‘He's committed TO JUSTICE'

Bertie Carvel on how his own grief has influenced his portrayal of an iconic detective

- CAREN CLARK

DALGLIESH NEW THU & FRI / CHANNEL 5 / 9PM / EPS 1-2 of 6 / DRAMA

Bertie Carvel has relished playing some of TV’s most memorable villains, including an adulterer in Doctor Foster, a sinister shopkeeper in The Pale Horse and a creepy paranormal investigator in The Sister.

But now the award-winning actor is firmly on the side of the angels in Channel 5’s new crime drama Dalgliesh.

‘I’ve spent a career playing fairly outlandish grotesques, so it’s nice to play a strong silent type like Dalgliesh!’ smiles Bertie, 44, as he joins TV Times for a video chat.

Based on PD James’ bestselling novels, the six-parter comprises three two-part mysteries, and sees Bertie as shrewd but reflective DCI Adam Dalgliesh. The character was previously portrayed by Roy Marsden on ITV from 1983 to 1998 and Martin Shaw on BBC1 from 2003 to 2005.

Set in the 1970s, the new adaptations follow the widowed Metropolitan Police detective, who is also a poet, and his arrogant sidekick DS Charles Masterson (War Horse’s Jeremy Irvine) as they tackle complex crimes, beginning with a gruesome death at a nursing college (see box, right), while Dalgliesh also tries to come to terms with the loss of his wife.

Here, Bertie tells us why the role struck a chord for him...

What appealed to you about a new Adam Dalgliesh drama?