IT is a role which he once described as being in his bones, but for actor Douglas Henshall he will be walking away from the much-loved character of DI Jimmy Perez.
The star of crime drama Shetland will be leaving the BBC show as the end of the next series which is due to return to our screens next month.
Henshall will make his final appearance as DI Perez in the acclaimed murder mystery drama. However, while the star departs, it is not the end of the road for the show.
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It has been confirmed that the Silverprint Pictures production will return for an eighth series in 2023, with a new lead and further casting to be announced in due course. Filming is expected to start next Spring.
So it begs the question for fans - just how will the well-loved detective exit the show? Will someone DI Perez had previously snared seek revenge and how will his best pal Duncan played by Mark Bonnar cope without the rock who has bailed him out on more than one occasion?
Henshall debuted the role of DI Perez on BBC One in 2013 in the first TV adaptation of the award-winning novels by crime writer Ann Cleeves.
Starting out as a two-part pilot almost 10 years ago, it was adapted from the Cleeves' novel Red Bones.
Even at the outset Henshall thought Perez was an interesting character and there was possibility, but he didn't think it would last very long in that two-part format. It was Henshall who tried to convince the makers from the beginning to do six hours on one story and that format seems to have paid off.
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However, after nine years in the role, Henshall has made the decision to depart Shetland to explore other acting opportunities.
“After series five of Shetland David Kane and I decided we wanted to do two more series to complete the story of Jimmy Perez," Henshall said. "So series six and seven were commissioned together to give us time to wrap up Perez story to a satisfactory end.
"It’s been one of the privileges of my career to play Jimmy Perez for almost ten years and to work with so many wonderful people both in front of and behind the camera, and also to spend so much time in Shetland. The Isles were so much a part of our show and of Perez himself. I’ll miss him and the place. I wish everyone involved much luck with whatever happens next.”
The youngest of three children, Henshall grew up in Barrhead and as a teenager joined the Scottish Youth Theatre.
After leaving school, Henshall trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London and later did a stint with the 7:84 company in Glasgow.
His first television acting role was as a motorcyclist in Taggart (an episode which also featured Peter Mullan and Ewen Bremner) before going on to parts in Dennis Potter's Lipstick on Your Collar and the films Angels and Insects, Orphans and It's All About Love.
The BBC's executive producer of drama Gaynor Holmes paid tribute to Henshall saying they will miss him, but he leaves the show in good health.
She said: "It has been an absolute privilege to work on Shetland over the past few years and watch the show go from strength to strength – in no small part thanks to Douglas’s sensitive, intelligent and memorable portrayal of DI Jimmy Perez. We will miss him enormously but he leaves the show in rude health and we’re extremely excited about the plans we have for bringing more of this much loved drama to audiences far and wide.”
Due to the pandemic there was a gap between series five and six with the last series finally airing in 2021 after a gap of two years.
Being on location for the sixth series was a welcome change for the actors after months of lockdown, but returning to filming was a daunting prospect with a full cast and crew.
Henshall’s last outing as DI Perez features in a thrilling new six-part series of Shetland which sees the team investigate the mysterious disappearance of a vulnerable young man. The investigation draws Perez into the secret past of a family new to Shetland, revealing an unimaginable threat to the community.
Written by David Kane, Paul Logue and Denise Paul, the seventh series features guest stars Shauna Macdonald of The Cry and The Descent, Laurie Brett, of Waterloo Road and EastEnders, Patrik Robinson, Death in Paradise and Casualty, and Andrew Whipp, Vera, and The Mallorca Files.
While there might a search on for a new senior detective, series regulars will be returning including Alison O’Donnell, who plays Tosh, Steven Robertson as Sandy, Mark Bonnar, who plays Duncan, and Anne Kidd as Cora. Series seven of Shetland also sees the return of Julie Graham as Procurator Fiscal Rhona Kelly.
Kate Bartlett, Executive Producer, Silverprint Pictures, said there was a great deal to come with the new series.
Ms Bartlett said: "It has been amazing to have the opportunity to complete the story of Jimmy Perez and Douglas Henshall is outstanding in the role. We had an incredible Scottish cast and crew and David Kane has created a distinctive and emotionally complex story that unfolds against the stunning, evocative landscapes of Shetland. I'm very proud of this series and excited for the new series to come.”
Series 8 of Shetland will start filming from Spring 2023 in locations on the Shetland Isles and across Scotland. Casting for this new series will be announced in the coming months.
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