Angela Griffin talks to Katherine MacAlister about joining the cast of Lewis

The last time I saw Angela Griffin she was lying in a pool of her own blood, having been clobbered by an unknown assailant.

As DS Lizzie Maddox, DI Hathaway’s newest sidekick in Oxford ITV drama Lewis, she is a welcome addition to the traditionally male dominated line-up.

And yet here she is alive and well in front of me. How can that be? “I know, I watched it with my girls and they were shouting ‘tell me when the hammer comes down mummy’, but of course you don’t actually see that in Lewis.

“Suffice to say I do feature in the next episode, but I don’t have many words,” Angela laughs. “But I loved the part, because although Lizzie does a lot of the donkey work, she is also the one who often unearths the final clue. And I liked the fact that it was a grown up role because I’ve done a lot of comedy this year which is so subjective, and this was a bit more serious. I like a good drama.”

Fans will know that much has been afoot in Lewis of late, both Lawrence Fox and Kevin Whately having previously retired from the series. To see them back again with a new DS in tow was all grist to the publicity mill.

“Never believe an actor who says never again,” Angela smiles. “Lewis is in Kevin’s DNA.”

As for Angela, having worked non-stop since being cast in Coronation Street aged 16, with long-running parts in Holby City and Waterloo Road under her belt, Lewis must have been an easy transition? “Well, I had to go and audition like everyone else. There were 15 of us being seen on the day and I didn’t think I’d got it actually because I didn’t hear back from them for three weeks. I was instantly interested in the part though. I’m always attracted to the big TV shows,” she says unnecessarily.

“And to be filming in Christ Church was amazing. I didn’t go to university so I’ve been living vicariously through Lewis and it was lovely to dip in and out of Oxford and access places that ordinarily you’d need five A*s at A-Levels to get anywhere near.”

So what was it like joining such a well-established cast? “Like the first day of school – there they all were. But I’ve spent 20 years in TV so it’s all familiar. In theatre I had no idea what all the lingo meant or how it worked, but in TV I was back in familiar territory and it was really nice. It’s where I am comfortable. But working with Kevin and Lawrence is brilliant. They are such a pair.”

So what next? ”Let’s just say the door is open for another series, so I’m not worried about work for a while,” she says cryptically.

Her role as DS Lizzie Maddox came straight off the back of a two-play stint in the West End, her debut actually, so it’s been an interesting year for the 38 year-old mother-of-two.

“When One Man Two Guvnors came up I didn’t think they’d take a risk on me, but they did, because I hadn’t been on stage since I was 16,” she explains, “but theatre was where it all started for me. That’s where I saw my career heading. I didn’t even think about TV and didn’t know how it worked, but I loved theatre, it’s what inspired me. And then I got a part in Corrie and stayed in TV until I was 30.” What was it like being back on stage then? “Absolutely terrifying, but at least One Man Two Guvnors was already a hit, it was proven and had rave reviews already. I didn’t have to create the part of Dolly, it was already there.”

Then came the comedy Breeders with Tamzin Outhwaite, “which was so much riskier.” Good for her career though! “It really paid off,” Angela agrees. “I’m cemented in theatre and TV now and have proved I can do both.”

What is surprising is that before One Man came along Angela was out of work for a year. I’d presumed it was because she was off with her children, but that wasn’t the case. “No, I took six months off with each of my children and then went straight back to work. This was different. No one wanted to cast me.”

So how did she cope? “It was really difficult and really knocked my confidence. I was quite low,” she admits. “I started wondering if I’d been found out and that they’d realised I wasn’t any good. It made me appreciate my job more and to see how lucky I’d been up until then, because that’s how most actors live their lives. It’s a feast or famine existence.”

With two daughters then, is she encouraging them to follow suit? “My mother worked. She had three jobs and I learnt my work ethic from her and she inspired me not to sit around and do nothing. I want my kids to see the same thing and to be committed to what they do.

“They are old enough to understand now, when I go off to work, what I do, and that I love my job and couldn’t be without it. I’ve never wanted to be a stay-at-home mum and give a round of applause for any that do, but it’s not for me. So I never moan about working because, as an actor, you want to be busy.”

And her husband? “He does voiceovers so is at home more for school drop-offs and play dates when I’m not around. There’s always one of us at home.” She adds: “Actually I was on This Morning with Amanda Holden the other day and my husband had to do the voiceover,” she tells me. What did he say? “He said ‘here is my very beautiful and talented wife’,” she laughs again in delight. Not far off then.

Oxford Mail:

WIN LEWIS ON DVD

Lewis Series 8 and Lewis 1-8 The Complete Collection from ITV Studios Home Entertainment are available now on DVD. Both are available to pre-order from Amazon and iTunes.

We have three sets of both releases to give away. Just answer this simple question:

Who does Angela Griffin play in Lewis?
A. Juliet Bravo
B. DS Lizzie Maddox    
C. Agatha Christie

Email katherine.macalister@nqo.com with your answers by Monday, November 24, 2014, including your name, address and contact number. Normal Newsquest rules apply.

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