‘IT HASN’T HIT ME PROPERLY!’
Douglas on saying goodbye to Perez…
How does it feel to be leaving Shetland after almost 10 years as Perez?
I still don’t think it’s really hit me properly! But once this series is finished, it will probably hit me then.
I was very ready to go. I didn’t want the quality of the show to drop. I think the standard in the seven seasons that we’ve done has been remarkably high, given the kind of show we’re making – I know we’re not changing the world! And 10 years is a very big chunk of time to spend doing anything; I felt like that was enough.
Could you tell us a bit about your last day on set?
We were in a car park; it was kind of anticlimactic. There’s no way to encapsulate a decade of work in a few short moments and when everybody’s knackered and wants to go home!
I said a few words to the crew who were there on the last day. I have huge admiration for the crews that we’ve had over the years. It’s not easy working outside in Shetland – whatever weather you get is tough. There are people who have been there since the beginning – that’s been one of the highlights of the job, it’s like a big family. I know it’s a cliché, but it’s true!
What will you miss most about starring in Shetland?
Obviously I’ll miss a lot of the people. Thankfully, I’ll see them still, but I’ll miss the kind of camaraderie that we had.
I’ll miss the character, and
I’ll definitely miss Shetland as it’s such a wonderful place. I think it’s going to take a little bit of time to seep in, to become real, that it’s over.
Looking back over the years, what are your favourite memories from the show?
Season three, because we really found our feet as to what we were, as a production. I really enjoyed that.
And I always remember a very funny story… My agent’s mum used to go to church on a Sunday with Desmond Tutu [the late archbishop and antiapartheid activist]. They were coming home one day, and Desmond Tutu said,
‘I’ve been watching this show on the television called Shetland.’ I thought the idea of Desmond Tutu sitting somewhere watching Shetland was fabulous!