Death in paradise star reveals twist of fate that kickstarted her career

Set against the backdrop of the beauteous Caribbean, Death successful Paradise has go 1 of the BBC’s astir fashionable dramas implicit the past 14 years - acknowledgment to its premix of fiendishly-clever murders and fish-out-of-water detectives but that tin beryllium a spot daunting for caller formed members.

It’s been regularly bringing successful much than 8 cardinal viewers and immoderate fans person adjacent been known to question to Guadeloupe wherever it’s filmed, to get their ain sensation of the fictional Saint Marie. Such popularity tin marque it a small overwhelming for caller formed members - arsenic erstwhile EastEnders prima Don Gilet discovered erstwhile helium took implicit from Ralf Little arsenic the island’s caller Detective Inspector.

Fans volition person seen Don, who played the Square’s serial slayer Lucas Johnson marque his debut arsenic DI Mervin Wilson, successful the Christmas special, earlier officially joining the Saint Marie Police Department successful the bid 14 opener past Friday.

While It tin beryllium a nerve-wracking joining specified an established show, determination was 1 formed mate who decidedly knew what helium was going through. For, contempt having played Sergeant Naomi Thomas for 4 years now, Shantol Jackson is inactive pinching herself that she’s connected the amusement herself - chiefly due to the fact that it was a implicit twist of destiny that launched her ain career. That’s wherefore she’s been the archetypal to invited Don.

Shantol, 32, tells us: “With each inspector, their instauration to the amusement is tricky due to the fact that radical get utilized to the erstwhile inspector - truthful you get utilized to idiosyncratic and past they are gone. There was Ralf (Little), Ardal (O’Hanlan), Kris (Marshall) and Ben (Miller) and present determination is him.

“Not agelong aft helium joined, Don [Warrington, who plays Commissioner Patterson] told him: ‘Nobody volition similar you astatine the opening but they volition eventually. They ne'er similar the inspector astatine first!’.” Shantol adds: “Coming into specified an established show, [Don] was understandably nervous. “We each wanted him to beryllium comfortable, and that was 1 of our apical priorities - to guarantee helium felt harmless and comfortable. Eventually the jitters near and it was bully fun. He is simply a large actor. Don did specified a large occupation and due to the fact that his quality is ever connected the go, you are forced to beryllium engaged. I deliberation radical are going to truly similar this inspector.”

Smiling, Shantol is simply a cardinal portion of the DIP family. But earlier she got her portion she had nary thought conscionable however keen immoderate of the fans could beryllium oregon the sheer standard of the show’s success. She says: “When I started 4 years ago, I had nary thought however fashionable it was - until I got to Guadeloupe! People virtually alert to the land to spot ‘Saint Marie’. When we are filming, we tin beryllium having meal and radical volition locomotion up and archer us: ‘Gosh, you are the crushed wherefore we are here!’. They travel with their children too. But that’s the large happening astir Death successful Paradise – it spans crossed each generations, ages and genders. It’s a bully amusement that everyone tin enjoy. I consciousness privileged to beryllium a portion of it.”

Yet arsenic she readily admits today, it’s been a long, pugnacious travel to get to wherever she is. And it’s testament to Shantol’s spot of quality that she has ne'er fixed up contempt being faced with galore hard hurdles on the way. A precise affable histrion who is worlds isolated from her Death successful Paradise character, she was calved and grew up successful Jamaica. Although she does person 3 siblings, her dada raised her unsocial arsenic a azygous parent. A vocation successful acting was ever retired of the question.

“My begetter grew up precise mediocre and helium wanted maine to person a amended beingness than helium did,” Shantol says. “The Caribbean civilization is to person a vocation and their explanation is simply a doctor, lawyer oregon a teacher. So I picked a vet. But erstwhile my dada suggested we dissected a frog, I knew successful that infinitesimal I didn’t privation to beryllium a vet! I joined the schoolhouse acting nine and abruptly I recovered my passion.”

After leaving High School, Shantol was sent to nursing school. By now, she had fallen successful emotion with acting but knowing this was not imaginable due to the fact that it would disappoint her family, she threw herself into the work. By night, however, she attended a section theatre club. “Dad wanted maine to person a accepted occupation and I had to combat my mode to enactment successful the theatre,” she says. “At night, I’d beryllium there.”

It was past destiny and luck intervened. After an histrion successful a play fell ill, Shantol was asked to instrumentality implicit her portion and her dada came to watch. “After watching me, helium realised this is what radical had been trying to archer him,” she says. “[and] He told maine I could bash acting.” That was lone the archetypal fortunate break. The play was past turned into a TV amusement to beryllium aired successful Jamaica - that landed her an cause who started sending her portion retired acorss the idustry - conscionable arsenic a definite idiosyncratic was making their directorial debut and looking for the cleanable Jamaican star.

She was told by her cause that the manager of a transgression play was flying implicit to conscionable her. But erstwhile she turned up for the gathering successful a section edifice she discovered it was Idris Elba. “I get to this spot and there’s this monolithic quality being,” she says. “Really tall, truly big, and he’s conscionable precise chill and I’m lasting determination like: ‘This is fricking Idris Elba!’”

She won the portion successful his transgression play The Yardie successful 2018 - and that led to her archetypal travel to Britain. “That was astonishing to beryllium portion of,” says Shantol. “Although it was my archetypal clip to the UK and it was ace cold!” In 2019, Shantol was past invited to audition for the relation of Ruby Patterson successful Death successful Paradise – but unluckily the portion was fixed to chap actress, Shyko Amos. Shantol was gutted. “I cried I didn’t get the role,” she admits.

Down successful the dumps, her cause assured Shantol her clip would, however, come. And to her immense delight, 2 years aboriginal Shantol was invited backmost by the bid to audition for Naomi. “They called to accidental they had the close relation for me,” she says arsenic she reflects connected the life-changing TV part. “They saw thing successful maine and I was truthful grateful. I perfectly emotion playing Naomi. The murders are each crazy! Each time, I deliberation however are you going to marque this work? One of my favourites was erstwhile the Commissioner got changeable arsenic it was much than conscionable solving the crime. It was emotional.”

Filming takes spot implicit a six-month play and the agelong 12-hour days mean determination is small downtime. The agelong spells distant from location was cited by immoderate of the erstwhile inspectors arsenic a crushed wherefore they person discontinue the part. But Shantol’s dada understands. She confides: “Being successful Death successful Paradise is simply a commitment! Filming is afloat on. [But] I person a precise beardown enactment strategy and I person beauteous relationships.

“My household and friends truly recognize my occupation and I’m grateful for that. It’s specified a privilege to beryllium successful this show. The land is beautiful. My dada is truthful proud, and truthful is my country! This is simply a large manufacture and I was raised connected a precise tiny island. But acknowledgment to Death successful Paradise, I’ve learned truthful much. I’ve worked with immoderate large radical and I’ve learnt a lot.” Fans volition besides beryllium relieved to perceive she has nary plans to discontinue immoderate clip soon. “I emotion my quality and her communicative isn’t done yet,” she says. “There is inactive beingness for Naomi for sure! Death successful Paradise means truthful overmuch to me.”

Death successful Paradise is connected each Friday, 9pm, BBC1. You tin besides watercourse connected BBC iPlayer.

Saint Marie’s Finest - The Past Detectives:

DI Richard Poole (Ben Miller)

Years of Service: 2011-2014

Murders solved: 22 (plus 1 suicide)

Most bizarre case: Solving his ain murder, erstwhile helium was stabbed successful the bosom with an ice-pick astatine the opening of bid three. He near captious clues which revealed his ain murderer’s identity

Best known for: Complaining astir the heat

Last sighting: At a Cambridge University reunion, conscionable earlier helium was recovered dead.

DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall)

Years served: 2014-2017

Murders solved: 30

Most bizarre case: Trying to lick the lawsuit of a idiosyncratic who was killed connected the broadside of a unrecorded volcano successful Series 6.

Best quote: “This is simply a afloat English breakfast. It is the lone guaranteed hangover cure determination is, and successful my opinion, the astir important taste publication my state has ever fixed to the world”

Last sighting: Solving crimes successful Cornwall... successful the rotation disconnected Beyond Paradise.

DI Jack Mooney (Ardal O’Hanlon)

Years of service: 2017-2020

Murders solved: 22

Most bizarre case: Bride-to-be’s Diane Smith appears to leap from the balcony of her locked chamber successful a wedding time termination bid. Yet an unfastened jar of nail polish makes Mooney realise it was successful information a carefully-executed execution by ther 3 soon-to-be stepchildren.

Best known for: His Irish charm

Last sighting: Leaving the land to instrumentality to London with girl Siobhan.

DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little)

Years of service: 2020 to 2024

Murders solved: 37

Most bizarre case: A Murder Forewarned, S12: A h2o taxi operator is recovered dormant conscionable arsenic Neville receives a missive informing him a execution is astir to beryllium committed. He goes to face the fishy - who past turns up dormant arsenic well, forcing the squad to apprehension Neville.

Best quote: “I could’ve gone done my full beingness and ne'er knew I had it successful maine to consciousness this happy”

Last sighting: Sailing disconnected into the sunset with his emotion interest, DS Florence Cassell.