David Tennant has admitted he 'takes it personally' when dealing with difficult colleagues on set. The former Doctor Who star, now appearing in Disney+'s Rivals, acknowledged that actors often have a reputation for being 'self-involved' and 'narcissistic', but insisted that most of his co-stars have been 'great'.
Speaking on the Inside of You podcast with Michael Rosenbaum, Tennant said: 'Most actors are great, I'd say, and I think it's always worth saying that because we do have that reputation as a profession, of being self-involved, narcissistic, and awful. But 95 percent of people might have a smattering of that but actually, they're interesting people, they're fun people, they're creative people.'
The 55-year-old did concede that he has encountered some challenging individuals, describing those who thrive on creating a 'bad atmosphere'. He explained: 'Every now and again...the trouble is the industry indulges it because if somebody is worth something to a production, they are cosseted and protected and that breeds a behaviour. That can be difficult to navigate.'
Tennant added: 'I'm not very good with a bad atmosphere and I take it very personally and find it hard to operate. For some people it's like their engine, isn't it? They come on, they p**s everyone off, and that gives them a little bit of catnip. That gets them going. For me it's the absolute opposite.'
The actor returns as Lord Tony Baddingham in the second season of Rivals, which premieres on Disney+ today (May 15) with the first three episodes. Based on Dame Jilly Cooper's novel, the series also stars Emily Atack, Aidan Turner and Alex Hassall.
