David Tennant, the Doctor Who and Good Omens actor, has admitted that voicing his views on culture war issues feels like an increasingly “spicy” endeavor.
The Scottish actor told an audience at the Royal Television Society’s Cambridge Convention that he’s not “paid for my opinions,” but acknowledged that there is an interest in his views given his public profile.
Tennant said he hopes he does not censor his views, but open debate has become more challenging amid the rise of populism.
“When you have any kind of public profile, there is an interest in them [your opinions], when you can’t censor yourself,” he explained.
“But it’s hard when opinions that used to feel quite safe are being challenged ever more vociferously by changes in the culture. It’s difficult not to censor yourself when speaking your truth can feel quite spicy.”
Tennant did not reference trans rights specifically, but he has recently received backlash over the issue. He has been a staunch advocate for transgender rights for years, but his opinions have put him at odds with high-profile critics, not least J.K. Rowling.
The Harry Potter author described Tennant as a member of the “Gender Taliban” after he called on UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to “shut up” after she advocated for banning trans women from certain spaces last year.
Elsewhere during his Cambridge conversation with former BBC content chief Charlotte Moore, Tennant said he was “terrified” about the rise of AI and said it was “horribly inevitable” that the technology would put creative industry employees out of work.
He added that the BBC should be “cherished,” adding: “The BBC is still a kitemark for quality … we punch above our weight internationally in the creative arts in this country, because we look after them.”