Shetland star Julie Graham: "Rhona comes back at a very opportune moment!" (2024)

Shetland star Julie Graham: "Rhona comes back at a very opportune moment!" (1)

Julie Graham is making her long-awaited return to Shetland as procurator fiscal Rhona Kelly, the public prosecutor responsible for overseeing the police's investigations. Rhona hasn't been seen since the end of the fifth season, with her position held until recently by Maggie Kean (Line Of Duty star Anneika Rose).

Now, however, Rhona is back in Lerwick and ready to join her team once again — and with DI Jimmy Perez (Douglas Henshall) in crisis and the search for missing Connor Cairns growing increasingly complicated, it's clear that she's going to be very much in demand.

We caught up with Julie to find out what's in store for Rhona's return in Shetland season 7...

Welcome back to Shetland! How did you find returning to the show?

"It was lovely! I didn't really mean to miss the other season, but it was all to do with Covid — we were meant to do it in 2020, and then obviously it got canceled, and by the time 2021 came around I had a whole backlog of work that I was meant to do, so I just couldn't fit it in. It was as basic as that, to be honest! But it was really nice to come back — and I wanted to do it especially because it was the last time that Dougie was going to do it."

  • Shetland star Douglas Henshall quits hit BBC show after seven series
  • Why has Douglas Henshall left Shetland? And what's in store in his final series?

Rhona comes back at a crucial moment in the investigation. What can you tell us about her return?

"She comes back right into the middle of it, that's right! She comes back at a very opportune moment to sort everything out —or to try to sort everything out. It's a highly unusual crime for anywhere in the world, particularly for Shetland, but it's a very believable storyline —eco-warriors, or eco-terrorists, depending on what side you're sitting on. So yeah, it's a pretty big mess up there, and I think for that reason it's a very interesting season. It's a very strong storyline because it's very prescient and relevant at the moment."

Shetland star Julie Graham: "Rhona comes back at a very opportune moment!" (2)

What's it like filming the big scenes in the police station with all the team?

"That's the reason I keep going back, I like that because it's an unusual set-up. It certainly wouldn't happen in a big city, or even a town, having the police and justice system in one building. They're usually quite separate entities, but because it's Shetland and it's small, they have to house everybody together, and for that reason, it's much more collaborative between the lawyering and the detective work!"

One of her first priorities is to check in with Perez and see if he's okay. Do you enjoy their relationship?

"Yeah, that for me is really important. We always try to get something personal in with Rhona and Perez, just to show that they're more than colleagues, that they're actually friends and that they really care about each other. I think in a small team like that, you either wouldn't be able to stand each other, or you'd be very close friends!

"He's been through such a hard time, and she hasn't been around, so yeah, it's always nice to have those scenes where they're just checking in. And I love working with Dougie — he's such a wonderful actor, and we're really, really good pals. We've got a kind of chemistry and a shorthand together, and I think the audience quite enjoys seeing that as well."

Shetland star Julie Graham: "Rhona comes back at a very opportune moment!" (3)

Do you think Rhona's job would appeal to you in real life if you weren't an actor?

"Probably! I'd be much more interested in the criminal element than in the corporate, but yeah, I think it would be a very interesting job. I might be a little bit more interested in doing it in a big city! I know a few actors who started out as lawyers and then became actors, and I know a few actors who have given it up and gone into law, so I suppose there's a connection there."

A lot of your scenes are in the police station, which are filmed in a studio near Glasgow. Do you get to go to Shetland itself very much?

"I went there the first couple of seasons, but it would always work out that a lot of my stuff is in the office —they tend to fit me in while I'm doing other jobs, to be honest, so it's very rare that I've got the time to go up there. I've been a couple of times and it's beautiful, but I feel like I've been there and I've done it, so I don't really need to go back.

"But yeah, it's all smoke and mirrors —I haven't been up there for about four years! I think people think they've seen me outside, and I'm like, 'no, you really didn't — but it's good that you think that!'"

Shetland star Julie Graham: "Rhona comes back at a very opportune moment!" (4)

How did you feel when you found out Douglas was leaving?

"Well, to be perfectly honest — and I don't know if this is common knowledge —we thought it was the end for the whole show. That was one of the reasons I wanted to go back and do it, even though I couldn't do the whole series, I just went back for three episodes because we thought it was going to be the end.

"But I definitely knew that even if the show continued, that Dougie didn't want to do it any more. It's a huge chunk out of his life and he's in every scene, it's a big, big job for him, while we all kind of flit in and out. I think playing something for 10 years is a huge commitment, and I think he just wants to go on and do other things — and I can't blame him for that, to be honest.

"Shetland will always be remembered for Perez, and for Dougie's performance, there's no doubt about it. Even if it does carry on and someone else takes over, he's made his mark and left a real legacy for the show."

  • Shetland continues Wednesdays at 9pm on BBC One.

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Shetland star Julie Graham: "Rhona comes back at a very opportune moment!" (5)

Steven Perkins

Staff Writer for TV & Satellite Week, TV Times, What's On TV and whattowatch.com

Steven Perkins is a Staff Writer for TV & Satellite Week, TV Times, What's On TV andwhattowatch.com, who has been writing about TV professionally since 2008. He was previously the TV Editor for Inside Soap before taking up his current role in 2020. He loves everything from gritty dramas to docusoaps about airports and thinks about the Eurovision Song Contest all year round.

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Shetland star Julie Graham: "Rhona comes back at a very opportune moment!" (2024)

FAQs

Why did Julie Graham leave Shetland? ›

I didn't really mean to miss the other season, but it was all to do with Covid — we were meant to do it in 2020, and then obviously it got canceled, and by the time 2021 came around I had a whole backlog of work that I was meant to do, so I just couldn't fit it in. It was as basic as that, to be honest!

Why did Perez leave Shetland? ›

Jimmy had resigned from the police, having sacrificed his career for a noble act, and was ready to move on to pastures new.

Who is the father of Tosh's baby in Shetland? ›

Actor Angus Miller plays Donnie, Tosh's partner and the father of her child. Although he's so-far missing in the early part of Shetland series 8! His best-known role before Shetland was on CBeebies Teacup Travels, so a lot of parents might recognise him.

Who is Rona on Shetland? ›

Julie Graham plays Rhona Kelly in the new series of Shetland.

Why did Duncan leave Shetland? ›

When he paid Duncan a visit in prison in the drama's opening moments, Duncan revealed that he won't be returning to Shetland following his release. "There's plenty that think I let Donna off the hook," he told him candidly, resigned to uprooting his life and starting afresh. Mark Bonnar as Duncan in Shetland.

What happened to Jimmy Perez's daughter in Shetland? ›

Perez cannot come to terms with Cassie being a murderer, so he invents a fanciful plot involving the mafia and corrupt cops to divert the investigation from his daughter. But in the end his daughter is caught and is taken away from Shetland in handcuffs to spend decades in prison.

Who replaces Tosh on Shetland? ›

But in season eight, all of that has changed following Henshall's decision to say goodbye to the character of Perez after nine years on the programme. Instead of Perez and Tosh leading the way, it will be left to newcomer, Met Police DI Ruth Calder - played by After Life's Ashley Jensen - to front the drama.

What happened to Tosh on Shetland? ›

In the aftermath, which was handled impeccably by writer Gaby Chiappe, she cycled through a whole gamut of emotions as she processed what had happened to her. And while she is forever changed, Tosh was eventually able to return to her job, fall in love and have a baby.

Who is replacing Jimmy Perez in Shetland? ›

He has been replaced by Ashley Jensen, who is playing the new lead detective, Met Police Detective Inspector Ruth Calder.

Who does Jimmy Perez end up with? ›

But it wasn't all sadness for Jimmy Perez in Shetland as the final moments of Shetland series 7 saw him set out on a brand new journey as he met up with nurse Meg Pattison.

Did Tosh in Shetland have a baby in real life? ›

She gave birth to their daughter in 2017 and welcomed their son in 2020. The couple have kept their children's names private and the actress said it was tough falling pregnant during the pandemic. She told the Sunday Mail: "I hadn't planned a pandemic into it when I got pregnant the second time.

Why does Perez in Shetland have a Spanish name? ›

Fran was from Glasgow. Duncan left the family when Cassie was a baby. Enter Jimmy Perez, originally from Fair Isle (descendant of a Spanish lad who got shipwrecked there, fell in love with a local girl, and the rest is history from a few centuries back that explains why he has a Spanish family name).

Why did Henshall leave Shetland? ›

Douglas Henshall made the decision to leave Shetland, in part, because he wanted to pursue other acting opportunities. However, another aspect of his choice to depart the drama was his time as DI Perez coming to a natural conclusion.

Will Julie Graham return to Shetland? ›

Shetland is returning to our screens for Season 7, with Julie Graham rejoining the cast.

Who is new woman in Shetland? ›

Ashley Jensen, 54, will take over the leading role as the character DI Ruth Calder after Douglas Henshall left the show.

What happened to Tosh Shetland? ›

Summary. Tosh survives the explosion in Shetland season 7 after finding a way to escape the bomb-rigged caravan. Although physically unharmed, Tosh experiences PTSD-like symptoms and struggles with emotional trauma after the event.

What happened to the detectives wife in Shetland? ›

After many happy years together, Fran dies. Jimmy then returns to Shetland with his teenage step-daughter. Duncan is now married to Mary and they are expecting their first child together.

Will Cassie be in series 8 of Shetland? ›

However, just about everyone else will return from previous seasons, including Alison O'Donnell as DS Alison "Tosh" McIntosh, Steven Robertson as DC Sandy Wilson, Mark Bonnar as Duncan Hunter, Lewis Howden as PS Billy McCabe, Erin Armstrong as Cassie Pérez, Anne Kidd as Cora McLean, and Angus Miller as Donnie.

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