Backstage With… David Tennant and Michael Sheen on nerve curves, Good Omens, and Doctor Who

David Tennant has admitted he did not actually know what he was stepping into when he signed as much as play the demon Crowley in Good Omens, a collection primarily based on the cult favorite ebook by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.

As it is a novel beloved by its followers, there was a certain quantity of stress that got here with the half, although Tennant informed Sky News’ Backstage podcast he hadn’t fairly realised that when he obtained the gig.

The Doctor Who actor stars within the collection alongside Michael Sheen, Jon Hamm and Miranda Richardson.

“My nerve curve was pretty exponential because I wasn’t – unlike Michael – I didn’t really know the world of, the fandom of the book, somehow it had passed me by,” he mentioned, in an interview alongside Sheen earlier than the actors’ strike was introduced.

“Then I used to be doing the present and it was thrilling after which I’d hold assembly folks, a few of whom had been within the forged, who would go: ‘This ebook I’ve learn yearly of my life, it is an important story to me’.

“And then of course, you start realising this precious thing that you carry and the responsibility and so yes, then it was alarmingly scary that you might break some dreams.”

Sheen interjects, asking his co-star: “And how’s your nerve curve now?”

“I’m pretty chill,” says Tennant.

“I saw it the other day, it looks marvellous,” Sheen replies.

This type of mild teasing is typical of the pair, who additionally labored collectively on the comedy Staged, wherein they play fictionalised variations of themselves, and share a real friendship.

This is replicated in Good Omens, with Tennant’s demon Crowley the unlikely finest pal of Sheen’s angel Aziraphale.

Sheen says their relationship is on the coronary heart of what he loves about being on the present.

“You can have a character that you enjoy playing and that you really love, but it’s kind of rare that you have a dynamic between two characters that just is the thing that works so well,” he mentioned.

“That then makes the whole process very enjoyable because you don’t feel like you’re having to generate stuff yourself all the time, it just happens… as we’re in scenes together it just happens – because it’s written so brilliantly as well, obviously, that’s the main thing.”

“They only really exist as a unit,” Tennant provides. “That’s when they come to life, and that’s really fun to play.”

While an angel and a demon may sound like opposites, Good Omens seems on the gray areas – the truth that Crowley is extra well-intentioned than you may count on from a demon, and vice versa for Aziraphale.

Human behaviour can be up for inspection – within the first episode of the second collection, Crowley admits he does not must work too arduous to trigger bother as humanity messes issues up nicely sufficient.

“There’s a lot of great things to celebrate in humankind aren’t there, but we don’t get it all right, and Crowley likes to take credit for a lot of the things that we get wrong,” says Tennant.

“But I think that’s one of the things about this story. It’s sort of celebrating – I mean, these are two supernatural beings, but they’re more human than the humans – and it’s celebrating the kind of diversity of that, it’s looking for common ground between us.”

Sheen agrees: “Our greatest frustration as a species is also our saving grace, which is that we are flawed. And it’s only when we like to pretend that we’re not that we get into trouble, I think it’s when we deal in absolutes and black-and-white that we get into trouble.

“When we’re capable of settle for our flaws and our messiness, then that at all times results in reaching out and being inclusive and connecting.”

Good Omens isn’t the only fan-favourite property Tennant is involved with at the moment. He’s the first actor to return to the role of Doctor Who, playing the time traveller for three episodes and a festive special later this year before Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa takes over.

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Tennant returns together with author and govt producer Russell T Davies, with expectations excessive for the brand new period of the long-standing sci-fi.

“Oh, it’s lovely, lovely,” Tennant says of his return. “And very exciting for where that show’s going, Russell T Davies back in and Ncuti Gatwa who is just a sort of force of nature.

“And it is very good to have just a little revisit for myself in amongst all that pleasure and nice future that that present’s obtained – it simply retains reinventing itself.”

Good Omens collection 2 is out on Prime Video – hear our evaluate within the newest episode of Backstage, the movie and TV podcast from Sky News