Brenda Blethyn is spotted filming new series of Vera
Brenda Blethyn now works closely with Kenny Doughty, who plays Aiden Healy on the popular ITV crime drama. For the first four seasons of the show though, she starred alongside David Leon as former sidekick Joe Ashworth. He was a fan favourite but the actor decided to leave the series, meaning Aiden was introduced as his replacement. Brenda, 77, has admitted she was left with “a broken heart” after David stepped away from the role.
The actress’s portrayal of Vera Stanhope has become iconic, and the show was an instant hit with fans.
Brenda has played the role of the leading lady since it first aired in 2011, but sadly she had to say goodbye to a close colleague.
Addressing David’s exit, Brenda remarked: “Kenny is my mate, my buddy.
“I never thought I’d get over David [Leon] going in series four.
“That broke my heart. But Kenny is also a really good actor and a joy to work with.
“He’s great company on set along with the rest of the cast, the crew and the directors.”
Back in 2014, David made his last appearance on Vera as Joe.
Joe was DCI Vera’s right-hand man and long-suffering colleague.
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As a Detective Sergeant, Joe and Vera solved numerous cases together and formed a close-knit bond, with Joe even being considered Vera’s surrogate son.
Leon’s official reason for leaving the ITV staple has never been explained, but it seems he made the decision to walk away from the character due to other work commitments.
As well as acting, Leon also works behind the cameras as a director, having worked on a number of short films.
Since Kenny joined the cast he has also become a popular part of the drama series.
Praising her co-stars further, Brenda labelled the Vera team as “loyal”.
“The Vera crew are great,” stated the actor. “Very loyal. When you consider we started filming Vera 13 years ago now, it’s mostly the same crew today.
“And a lot of local people as well. The loyalty to Vera is phenomenal.
“Our supporting artists are also very good. They are pretty regular and also loyal.
“It’s all part of the real teamwork that brings Vera to the screen.
“Everyone needs a huge amount of stamina to get through long days of filming with often a lot of travel to and from set.
“They can be 16-hour days by the time you also add on costume, make up and so on.”
Brenda has now been reunited with her former co-star, David Leon, who starred as DCI Vera Stanhope’s sidekick Joe Ashworth and made his last appearance way back in 2014.
The news came after the announcement Aidan Healey star Kenny Doughty would be leaving the show as Vera’s latest crime solving partner.
Vera is available to watch on ITV Hub.
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