10 Doctor Who Scenes Actors Hated Shooting

10. David Tennant Can't Master His Sadness

It’s tempting to assume that, in emotional scenes, actors are just acting. And of course, fundamentally, they are. But sometimes, these scenes can take just as much of a toll on the performers as it does for their characters.

Following his defeat in the Series 3 finale Last of the Time Lords, the Master is shot dead by his wife Lucy, and, out of spite, refuses to regenerate. We see the Doctor plead with him to change his mind, before cradling his lifeless body in his arms.

It's one of the best Doctor/Master moments ever, giving us a fascinating insight into their long and complex relationship. They're mortal enemies but as the last of their species, they both need each other – so the Tenth Doctor's reaction here feels utterly, heartbreakingly authentic.

And according to David Tennant, it was also a pretty taxing scene to shoot.

“It was tough, this scene,” he remarked on the episode’s DVD commentary, adding that he never felt he “quite got it”, and that the whole ordeal left him feeling “quite depressed”.

Despite this initial disappointment, Tennant was, on the whole, pleased with how the scene came out. So the heartache was worth it!