‘YOU’VE GOT TO CHOOSE TO SEE THE POSITIVES IN LIFE’
National treasure and star of long-running series Vera, Brenda Blethyn talks to Nathalie Whittle about her late-blossoming career, her solo lockdown and the secret to a strong marriage TREVOR LEIGHTON It’s 10 years since you started playing Vera. Is it st
National treasure Brenda Blethyn talks about her career, coping with lockdown and the secrets to a happy marriage
Over the course of her 45-year career, Brenda Blethyn has become one of our best-loved national treasures. Since leaving her job as a secretary at British Rail aged 27 to become an actor, she’s played Brad Pitt’s mum in the 1992 film A River Runs Through It, won a Golden Globe in 1996 for her performance in Secrets & Lies and earned two Oscar nominations. She’s also been awarded an OBE, and has spent the past 10 years playing the straight-talking detective in the ITV series Vera. The show is returning soon for its 11th season and is now broadcast in 21 countries.
Despite achieving this global recognition, Brenda is delightfully down to earth. We’re in lockdown when we speak; she is at home in Ramsgate, Kent, where she spent much of her childhood, and is full of fascinating stories of the places she’s seen and the people she’s met. When I ask where all her awards are, she points the camera towards a corner of her living room; they sit modestly behind a display of fresh flowers, ornaments and framed pictures of family.
While Brenda explains that she’s currently apart from her husband of 10 years, Michael Mayhew, who was working and staying in the couple’s flat in London when the latest lockdown was announced, she’s choosing to see the positives of time alone. She’s been baking, decluttering and enjoying the company of her beloved cockapoo, Jack, which barely leaves her side, dutifully returning his favourite pineapple toy each time she throws it across the room for him. Here, she explains why,
at 75, she’s counting her blessings, every day…
Absolutely! It’s full-on and it means spending nearly six months away from home filming in Northumberland, but we have such a great time. I equate it to having a wonderful feast. You have a fabulous meal with lovely company and, by the end of it, you’re so full that you couldn’t possibly have another morsel. But then a month later, you’re hungry again!
I have to say, I’m rather proud. It’s a delight to me that people actually like her. There’s a Vera fan club online and I often scroll through it, reading all sorts of debates about her relationship with her sidekick, her love life and her dialect! Recently, I’ve had people writing to me from all over the world, too, saying that watching old episodes has helped them get through the pandemic. What an amazing thing that is.
Yes, and it’s made me realise how stupid I was! I won’t be doing that again. When
I heard the message on my phone all those years ago saying: ‘ITV want you to play this detective, what do you think?’, I couldn’t quite believe my ears. I was admittedly a little bit miffed at first when I read Ann Cleeves’s books and Vera was described as a lumbering bag lady. I thought, ‘Surely not, why have they thought of me?’ Fortunately, I kept reading and now I love her to bits.
How does it feel to still be in such demand in your eighth decade?
To be honest, I’m surprised I’m ever offered an acting job at all! I feel blessed because I know how fortunate I am. The truth is, there are plenty of good actors who could play Vera as well as me; they might even do it better, but they just haven’t been offered the job. So I count my blessings every day.
Do you think the landscape is changing for older actors on-screen?
I do think it’s becoming more inclusive, but not before time. When I starred in the film Saving Grace, about a middle-aged widow, it took five years to get it off the ground. I’m trying to get Galina Petrovna’s Three-legged Dog Story, a wonderful book about a group of septuagenarians, turned into a TV series at the moment. I hope that will be a little easier.
You worked for British Rail in your 20s; how did you find the confidence to act?
I truly had no idea if I could do it – it was a bit of a leap of faith. When I was working as a secretary, I paid all the bills while my then-husband studied to become a graphic designer and I always had this urge to do something creative myself. I became part of a local amateur dramatic society and people kept saying, ‘You could go professional.’ I laughed. Give up my well-paid job to pursue a hobby? It seemed irresponsible. But my dad would always say, ‘There’s nothing wrong in trying and failing. But not trying? That isn’t good.’ So off I went to drama school, supported by my husband, though sadly, our marriage broke down.
It’s never been important to me to play the leading role
You certainly made the right decision…
Well, who knows? What would I be doing if I hadn’t decided to do this? Maybe I’d be running British Rail by now!
What do you think you owe your success to?
Not being greedy. It’s not important for me to be playing the leading role, it never has been. Yes, I am in Vera, but I was in my 60s before I got that and the road towards it wasn’t paved with leading roles. I’ve always just been happy to learn my lines, turn up and support the other players. I once heard an actor say: ‘I’m all for ensemble playing, as long as I’ve got the leading part.’ That really made me laugh!
What has been the biggest high of your career?
Winning the Best Actress Award and the Palme d’or for Secrets & Lies at the
Cannes Film Festival was pretty special. It was the first time something I’d worked on was really celebrated and it was such a surprise. I went with Mike Leigh [the writer and director] and when we got there, we were ushered in through the kitchens of the hotel; it felt like a top-secret military operation and we thought, ‘My goodness, what if we’ve won something?’ Then we saw all the other nominees including Frances Mcdormand and Emily Watson, and thought, ‘Okay, not us then.’ I couldn’t believe it when we actually won!
Did you wear something special?
It was such a shock to be invited that I wore the same black dress I had on at the film premiere a week earlier – how embarrassing! It wasn’t anything to write home about; it was just the nicest frock I had in my wardrobe and I’d left it in my suitcase in the back of the car after the premiere, so I had to give it a really good shake before putting it on again. I did have a pair of Manolo Blahniks on my feet though. They’re the most expensive shoes I’ve ever bought.
You won a Golden Globe, too…
That was incredible. My family stayed up all night to watch the coverage and, when I won, they were beside themselves with joy. My nephew came to the parties afterwards with all his mates, and I stopped by my sister’s place in Florida on the way home. Turning up there with my award was a little bit special!
Do you enjoy the role of aunt?
Oh, it’s the biggest joy. One of my best friends on earth happens to be my niece, Valerie. She has children who now have children, so I’ve got great-great-nieces! I’m not ringing them up every five minutes – I’m a rubbish aunt actually. But if they wanted me, I’d be there like a shot and they know that.
Were you ever starstruck by anyone you met in Hollywood?
Oh gosh, working with Robert Redford? Come on! He was my mum’s heartthrob and, when we were filming A River Runs Through It, I had to report back to her daily – every detail of what he was like. You hear these stories about Hollywood, though, that if you’re no good, you get
given your marching orders, and there was a moment where I thought that was going to happen to me.
What happened?
One day, I was in the make-up truck after we’d done some filming and in the mirror I could see Mr Redford and his entourage striding towards me. I heard him say, ‘Is Brenda in there?’ and I thought: ‘This is it. I’m getting fired.’ He burst in and in front of everyone he said: ‘Brenda, I like you, but let me tell you, the camera loves you.’ Wow! Can you imagine that? I’ll never forget it.
Do you ever see yourself retiring?
Perhaps I’ll do a bit less, but I can’t see myself stopping. My parents worked until their dying days, and I fully expect to be doing the same. Mum had about six jobs to put food on the table and Dad spent the latter part of his life working in a ladies’ dress shop as a handyman. They instilled that work ethic in me; if you want to earn some money, you’ve got to work for it. I enjoy being busy, too, so I’ll always find something to do, even if it’s painting a wall!
You’ve just celebrated turning 75; how does it feel?
If I’m completely honest, I don’t feel the slightest bit different! You’re only as old as you feel, and I certainly don’t feel 75. That’s just a number, isn’t it?
What is the most unexpected thing you’ve done as you’ve got older?
I’ve run the London marathon three times, and that was when I was knocking on 60! I got a trainer to help me prepare and I hated every minute of it. He’d call through the letterbox when I didn’t answer the door and say: ‘I know you’re in there, Brenda!’ It took me forever to get round, but I did it and you know what? It was the most thrilling thing ever!
How do you stay physically strong now?
I do a lot of walking with my dog, Jack, and I won’t lie, I quite like housework. That’s a workout, isn’t it? I’ve been very much on my own during lockdown, so I’ve used the time to sort through piles of stuff and box it all up for charity. Having that to focus on has been good for me mentally, too. You’ve got to choose to see the positives in life.
What else has kept you positive?
I’ve been doing a lot of cooking and baking; orange cake, bread pudding, chicken masala curries, you name it. I made a lemon drizzle cake last week, which I sliced up, wrapped in clingfilm, then froze – and now I can just take out a piece whenever I need one. Heaven!
The secret to a happy marriage? Time apart!
How have you found being apart from Michael?
It’s been lovely… so he says! No, we get on fine. When I’m up in Newcastle filming Vera, I don’t see him for months on end. We talk a couple of times a day, it might just be: ‘Hello, how are you doing?’ but we make sure it always happens and it just works. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder – well, it’s true! Being apart seems to keep us together.
Did you know Michael was the one when you met him?
No, I didn’t. We were both working at the National Theatre when we met – he was the art director – and my first thought was that he was a bit gorgeous! When we started talking, he made me laugh and I found him intriguing. I still do.
You and Michael got married after 35 years together; why then?
I wish I could say it was for a romantic reason, but you get to a certain age and you think: ‘Wouldn’t it be awkward if one of us popped our clogs and we’d never married?’ The proposal happened over Skype when I was filming Vera. I told Michael he should probably get down on one knee, and he did – the next thing I knew, he’d disappeared off the screen!
What was the wedding like?
It was a fabulous day. I wore a beautiful cream and orange flowery frock, with a coral jacket on top, and a little fascinator. It was a tiny ceremony at Southwark Register Office with our good friends, Timothy Spall and his wife Shane, acting as our witnesses. Afterwards, we all went off to have a pub lunch! I loved every minute.
What difference has marriage made to your relationship?
I always felt very secure with Michael, so in many ways, it felt as though we already were married. But then we tied the knot and it felt completely different. It’s given everything an added warmth, knowing that we’re one. It’s a sense of belonging.
What keeps your relationship strong?
Apart from absence, laughter and respect, you have to accept that people have different opinions about things and you don’t have to agree on everything. Plus, I just like him. I love him, of course I do, but you have to really like the person you’re with, don’t you?
New episodes of Vera are coming soon to ITV. All series are available on Britbox