was undoubted “the right person for this job”.
