Midsomer Murders actor Neil Dudgeon, known for bringing life to the character of DCI John Barnaby, has expressed his worry over getting "too old" for his role in the popular ITV drama.
Despite his initial joining of the show in 2011 being greeted with trepidation by fans who adored previous detective John Nettles, Neil has since carved a space for himself in viewers' hearts. Having starred in a whopping 50 episodes of the acclaimed British crime show, he admitted in a conversation with the Mirror that although he is not contemplating hanging up his detective hat anytime soon, age might eventually be a factor.
He said: "As I've got older, this ticks all my necessary boxes. So I imagine there's a point at which I just get too old and it looks a bit daft." Neil added his tenure has been unexpectedly long-lasting: "Nobody in their right mind as an actor would think 'I'm taking a job here for the next few months and it'll last for 12 years or something'."
Recalling his initial days on set, he shared: "They came along and said, 'ITV has commissioned four with you...' I thought four gives you a bit of time to play your way in."
Further delving into the past, he revealed how the number of episodes rapidly escalated: "And they upped it to eight before we started shooting. I thought: 'Oh, well, this is great. We've got eight and that'll be a lot of fun. I've got a job for a bit.'"
The Express reports he continued: "But when you get the recommission for another series, you do kind of feel like the faith and the trust of the people who had given me the job has been repaid. Their faith has been vindicated because, after 12 years, the show still works with him in the policeman's suit."
Meanwhile, Neil's colleague Annette Badland, who plays motorbike-riding chief pathologist Fleur Perkins on the show, previously spoke to Express.co.uk about the secret to the show's success. "I think it's quite quirky and English because the deaths are often extraordinary and the fans like that," she explained.
"There's humour and the calibre of actors they usually have on it is great - all the guests are tremendous. And the English countryside, you know, and the scenery and the houses we use; that gives it enormous international appeal, but I think it's great for the domestic market, too.
"Plus, it's a film-length piece - two hours long! You get a whole big meal that you get to relish without it being broken up into small chunks. You see the whole piece, which is great."
