Donovan

Actor and composer · Born May 10, 1946 (80) · Glasgow, Scotland, UK

Donovan Philips Leitch, better known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish-born singer, songwriter and guitarist.

Biography from TMDB.

Born: May 10, 1946 (80)
From: Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Works as: Actor and composer
Titles: 8 on Motif · 20 credits in all
Links: IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 65 days to Oct 28Down 26% in 30 days

What are Donovan's films like?

Across their 8 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Self.

Genres

Documentary3 titles90^th

Drama2 titles63^rd

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight

Society

31%

Self

16%

Power

16%

Ideas

13%

Bonds

8%

Morality

8%

Survival

8%

Art2 Faith2 Community2 Purpose2

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films

ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category

Earnest

Tone · Sincerity

ironicearnest

Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 7

Serious

Tone · Weight

lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 4 · Serious 0 · Dark 3

Grounded

Tone · Style

naturalisticheightened

Grounded 5 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Charged

Feel · Intensity

gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 0 · Intense 4

Steady

Feel · Swings

steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced

Feel · Humor

noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Slow burn

Demand · Pace

slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Engaged

Demand · Attention

casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 4 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 2

Affecting

Demand · Emotional cost

easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 3

Open-ended

Demand · Resolution

resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 3 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative

5

Warm

5

Tense

3

Dread

2

Joyful

1

Other

3

How their films linger

Thought-provoking3 Unsettling3 Rousing3 Haunting2

How their films end

Happy1
Bittersweet2
Ambiguous3
Cyclical2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Donovan's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 8 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Roku Channel (2).

Also on these channels

ScreenPix1 title, show their title on ScreenPix

Subscription and free streaming for Donovan's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

20 credits, 8 with a Motif page; 44 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

Revolution: The Legacy of the Sixties (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2017)
Actor
Sunshine Superman: The Journey of Donovan (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2008)
Actor
There Is an Ocean (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2005)
Composer · Screenplay · Actor
Futurama(1999)
Show 1 episode · as Donovan (voice)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows
The Wind in the Willows (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1991)
Actor
84C MoPic(1989)
Composer
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
The Marti Caine Show (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1979)
Show 1 episode · Actor
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band(1978)
as Our Guests at Heartland
Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films
Aliens from Spaceship Earth(1977)
Composer · as Self / Host
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
The Pied Piper(1972)
Composer · as The Pied Piper
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Donovan In Concert - BBC 1972 (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1972)
Actor
Brother Sun, Sister Moon(1972)
Composer
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
The Old Fashioned Picture Book (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1971)
Director · as Himself
Cucumber Castle (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1970)
as Donovan
The Smothers Brothers Summer Show (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1970)
Show 1 episode · Actor
If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium(1969)
as Singer in Youth Hostel
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Poor Cow(1967)
Composer
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Donovan: Live on the Bouton Rouge Show (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1967)
Actor
A Boy Called Donovan (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1966)
Composer · as Himself
New Musical Express Poll Winners Concert (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1965)
Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 66^th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 20 titles from 1965 to 2017.

Biggest box office

Poor Cow (1967)

$16K worldwide

Highest rated

Bob Dylan: Dont Look Back (1967)

Midcredits 97^th

Film career

19652017

1969Screen debut· If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium
1972First top-billed film· The Pied Piper

By role

only this rolewith another role

Acting14 of 20Directing1 of 20Writing1 of 20Music7 of 20 · 72^nd

By decade

1960s5 · 3 acting · 2 crew1970s9 · 6 acting · 4 crew1980s1 · crew1990s2 · acting2000s2 · 2 acting · 1 crew2010s1 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored.

How do Donovan's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Midcredits score in the 53^rd percentile, the median of all 7; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 75^th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

75^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

75^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

58^thpercentile

Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

75^th and up2
50^th to 74^th4
25^th to 49^th1
Below 25^th1

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 8 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

Universally Loved1
Divisive1
Crowd Pleaser5
Mixed1

Most divisive · actor, composer

Aliens from Spaceship Earth (1977)

96^th percentile spread · 50% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972)

Midcredits 82^nd · 73% liked

Reviewers score the acting 70/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 39. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Donovan work with?

People who share at least 2 of Donovan's Motif titles; Joan Baez shares the most, 2.

Joan Baez2 titles See all 2 shared titles with Joan Baez