Scottish film and theater actor David Tennant is known for his versatile talent which he has showcased in many films and television shows over the years. Tennant is probably best known for his titular role in the cult series Doctor Who, apart from significant appearances in Broadchurch and Jessica Jones, along with playing Barty Crouch Jr. in the Harry Potter films.
What many people did not know for a long time, is that Tennant has also been part of one of the iconic film franchises in Hollywood, Star Wars. The Shakespearean actor voiced the ancient droid Huyang who appeared for the first time in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, after impressing creator Dave Filoni with his performance in Doctor Who.
David Tennant Was The Perfect Choice For This Star Wars Role
The ancient droid Huyang has been one of the significant and integral characters in George Lucas’ sci-fi epic, Star Wars. Having been around for centuries creating lightsabers and teaching young Jedi their skills, Huyang first appeared in 2003 in the animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. A surprising detail that audiences were not aware of for the longest time, was the presence of popular character actor David Tennant, who lent his voice for the droid.
In a 2013 interview with IGN, Clone Wars and Ahsoka creator Dave Filoni, spoke of how he went about tracking Tennant specifically for the part after being extremely impressed with the actor’s talent and ability in Doctor Who. Filoni elaborated on his steadfast desire to cast only the Scottish star and no one else as the voice of Huyang, especially after being told that Tennant was a Star Wars fan.
“I thought, ‘Well, this will be a great merging of the fan world if I could get him interested in this’. Luckily, we tracked David down, and he was gracious enough to take the role. It was fantastic just getting to talk with him and his enthusiasm for the project, so I just really appreciated it. And you know, he just nailed it.”
Filoni went on to state that the Harry Potter actor’s inclusion was appreciated by George Lucas himself. Tennant ultimately went on to voice Huyang for the recent series Ahsoka as well.
David Tennant Is Thrilled To Be Doctor Who Again
Having taken up the cult character of Doctor Who in 2005, David Tennant quickly went on to become one of the most loved and successful actors to have played the role over the years. His unique and energetic portrayal of the extraterrestrial doctor with a dash of humor, made him synonymous with the role and the show.
Now, Tennant and his co-star Catherine Tate have been given the opportunity to revisit their famous characters to commemorate the 60th anniversary of show, by filming three special episodes to mark the occasion. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly about his excitement and pleasure on reprising the role, the Jessica Jones actor said,
“Just an unexpected treat to get to revisit something that had been such a lovely wonderful experience 15 years ago. To get to have another proper runaround, in an albeit slightly different long coat, was a joy I never really imagined.”
The return of David Tennant as Doctor Who will be a source of great happiness for the fans popularly known as Whovians, who will be eagerly awaiting the anniversary episodes which will air in November.
The anniversary episodes of Doctor Who will stream on Disney+ in November, 2023.
