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
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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."
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."
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!'"
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.
