Warning: containsBroadchurchseries 1-3 spoilers.
DavidTennant and Olivia Colman may have beenBroadchurchs leads, but Jodie Whittaker and Andrew Buchan were its heart.
As bereaved parents Beth and Mark Latimer, those two formed the dramas emotional spine.
Their poignant performances were a constant across three series telling a long-form story about grief and resilience.
That through it all, there are ways to keep going?
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Yes.
That was really interesting, particularly because the parallel of that is Mark, obviously.
There are also parallels between Beth and your character fromAdult Life Skills[2016, dir.
Rachel Tunnard, executive produced by Whittaker].
That was terrific, by the way.
Thanks, that was a massive passion project for me!
That kind of position and fear of moving forward is similar to Mark [inBroadchurch].
I never felt like well, Ive played a bereaved mum, now Im playing a bereaved twin.
Was it his intention to die, do you think?
Beth believes he did because when she asks him, he says so.
Yeah, the hot chocolate scene I asked him Did you not want to live?
and he said Yeah, I didnt want to live.
Thats his truth, like.
It would have been unfair on Beth to have killed Mark off at that point.
[Laughs] Sometimes that is life though, isnt it?
Beths anger is legendary.
[Laughs]
It is!
Youre brilliant at it.
Beth has shouted at everyone in Broadchurch I think.
We arent just someone who just sits and cries, or someone who just shouts about everything.
Its so realistic that you go through all those range of emotions, particularly in heightened situations.
I am quite an angry person so I love a shout [laughs].
Of all those emotions you list, which is the hardest for you to reach as an actor?
The only things that are difficult for me are when I dont understand why the characters doing it.
If I get why theyre doing it then all the hard works done, its in the writing.
By hour two my laugh sounds so fake.
I find that probably the hardest out of everything.
If the writings good and the writings giving it to you, all the hard works done.
I remember talking toMarcus Garvey, who played the Latimer family police liaison Pete in series one.
He had some great moments!
Constantly with a bit of toast in his hand eating the Latimers out of house and home!
Were really close as a group of people.
Wed all have a brilliant but difficult, exhausting time of it.
Itshouldbe hard, because its portraying things that have really happened to people and that should be taken seriously.
The show itself is also funny at times.
David [Tennant] and Olivia [Colman] in particular have these amazing scenes where theyre funny.
It cant just be misery.
The chemistry between the cast really makes all that work, those shifts in tone.
The chemistry that David and Olivia have is just incredible.
Me and Andy worked really well together, and with Charlie Beaumont who plays our daughter Chloe.
Weve just been really lucky in these families weve been plonked into and also as an ensemble.
Even when new people come in, Julie [Hesmondhalgh] was amazing.
Its such a nice sisterhood.
It was horrible knowing what friendship theyd lost.
I could watch an entire series of Beth and Ellie gossiping about vibrators in coastal bus shelters.
It was just really funny and giggly and real and it felt like this is a conversation people have.
What would you say youd take from working with an actor like Olivia Colman?
So if youre going to lead a show, lead it likethat.
Just know your place!
Its just like, know where credits due, thats how you lead a show.
Its been such a special five years.
Its like being in thick mud, isnt it?
Which particular scenes stand out to you?
Thats what is so clever.
I think its brilliant.
That scene, you didnt want to do that very often!
Broadchurchhas always been a feminist drama
Yeah, definitely.
But I think series three was particularly so.
It wasnt necessary for the story.
Someone else asked me that, its like, no!
No, there was nothing like that, but I get it.
Steady on, theyre not like that!
Also, we dont know, they just didnt know.
I hope him leaving was a way to do that.
I saw it as a kind of hopeful ending for him because it meant he was doing something.
Imagine in ten years maybe theres a revival series, aBroadchurchreunion.
What ending would you like to see for Beth and Mark?
Perhaps theyd be grandparents by then, from Chloe?
Whether theyre together or not, their love is still there.
Theyve gone through so much, theyve been together since they were fifteen.
Finally, if this is the end, thank you for Beth.
Ive loved watching her and Ellie my inspirations in all things.
I can only do breast-stroke!
Im a runner thoughits great, running, isnt it?
Jodie Whittaker, thank you very much!
BROADCHURCH SERIES 3 AND BROADCHURCH THE COMPLETE SERIES 1 3 BOX SET IS OUT NOW ON DVD AND BLU-RAY
