Exclusive by Sandro Monetti
Television viewers first fell in love with Ardal O’Hanlon in 90’s sitcom “Father Ted,” where he played dimwit priest Father Dougal on cold Irish outpost Craggy Island. Now the popular actor is back on a rather sunnier island as the new star of sun-kissed detective series “Death in Paradise.”
The wildly popular British show returns to US screens for a seventh series on KCET from March 5th with Ardal as Detective Inspector Jack Mooney, the latest police chief on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie.
Despite frequent cast changes – Ben Miller and Kris Marshall previously had the lead role – the crime series has become one of the BBC’s biggest global hits. Here Ardal, 51, talks about filming in Guadeloupe and what makes the show so popular”
The scripts for each episode are full of twists. Do you ever guess correctly who the murderer is?
I’m a little bit rubbish at that; I’ll be honest with you. The scripts are so ingenious and they’re designed to dumbfound you so I’ve never quite guessed correctly. Just when I think I know who it is, the rug is always pulled out from under my feet at the last minute! The ‘whodunnit’ element is a big part of the show. It’s definitely one of the attractions of the show. I’d like to tell you that I know who the murderer is from page one but it’s not true.
Why else do you think Death in Paradise has become one of British TV’s most popular shows?
It’s a number of things. The show comes on at the start of the year when the audience are at their lowest ebb. It’s after Christmas, they’ve no money left and they’ve broken all their resolutions. They’re not looking after themselves so then Death in Paradise comes on and there’s beautiful scenery and the sun is shining. I think it cheers people up, to be honest with you. It’s a gentle show; it’s not trying to be provocative. There’s no violence. Instead there’s humour, good character dynamics and interplay – and, like I say, people love trying to crack the mystery themselves.
What can we expect in this new series?
We’ve got some typically ingenious Death in Paradise puzzles. For example, in one episode, a murder is committed at an international poker tournament. How does my character solve a case when the suspects are all professional bluffers? Jack, who claims he’s never played poker in his life and he doesn’t know the first thing about it, which may or may not be true, has to get into the mind of a poker player. That’s always his style. He tries to put himself in the suspects’ shoes so has to learn the rudimental poker rules. Then that way he can figures out whose bluffing and who isn’t.
What’s it like filming in Guadeloupe? Do you ever get bored of the sunshine?
I’ve really grown to love the island; I’ve got to know it quite well. I absolutely treasure the weekend because that’s when you can get out and explore. You can enjoy the sun and the sea and the rainforest. I’m really drawn to the rainforest there, the damp clammy rainforest that I go to week after week and stumble across beautiful waterfalls. They have natural pools at the end of them where you can cool down. It really is a magical place in so many ways. You never get bored of it! It’s a long time to be away but it’s an experience that I’ll always treasure.
What were the biggest challenges you all faced during the shoot?
Mosquitoes. They really love me. They love me more than anything in the world! There’s nothing you can do, I’ve tried everything – bite cream, lotion but after a while you stop putting it on. It’s a minor distraction in the big scheme of things. You get used to everything, it’s amazing! I amaze myself as to how I acclimatize to everything. I never thought I’d be able to survive the heat, humidity or the insects but it’s all fine. I miss scratching now…
What do you get up to in your spare time when you’re not filming? Does everyone hang out together?
It’s very sociable and there’s a big bunch of people, a mixture of British, French and local Guadeloupian so it’s a great mix of people and you get to know them really well. On a lot of jobs, you only get to know them superficially but because you’re together day after day, you build quite a close relationship. We tend to go on adventures together or sometimes we just rent a boat and muck about. One of the big attractions is swimming with turtles. Seeing them up close is an amazing experience. We also go for hikes in the rainforest. When the guest cast come over we always like to show them a good time. Each time you show them a really special secret waterfall, you enjoy it just as much as the first time you saw it.
Where do we find your character, DI Jack Mooney, at the beginning of series 7?
In this series, Jack’s firmly established as the lead detective in Honore Police team. He’s been on the island for a while and he’s acclimatised but he’s hit with the bombshell that his daughter, Siobhan, is leaving. She’s going back to the UK to attend university. Jack is on his own in a way that he’s never been before in his life. His wife has recently died and now his daughter is leaving him on the other side of the world, alone. He kind of has to grow up which is an odd thing for a middle aged man to do but I think he has to grow up emotionally. Jack’s always been cared for and looked after. This is the first time in his life that he actually has to look after himself. He depends quite a lot on his team and as a result gets to know them quite well.
*New episodes of Death in Paradise will be screened on KCET each Monday at 8pm PT from March 5 with a second showing each Thursday at 9 pm PT.
