Douglas Henshall is known and loved for playing DI Jimmy Perez in the BBC’s hit detective drama Shetland, a role he played from the show’s inception in 2013 until its seventh season in 2022. Since his departure, Douglas has signed on to appear in a range of TV shows and films, including the upcoming period drama, Angh, which you can find out more about below.
It’s been almost three years since DI Perez handed in his detective badge, and fans might be wondering if he’ll ever make a comeback. Here’s all we know…
Will Douglas Henshall ever return to Shetland?
Since Shetland author Ann Cleeves announced the return of DI Jimmy Perez in her next novel, fans have been hoping the BBC will adapt the new book for the small screen with Douglas reprising his role as the detective.
© ITV/ShutterstockHowever, Douglas ruled out a return to the drama back in 2022 during an appearance on ITV’s This Morning. When asked by host Alison Hammond if he would make a comeback, Douglas said: “No, I’m done.”
Why did Douglas leave Shetland?
Opening up about his departure, Douglas told the Radio Times in 2022 that while stepping down from the role was not an easy decision, it was “preferable to being told that we were not going to do it anymore because it had run its course”.
“I feel very comfortable with the decision I made,” he added.
Douglas also felt that it was time to bring Jimmy’s story to a close and wanted to “go out on a high”.
© ITV/Shutterstock“I decided to leave a few years ago because I felt that Perez’s story was coming to a natural end – it was time to find a resolution to Perez’s private life,” he previously told the BBC. “I never wanted to ruin the things that were unique to him and our series, so it felt like the right time to wrap up his story in a way that would be satisfactory to everybody.”
He continued: “I am aware we’re not changing the world in any way, shape or form but as far as crime shows go, Shetland does really well in that genre. We tell stories that are very good, the characters are great and I wanted to go out on a high.”
Douglas’s latest role
Since leaving Shetland, Douglas has appeared in a number of TV shows, including the BBC’s Agatha Christie adaptation Murder Is Easy, and the Netflix thriller, Who Is Erin Carter?
© BBCIt won’t be long before Douglas is back on our screens, as he’s reportedly playing a pivotal role in the upcoming period drama, Angh.
© NetflixThe film is set in 1960s Nagaland, eastern India, and aims to “showcase an untold chapter of Naga history”, according to Variety.
A synopsis reads: “In 1960s Nagaland, a proud Konyak chief struggles to protect his dying traditions when an American missionary arrives with promises of aid that threaten his people’s identity. As his wife’s health deteriorates and famine looms, he and his mute son must make an impossible choice between survival and staying true to their ancestral ways.”
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