David Tennant: 'I Was Really Proud' of 'Gracepoint'

Ethan Alter
·Senior Writer, Yahoo Entertainment

Attention Broadchurch fans: David Tennant is just as eager as you to discover fresh clues about the hit British crime drama’s third (and final) season. “There was a press release [about Season 3] the other day; I learned all sorts of things,” he jokingly (we think) revealed during a live interview Monday night that’s part of BAFTA New York’s “In Conversation” series presented with Tribeca Shortlist. “I learned whose in it with me. I learned what the story is about. I know as much as anyone in this room — and possibly less!”

The Scottish actor can’t blame us for wanting to know about what’s in store for Detective Inspector Alec Hardy; coming off of two stellar seasons, Broadchurch has built a fanbase that almost rivals his former series, Doctor Who, in terms of devotion. “It’s lovely that it connected in the way that it did. When we were making it, we got each script as it went, we didn’t know where it was going,” he said. “We were having the experience that you then hope that the nation and the world is going to follow.”

Related: ‘Broadchurch’ Third Season Adds Cast; New Case To Tie Up Trilogy

Moderated by Yahoo TV’s Ethan Alter, the 45-minute conversation covered Tennant’s early years as an actor studying Shakespeare and the works of other great playwrights in drama school, as well as his rise to international television stardom via series like Doctor Who, Broadchurch and, most recently, Jessica Jones. Although the actor was self-deprecating about his process as an actor, he offered some fascinating insights into his various roles and the kinds of projects that excite him — including Gracepoint, the American remake of Broadchurch (which airs on BBC America), that was met with middling reviews and ratings when it debuted in 2014 on Fox. “We were in a world where Broadchurch had already been an international thing, and with Gracepoint we set out very consciously to tell the same story,” said Tennant. “I was really proud of it, but it just didn’t get the kind of traction, probably because Broadchurch already filled that space.” Watch other highlights from Tennant’s “In Conversation” interview in the above clip. And start brushing up on your detective work: Broadchurch starts filming its third season in May.