Actor David Tennant, who stars in the upcoming political thriller series The Hack, has opened up about the disturbing real-life context that inspired the drama — the phone hacking scandal that shook British journalism to its core. In a candid reflection, Tennant discussed why the press turned a blind eye to the issue for so long and how the victims were left grappling with betrayal, confusion, and emotional devastation.
David Tennant on why the real story was ignored initially
“I suppose the obvious answer is, it was inconvenient,” Tennant said, addressing why Fleet Street initially ignored the story. “They were gambling on the idea that the public wouldn’t really care if Hugh Grant and Sienna Miller were feeling hard done by. But once it became Milly Dowler, they realised the game was up and they had to start reporting the story.”
The actor, known for his nuanced portrayals in Broadchurch and Doctor Who, said that the scandal revealed an industry that had “closed its eyes and turned away.” Reflecting on the time before widespread digital awareness, Tennant noted that people simply didn’t comprehend that their private communications could be intercepted. “People didn’t understand back then that it was possible that somebody could be listening in on your private messages… why should we think that might have been happening?”
David on damage caused by the phone hack scandal
He emphasised the emotional damage caused by the revelations, particularly the paranoia and broken trust that followed. “It’s terrible — the paranoia that fuelled, the desperation to find out who was leaking information to the press, the personal relationships that were destroyed by that. It’s that sort of heartlessness and callousness.”
Tennant described the invasion of privacy as something almost existential. “It took a while for people to really understand the devastation of that… It feels like some sort of surreal theft of your internal self.”
The Hack explores the far-reaching consequences of phone hacking on individuals and institutions, delving into the moral collapse of those who prioritised profit and sensationalism over truth and humanity. The series will be made available in India from November 7 on the OTT platform, Lionsgateplay app.