David Tennant undergoes an incredible transformation in a new drama series based on a shocking true story.
And the best news is the series airs tonight. You can watch the trailer below:
The acclaimed actor is no stranger to changing his look, having played a truly varied range of characters from serial killer Dennis Nilsen to the iconic Doctor Who.
Advert
This time round he's taking on the role of Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian spy who died in 2006 after an illness that was attributed to poisoning with radioactive material.
The story is being told in ITV's new four-part drama Litvinenko, with the series dropping on its new streaming hub ITVX tonight (15 December).
In an image shared by the network, Tennant looks unrecognisable to his usual self as he lays in bed with wires hooked up to him and his head completely bald.
The still is strikingly similar to the famous image taken of Litvinenko in hospital before his death.
Tennant's wife Georgia was even taken aback by how different her husband looked, writing on Instagram: "I can usually see him in every character he plays.
"Between the cracks of often immersive brilliance, I can spot him. Sometimes just briefly, but I do and I feel smugly reassured.
"But not with this."
She continued: "I know him better than I know anyone but in this, couldn't find him. He lost me and it was magical."
As said, the upcoming show is based on the true story of Litvinenko's untimely death and the police investigation into the shocking incident.
Per the official synopsis: "In November 2006, Litvinenko, a former KGB officer, lies dying in a London hospital - poisoned by a mysterious radioactive substance.
"As police are summoned to take his statement, Litvinenko points his finger directly at the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
"Litvinenko's death a few days later sparks an investigation into a chemical attack on the streets of London and a ten-year investigation between Britain and Russia to find justice for his murder."
Years after Litvinenko's passing, a 2016 inquiry concluded that he was poisoned by Russians Dmitri Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoi, who are believed to have put the polonium-210 into his drink at a London hotel.
The inquiry found that the tea poisoning was 'probably approved’ by Putin and then-FSB director Nikolai Patrushev.
In 2021, the case 'Carter v Russia' saw the European Court of Human Rights rule Russia as being responsible for Litvinenko's death and ordered the country to pay his widow Marina €100,000 (£86,500) in damages.
As for the new series, alongside Tennant, Russian-American actor Margarita Levieva will be portraying Litvinenko's wife.
ITV recruited the assistance of former Scotland Yard detectives Clive Timmons and Brent Hyatt when making the series, along with the family of the ex-spy and his wife’s lawyer.
Timmons is played in the dramatisation by Mark Bonnar while Hyatt will be portrayed by Neil Maskell.
Topics: Crime, ITV, Russia, TV and Film, David Tennant
Daisy Phillipson