‘it was like being the new james bond!’
actresses Kelly Macdonald and Shalom Brune-franklin on joining the classic police drama
Joining a much-loved series like Line Of Duty can’t be easy – just ask the show’s new stars Kelly Macdonald and Shalom Brune-franklin. Both actresses take on key roles in the sixth series – starting this week – and admit they felt nervous before making their debuts.
“It’s completely nerve-racking to become a part of a show that’s so well-loved across the board. And the guest lead status does feel pretty momentous. It was a bit like being the new James Bond!” admits Scottish actress Kelly, who is front and centre of the new seven-part series as DI Joanne Davidson.
Meanwhile, Shalom laughs as she recalls phoning her friend before the read through and panicking about meeting the rest of the now legendary cast. But the pair slotted in effortlessly and will help keep fans on the edge of their seats as they take the drama to a whole new level.
Here, Kelly and Shalom talk about landing the roles of a lifetime – and getting their heads around those infamous interrogation scenes…
How did you feel about joining this juggernaut of a show?
Kelly: I was extremely nervous to become involved in the project. Actually, before I had decided whether I was going to take on the role or not, I bumped into Martin [Compston, who plays DS Steve Arnott] at a Scottish event. He came bouncing up to me and said, “You’ve got to do it, mate!” From the get-go everybody was really welcoming.
What were you most worried about? Kelly: I did worry before filming – and during filming – about the density of the police dialogue. I knew that would be a struggle for me. It’s really challenging. But there’s a lot more to it than just the “lines of duty”, as Vicky calls them. Shalom: The lines were absolutely the most challenging part. With the interview scenes, I don’t think I’ll ever do a take that long ever again. They go on forever! But everybody’s there and got your back, and that feeling helps you really get through it. Martin was always saying, “You’re going to be fine and if you mess up we’ll just go back and go again.” But I was like, I can’t be the person to mess up. I’m brand new, I can’t do that!
After you’d got the part, did you go back and binge-watch the last series? Shalom: It gave me a great excuse to go back and watch everything in bed. That’s what I did – cups of tea and just smashed through it. But I don’t know if that was the best thing to do because it just made me even more nervous for the read through.
Kelly: I was the same. I hadn’t watched the show before. I’d seen bits and bobs, but only on Gogglebox, so my only experience of watching Line Of Duty is a binge scenario.
How would you describe your characters, Joanne and Chloe?
Shalom: Chloe’s a new member of AC-12. She’s very good at her job, very diligent, and she’s a key part of bringing about some justice in season six. It’s a pretty great part to get.
Kelly: Joanne’s hard to pinpoint.
She’s a mystery. It’s really hard to talk about. I’ve got a list of things I’m not allowed to talk about – and she’s one of them! [Laughs].
Could Joanne turn out to be AC-12’S toughest case yet?
Kelly: I think so, yeah. People don’t know whether they can trust her or not and that carries on throughout the show.
Line of Duty airs on sundays at 9pm on BBC one