The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
UNDERCOVER DETECTIVE IS LAW UNTO HERSELF...
The third series of Marcella is finally here. Anna Friel, plus new cast member Amanda Burton, tell Georgia Humphreys what’s to come
It’s not often we see the central character of a TV drama get a completely fresh start, but that’s exactly what happens in the long-awaited series three of ITV thriller Marcella. After the explosive end of the second series, which saw the eponymous character – played by Anna Friel – at rock bottom, writer Hans Rosenfeldt (known for Scandinoir drama, The Bridge) wasn’t sure where to go next with the storyline. The unflinching and unrelenting detective had discovered she was to blame for the death of her own daughter and essentially wanted to erase herself. So, the eight new episodes see her with a new persona – as an undercover detective called Keira Devlin who has been given the mission of infiltrating a crime family in Belfast.
As the series progresses, the lines between Marcella and Keira blur; how much of the past has really been left behind?
“We watch her mental health deteriorate more, to a certain degree, because the more and more she tries to suppress it, the more and more her subconscious gets louder and Marcella is basically saying, ‘I’m still here’,” suggests Rochdale-born Friel, 44, whose first professional acting job came aged 13, in Channel 4’s GBH. “She fights with herself, preferring her undercover life to her reallife which, I didn’t realise, can actually be a danger with undercover police cops.”
There isn’t a ‘whodunnit’ this series; “it’s more about her getting in the underbody of this family who’s not particularly good”, says Friel.
The family in question is the Maguires. And with eyes across all their operations is matriarch Katherine, played by Northern Irish star Amanda Burton.
“She’s proud of the success the family has had since her husband died,” Burton, 64, notes of her character. “While in the early 90s her husband may have run a wholly criminal enterprise with paramilitary links, Katherine was responsible for steering it towards a legitimate operation, leaning on the contacts she and her husband developed in the underworld to power the expansion while maintaining a legitimate veneer.”
So, what is the relationship between Katherine and Keira, aka Marcella?
“Keira is brought into the Maguire family by someone who works for them and Katherine is very suspicious of her when they first meet,” explains Burton, known for her roles in Silent Witness, Peak Practice and Brookside (which Friel also memorably starred in). “As time goes on, Keira seems to be around the family a lot more, but she doesn’t really accept her as anything other than an intruder at the beginning; she’s incredibly vigilant and protective of her family.”
Burton, who was born in Londonderry, says it had been about 17 years since she last filmed in Belfast. She found it “fascinating” to go back and to see the immense change in the city. “This time we were filming in places where it just wouldn’t have been possible to film back then. It was quite extraordinary and evoked a lot of emotional memories for me being there.”
Asked how she found it shooting in Northern Ireland, Friel – whose profile soared after starring in American mystery-comedy drama series Pushing Daisies – gushes that it was “the best”.
“The best crew – so hardworking,” she elaborates. “And I was with all my family; it’s where I spent most of my childhood, Belfast and Donegal.”
The captivating actress – who has a daughter, Gracie, with her former partner, Harry Potter star David Thewlis – says the only downside of the location for series three was the weather; Friel admits they got “rained out a lot”.
When it comes to what her favourite part of playing Keria was – as opposed to Marcella, – Friel has no hesitation.
“Obviously being blonde! That just gave it a whole different feel and swagger to her costumes from series 1 and 2, which had to change, because Marcella dresses for the family, not for herself. I wouldn’t say Marcella is an incredibly sexualised person; she doesn’t sexualise herself or things. But Keira does.” Would she be up for doing a fourth series? “I love Marcella; I’m very attached to her,” muses Friel, considering her answer carefully. “I think it would take lots of discussions to say, ‘Right, what can we do with her now?’ It’s better to have three really strong series than a fourth weaker one, but if someone came up with a really good idea…” She pauses. “I can see her in South America! I think you could take her anywhere.”
The first two episodes of Marcella series three will air on ITV on January 26. The entire series will be dropped on the ITV Hub and Britbox as the second episode concludes.