Exclusive: Hollywood legend David Tenant was a victim of 'appalling' global scandal, now he's playing 'the hero'

EXCLUSIVE: When David Tennant read the script to lead The Hack, the untold story of the world's biggest phone-hacking scandal, he saw more than a role.

He saw a story he "lived through".

Tennant was one of the up to 12,800 victims of the now defunct News of the World phone-hacking saga amongst others including actors Sienna Miller and Jude Law, both Prince Harry and Prince William, victims of violent crime and many British politicians.

The Emmy award winning actor (Doctor Who, Good Omens) plays investigative journalist Nick Davies in Stan's new seven-part drama series The Hack.

"I read the script and thought, 'I remember it happening, I had a glancing personal experience with it myself'," Tennant said.

Tennant eventually accepted substantial and undisclosed damages from the News Group Newspapers in 2018.

The Stan Original The Hack is streaming now, only on Stan.

The Hack follows one of the UK's most shocking scandals that resulted in the closure of best-selling newspaper News of the World.

That is, after the publication hacked hundreds of mobile phone voicemail accounts.

For decades, News of the World had listened to private voicemails, turning the information they had obtained illegally into stories.

But even Tennant admitted, his own personal experience wasn't the reason he needed to tell this story.

"I think I would have taken [the role] anyway," he revealed.

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"My experience was not one of the inciting incidents for our story. I have an understanding of it.

"But really... my experience was of someone who was watching it all unpick and unfold before I had any personal involvement."

"It was already out there and something I was fascinated, appalled, shocked, intrigued by long before I realised I was actually involved."

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Set between 2002 and 2012, and from the creators of award-winning series Adolescence, The Hack interweaves two real-life stories.

One of those stories is the work of investigative journalist Nick Davies, played by Tennant, who uncovered evidence of the phone hacking as the paper's long-standing secrets unravelled.

"My part of the story is about an extraordinary individual. Nick Davies is a fascinating, brilliant, unusual man," said Tennant.

A brilliant man that Tennant spent time with before filming.

"Nick was exactly as I imagined he was going to be. He was a fantastic resource. It felt like an honour to be telling his story," he said.

"The story we tell is that he is not an uncomplicated individual. But he's someone who did something very heroic. I think he is the hero of this tale."

The Stan Original The Hack is streaming now, only on Stan.

Nine Entertainment Co (the publisher of this website) owns and operates the streaming service Stan.

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