Why Vera star Brenda Blethyn isn’t a cosy crime superfan

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Brenda Blethyn, who has played a dedicated true crime investigator on the popular ITV series Vera for 14 years, has admitted she doesn’t actually enjoy the true crime genre as much as her character does.

The actor played the main detective, Vera Stanhope, throughout all 14 seasons of the show Vera, which concluded earlier this year when her character retired.

Despite her successful career, this actress isn’t relaxing with quiet evenings and mystery shows when she’s not working.

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In an interview with The Telegraph, she described the experience as similar to a mild anesthetic – something to help you fall asleep. While she was joking, she didn’t find it particularly stimulating or challenging, saying it simply wasn’t demanding enough.

The actress, known for her roles in Secrets & Lies and Saving Grace, also mentioned she dislikes excessive violence and sex in movies and TV shows.

She admitted it was better than violence, but explained she wasn’t comfortable with it happening in real life. She clarified she wasn’t overly sensitive, just uneasy with the situation.

This week, while discussing her role on Vera, she shared that it helped her feel more confident and overcome feelings of self-doubt.

Blethyn shared that she thoroughly enjoyed the role. She felt a sense of pride in her work and a strong connection to the character she played, feeling she truly understood and embodied them.

I struggle with feeling like a fraud, sometimes questioning if I deserve my accomplishments. But working with Vera helped me push past those doubts because I felt confident in my abilities and prepared for the challenge.

Brenda Blethyn revealed last year that she would be leaving her role as Vera, calling it a difficult decision and saying she expected to be very emotional when filming finished.

She said it was a difficult choice, and she anticipates being very emotional in March, when she’d usually be preparing to return.

I really enjoyed everything I was doing, but I realized I hadn’t spent a summer with my family in fourteen years, and they’re my priority.

“So I still did another series because I couldn’t drag myself away,” she added. “But anyway, it was time, that’s all.”

The actor’s next role is in the suspenseful thriller Dragonfly, co-starring Jason Watkins and Andrea Riseborough. The film comes out on November 7th.

In a review for Digital Spy, we described Dragonfly as a moving and captivating drama that focuses on marginalized characters and culminates in a memorable finale. The film’s strength lies in the exceptional performances of Blethyn and Riseborough.

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2025-10-30 13:19