There are certain things about an actor that really just never change—like the way that David Tennant moves in this world. While it’s not as bad as his fellow Doctor Who actor Matt Smith (who dances like a drunk giraffe), David Tennant has a unique way of moving about as Crowley in Good Omens that has fully broken my brain. Call it an obsession or call it my decade+ love of Tennant, but there is definitely something … unique about Tennant’s physicality, especially as Crowley and especially in season 2 of the hit series.
Not in a bad way. No, surely not. Season 2 is his hottest look yet, and that’s saying something. No, I mean more in the way that is so noticeable that I found myself going “What is he doing?” while I was watching the show. While he moved around in his angry “grrrrrrrr” moments, I noticed that Crowley would fling his arms around, flailing a bit—hunched over, lumbering about. This way of walking was so unhinged that he’d stalk to the door and it’d be the only thing I’d focus on in the scene.
Why was he moving around like that? Was it because he was so angry that he was in love with Aziraphale that he couldn’t help but just make as much noise as possible when walking? What is it about his body that just flops around when he moves? The only way I could describe it with any kind of grace is as if you took a large moose and stretched it as far as physically possible and then asked the moose to walk around in very nice black suits with dyed red hair and glasses, while talking to an angel.
He moves like a gangly moose
I can only attribute this very aggressive movement to his feelings. In season one, it was there, just not as pronounced. In season 2, he’s definitely way more aggressive about it, making me think that he’s angry that he’s feeling things, so he’s taking it out on his limbs. Because why else would his arms turn into those of Gumby but make the sound of hoofs marching through a forrest? And now, I’m no expert on David Tennant—or actually, I am, but let’s pretend like I’m not—but the way the man moves in the real world is relatively graceful for a tall gentleman, normally back straight and with his long arms wildly moving with the story he’s telling.
Crowley’s movements are decidedly more angry. I’m going to chalk it all up to him hating that he’s in love. Otherwise, why is this man making a spectacle of himself everywhere he goes? For the hilarity of it? Because the reality is that this hunched over, “let me swing my arms behind me and throw doors open” movement that Crowley does is constantly off the rails. I can’t stop thinking about it. I don’t know why he does it, and yet here I am, writing about it. This gangly moose is who I love, and I just want to know what David Tennant was thinking about when he decided on the movement for Crowley.
(featured image: Prime Video)
