Jessica Plummer reveals her favorite part of filming Missing You for Netflix

What do you do when your estranged ex-fiancé suddenly pops up on a dating app? That’s the intriguing jumping-off point in Missing You, the latest Netflix adaptation of a thriller by bestselling American author Harlan Coben that follows in the footsteps of previous adaptations such as Fool Me Once, Stay Close and Safe.

With a stellar cast that includes Richard Armitage, Top Boy’s Ashley Walters, Inside No. 9’s Steve Pemberton, Van der Valk’s Marc Warren and Sir Lenny Henry, the five-parter centers on a detective who is haunted by her past.

Slow Horses actor Rosalind Eleazar stars as singleton Kat Donovan, who is encouraged by her friend Stacey (former EastEnders star Jessica Plummer) to try a new dating app. However, she is totally blindsided when her ex Josh (Walters), who disappeared years earlier appears as a match.

Here Jessica Plummer tells us everything about playing Kat's best friend, Stacey...

What first appealed to you about Stacey as a character?

"She was written as somebody who is underestimated. To me that was quite appealing. I try to give my characters as many layers as possible. I didn’t read the book because I was told that her character is quite different in it. I was given free rein with Stacey and I enjoy figuring out all those little bits."

Why do you think Stacey chose her line of work as a private investigator?

"I feel like it’s not something that you fall into. I don’t necessarily think she has a vendetta against all men and if Stacey were to describe it, she would say she believes in justice and the truth, be it exposing men or women or whoever. There is something in her past where an injustice has happened and that is what spurs her in her job; she enjoys feeling like she is revealing the truth."

What choices did you make with the costume designer about Stacey’s undercover wardrobe?

"The whole team was amazing to work with. I had an idea of what Stacey would be like but then they almost read my mind and elevated it and made it 100 times chicer and classier. They did a really good job. Stacey’s wardrobe is a lot better than Jessica Plummer’s wardrobe. There is a load of fun outfits - I’m wearing a squash outfit at one point."

Did you go shopping with the costume designer in Manchester?

"Sadly not. I want them to go shopping for me for my personal wardrobe! We had loads of fittings. We spent hours on all her different costumes. Stacey gets changed a lot because she’s always going off on missions. They got a mixture of high street and designer and had fun with it, but they also wanted to reflect a real person. They didn’t want to make her a caricature of what someone in her line of work might look like on paper. My favorite outfit is one that I don’t think you will see clearly in the show because Stacey is in a car when she’s wearing it. It’s this gorgeous grey, denim two-piece. It’s so chic and wonderful."

Can you watch yourself back onscreen?

"I find it challenging but it is helpful. It’s the best way to learn. I’m getting better at accepting that what is done is done. I’m not someone who asks to see the scene replayed. I’ll do anything to avoid that. Even in photo shoots where they say, “Do you want to see?” No. No way."

After playing traumatized characters like Chantelle in EastEnders and Emma in The Girl Before, in what different ways is Stacey emotionally challenging?

"They are all different characters. Most of what you see of Stacey in Missing You is her supporting Kat. It was nice playing a girl’s girl. I consider myself quite a girl’s girl. One of the reasons she is underestimated is that she comes across as bubbly, fun and light-hearted. It was nice to do some scenes where I didn’t have to cry. It was me doing the hugging this time. I’m not a method actress by any means but getting into that mindset Stacey was a joy to play."

Were you able to spend much time with Rosalind Eleazar and Mary Malone when you weren’t filming?

"I connected with both Ros and Mary straight away. They are both lovely women but with our schedules and lives, we didn’t manage to spend that much time out of work with each other. We did have a lot of giggles. My favorite scenes were when it was the three of us together."

How would you describe Stacey’s friendship with Kat and Aqua?

"I see it as Kat and Aqua are old school friends. They see Stacey as the new friend. Stacey would fly to the moon and back for Kat. She is properly in awe of her and loves her through thick and thin and Stacey is very protective of her."

How is Stacey able to help Kat when she is trying to find out what happened to her father?

"Stacey has all the contacts; she has got her fingers in a lot of pies. If there is a way in which she can help Kat, whether it’s through a person’s cousin she knows or even an uncle’s dog, she is going to make those phone calls to help in any small way that she can."

Did you get to explore Manchester on your days off?

"I did a lot of walking around. I went to a very nice Mexican restaurant called Canto (in Cutting Room Square). That was on a Sunday. It was the same day that Manchester City had won the Premier League. I could see a sea of Manchester City fans popping fireworks in the air and throwing powder paint. It was so much fun."

What was your most interesting location on this job?

"I had two favorite locations for two very different reasons. One was Sefton Park in Liverpool, which was so beautiful. It was nice to be in a big green area doing yoga. The first day in February was only four degrees and Stacey was wearing a skimpy little yoga outfit top pretending not to be cold while she did downward dog. But when we shot there again a bit later in the year the weather had warmed up.

"The other location I liked, not necessarily because it looked cool but becasue there was a good energy there, was the flashback scene with Josh, Stacey, Kat and Aqua in a bar having drinks and laughing. That was probably my favorite scene to shoot. We sat around a table with the camera going around us. They weren’t using any audio so I was just giving the worst jokes ever that my daughter would find hilarious. No one was laughing at them which I found really funny. That was a good day. It was just a nice vibe."

Have you binged previous Harlan Coben Netflix series?

"Yes, I watched Fool Me Once when it came out and they did such a good job. I was on a plane when I watched the final episode. You can never tell with Harlan’s work where it’s going to go. It’s always the last person you think it could possibly be. During that final episode, I had tears streaking down my face. Then when I looked up all his other shows on Netflix, I realised I’d seen them all!"

Missing You launches worldwide on Netflix on January 1 2025. You'll be able to binge all five episodes of the series from then.