‘I celebrated my 50th with a massive dog walk’
Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar return to our screens in the much-loved cold-case thriller following a three-year break…
So, the first lockdown suspended production for six months…
NICOLA: I was really scared and nervous of going back.
You think, “I don’t know if I can do this”, but it was handled brilliantly, and by the end of the first day I was thinking, “OK, they’ve gone above and beyond to ensure we are safe.” It was a huge relief and made me feel hopeful for the industry.
How has lockdown been for you?
NICOLA: F****ing weird! But I haven’t set myself up for failure by starting out with the intention of getting fit, or learning an instrument… The good thing about it is that me, my son and my husband [actor Barnaby Kay] are all together. We very much take it one day at a time, and we finally realised we had to make the best of having our teenage son [Harry, 14] with us 24 hours a day when naturally he would be pulling away from us and spending more time with his friends.
You’ve become TV’s go-to girl for major roles – does it make you feel like a late bloomer?
NICOLA: I don’t think anyone’s more surprised than me! A few years ago, I was in New York doing a play on Broadway [ A
View From The Bridge]. There was something going out here in the UK at the same time and my dad phoned me, going: “You’re an overnight success!” I was 46 or 47 at the time, and I could hear him rocking with laughter at the end of the phone, because as a parent he’s been there all the way through, listening to me moaning about working, not working, whatever… I’m hanging onto the coattails of these amazing writers like Sally Wainwright,
Abi Morgan and Chris Lang with deep, deep gratitude!
Your turned 50 last year?
NICOLA: It was one of the gifts of lockdown – being able to celebrate my birthday with just my son, my husband and a walk. To be honest, that was an absolute delight. We went on a massive dog walk, and that was it. And it was the best birthday I think I’ve ever had.
By Hannah Wright