Brenda Blethyn says she finds comfort in returning to the role of Vera Stanhope in ‘Vera’.
The 72-year-old actress – who has portrayed the Detective Chief Inspector on the ITV drama since 2011 – says that she feels at home whenever she gets back into costume to play the beloved role.
Appearing on ‘This Morning’ today (10.01.19), she said: "It’s like visiting an old family again. It’s a very comfortable place to be. The cast are great. Even all the supporting artists who work on it return to us time and time again."
The ‘Secret & Lies’ actress also revealed she was delighted that she lived close to Kenny Doughty – who reprised his role as DS Aiden Healy last year – when they were filming the show.
She said: "He’s great! I just love Kenny. He even has to live near me while I’m working up there. He’s good news! And all the team, just great!"
In the past, Brenda has suggested the public have "embraced" ‘Vera’ because the titular character "tells the truth and has no pretensions".
She previously said: "People have really embraced Vera because she’s good at her job, tells the truth and has no pretensions. She can be a bit caustic if people aren’t doing their jobs, but she can also be very kind."
Brenda knows the character so well after playing her for such a long time, and she even buys clothes to wear on set when she’s out shopping.
She admitted: "I’ve got to know Vera well in the eight years I’ve been playing her. I know what she’d wear – so when I’m out shopping, if I see something for Vera, I’ll buy it. That old hat never changes, though.
‘Vera’ is set to return for a ninth series – consisting of four episodes – on January 13 on ITV.
Brenda Blethyn feels comfortable playing Vera Stanhope
