Grantchester actor Robson Green has broken down in tears while reflecting on how the long-running ITV detective drama transformed his life during a period when he was "in a lot of trouble". The emotional admission came during a recent press interview where the star, who plays Detective Inspector Geordie Keating, opened up about the show's profound personal impact as it nears its conclusion.
A Transformative Opportunity During Personal Struggles
Speaking candidly about his journey with the popular series, Green revealed he was facing significant professional and personal challenges before joining the Grantchester cast. "Truth be told, I was in a lot of trouble when I was filming in Thailand before Grantchester," the actor confessed. "There was an accident on set and we weren't going to be paid. So, I was kind of struggling on many levels."
It was during this difficult period that Green received a fateful phone call from his agent about a new project from producer Emma Kingsman-Lloyd. "I got a phone call from my agent saying, 'Emma Kingsman-Lloyd wants to speak to you. She's got this project called Grantchester, written by Daisy Coulam,'" Green recalled. "I went, 'Great, I need something. I need something to hold onto here.'"
Finding Comfort and Connection in the Character
Upon receiving the script, Green immediately found solace in the material despite his troubled state of mind. "With the first ten pages, because of my state of mind of what was going on in my life, I found comfort in reading this, and I saw it immediately - I saw myself in it," he explained. The actor noted that while he looks nothing like James Runcie's original literary creation of Geordie Keating, he was grateful that writer Daisy Coulam envisioned him in the role.
The initial Skype conversation with producer Emma Kingsman-Lloyd further solidified his connection to the project. "I just remember talking to her about the project, the character, the relationship and where the storylines could possibly go," Green shared. "All the relations were tested by crime, the worst crime of all, light and dark murder."
The Emotional Finale and Lasting Legacy
As Grantchester approaches its eleventh and final season, likely to air next year, Green became emotional while reflecting on filming his last scenes. "In that final series, that final take, I just said a few words to everybody about how beautiful the experience has been," he revealed. "And then I just looked at Emma, and I just went back to that joyous day when she called me and basically gave me an opportunity that has been my road to Damascus. It's made me a better person."
The actor described breaking down during this poignant moment. "I just broke, it was beautiful... This beautiful family that, as a unit, you may never see again," Green said emotionally. "You probably won't ever see all those faces in one space ever again, and that was a beautiful moment. That was the highlight for me."
Grantchester's Enduring Spirit
Despite the series concluding, Green believes its essence will live on. "With Grantchester, nothing really ends, not really," he philosophised. "The River Cam will keep flowing, the swans will keep swimming. And if you're in Cambridge and you look hard enough, you might find two old men at the bar - an ex-copper and a vicar - having a warm pint and putting the world to rights."
The British crime drama, which first aired in 2014, follows Anglican vicars who investigate mysterious crimes in their quaint Cambridgeshire village alongside Detective Inspector Geordie Keating. Over ten series, Green's character has partnered with several vicars including Sidney Chambers (James Norton), Reverend Will Davenport (Tom Brittney), and most recently Alphy Kottaram (Rishi Nair).
Current Series and Future Mysteries
The tenth season of Grantchester returned to ITV earlier this month, thrilling fans with the continued partnership between Alphy and Geordie. In tonight's episode airing Wednesday, January 21, the duo will investigate allegations of witchcraft at a foundling home managed by an old acquaintance of the vicar's. When a corpse is discovered, Alphy struggles to view his friend as a potential suspect, creating another compelling mystery for the pair to solve.
Grantchester remains available to stream on ITVX, allowing both longtime fans and new viewers to experience the series that has meant so much to its leading actor. As Robson Green's emotional reflections demonstrate, sometimes television roles transcend mere performance to become genuinely transformative life experiences.
