Picture Shows: DI Sam Gillespie (MAX BROWN)
Q: What appealed to you about Sister Boniface?
A: I haven’t played a comedic role before, so that was a massive attraction for me. The scripts were very witty and appealing. I haven’t read many series like this where I’ve laughed out loud. There are lots of detective series, but not many are as quirky as this. It landed in my lap at the perfect time after lockdown. It was such a lot of fun.
Q: Why do you think the scripts for Sister Boniface work so well?
A: In every episode, the whodunits are hard to work out, and I think audiences will really enjoy following those. People love to play detective and work out the mystery before the characters. I love watching detective dramas with my wife and trying to guess whodunit. There are so many curveballs in every Sister Boniface script. They’re brilliantly written.
Q: How would you characterise Sam?
A: He is a bumbling bachelor. He’s got very strong ethics and he’s a war hero, but he very heavily relies Sister Boniface’s scientific expertise to close cases. She is the brain and Sam is the brawn!
Q: How would you describe Sam’s relationship with Sister Boniface?
A: They’re like brother and sister. They’re very close. He has a lot of respect for what she does. He doesn’t fully understand everything that she exposes his mind to, but they also like to have a drink together at the end of the day and just unwind. The great thing about her character is that she has that very serious, scientific side, but she’s also very social and a real person.
Q: Did you hit it off with Lorna and Jerry?
A: Yes, we got on really well from day one. It’s such a pleasure to do a job where you have so much fun and going to work is never a chore. We had lots of laughs along the way, and I think that shows on screen. I think there’s a real chemistry between all of us on screen, and I’m really happy the show has captured that.
Q: How do you think audiences will react to Sister Boniface?
A: The show is as endearing as a murder mystery can be. Despite the murders, I hope viewers come away with a sunny disposition. The show is great escapism. The murders aren’t at all gruesome. Like Father Brown, it has that wonderful warm feeling of nostalgia that viewers will instantly fall for it. There is so much charm in the world of Sister Boniface.
