Brenda Blethyn is very proud to have had the "stamina" to have filmed 10 series of 'Vera'.
Brenda Blethyn as Vera Stanhope
The 73-year-old actress is back as Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope in a new series of the ITV police drama, which airs on 12 January, and she is thrilled she's made it to 10 series since the programme launched in 2011.
When asked how it felt to shoot season 10, Brenda said: "It's absolutely wonderful. That's the equivalent of 40 feature films. To be
honest, I don't know where I find the stamina to do it, but a different gear seems to kick in. Then when we've finished filming each year I come home and fall apart!"
The latest run of 'Vera' will be comprised of four feature-length episodes inspired by the novels of the same name written by Ann Cleeves.
And after launching onto screens nine years ago, the show has become an international smash hit beloved by audiences across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Brenda readily admits she wasn't always sure that her character would find a fan base.
She said: "It was half way through 'The Crow Trap' before Vera even makes an appearance. I was thinking, 'Where is this character they want me to play?' I've heard Ann Cleeves say she wasn't actually writing a detective story. The publishers wanted a new book but they didn't want any detective business in it. Ann was writing about the environment and then she got to a point where she
introduced Vera, crashing into a church, looking like a bag lady."
The award-winning actress was concerned about why the crew had chosen her to play the role of Vera until she spoke with the producer.
She added: "I remember thinking, 'Why have they thought of me to play this role?' When I spoke to the then producer Elaine Collins, who had picked the book up in a charity shop, she thought I could bring the right amount of humour to it. So, I thought, 'Maybe I can do that?' "
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