Former Doctor Who actor David Tennant will join Mad Men‘s Elisabeth Moss for a biopic about renowned Scottish psychiatrist R.D. Laing.
From The Doctor to… a doctor, David Tennant is embracing his Scottish roots in Metanoia. The movie tells the story of R.D. Laing, who through the last century worked to better the conditions for patients diagnosed with mental illnesses.
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In a time where having a mental illness could still lead to ostracization, ridicule and even death, R.D. Laing set up a sanctuary for people suffering from psychosis and schizophrenia. His work with patients continues to divide the medical community, as his methods included administering LSD and telling the mentally ill to “embrace their madness.”
Speaking about his role to Screen Daily, Tennant says, “I have long been fascinated by the life and work of R.D. Laing. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and discover this important man, and I am honored and thrilled to be involved in telling this story.”
Writer and director Robert Mullan adds, “In the late 1960s, and throughout the 1970s, R.D. Laing was seen as the ‘high priest of anti-psychiatry’ and the so-called ‘Acid Marxist’ – lauded by his supporters for his daring and experimental work with disturbed people.”
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“In truth, Laing simply tried harder than other psychiatrists to sympathetically understand the cracked minds of the people who came to see him. He gave them time and tried to see the world from their point of view. His books sold all over the world and his reputation was global,” Mullan continues.
David Tennant is currently filming Netflix’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones, and is also scheduled to return for Broadchurch series 3.
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