Brenda Blethyn set for role worlds away from ITV Vera as she issues statement on new career move: ‘Unmissable opportunity!’
Brenda Blethyn has landed her first major television role since departing from ITV’s Vera as DCI Stanhope earlier this year.
The 79-year-old actress will lead Channel 4’s new adaptation of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s novel A Woman of Substance.
This eight-part series marks a significant new chapter for Blethyn, who hung up her famous trench coat and hat after 14 years of playing the loveable detective.
The drama is set to air next year, with the adaptation seeing Blethyn portray Emma Harte, an impoverished Yorkshire maid who rises to become a formidable business mogul.
Irish actress Jessica Reynolds has been cast to play the younger version of Emma in the period drama, which will follow the character’s remarkable journey from survival to success as she shatters the glass ceilings of 20th-century society.
Emma eventually becomes the world’s richest woman while navigating the trials of her business empire in 1911, leaving the character to embark on the journey from poverty to extraordinary wealth.
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The drama shows Emma defying the lowly expectations that society has thrust upon her and fearlessly challenging the roles she had been given, becoming a 20th-century feminist icon.
Blethyn recently expressed her enthusiasm for the role, and noted: “I’m overjoyed to be taking on this iconic role, in the footsteps of the great Deborah Kerr.
“As a fan of Barbara Taylor Bradford, it is an unmissable opportunity to play the fierce Emma Harte.”
Reynolds agreed with Blethyn’s words and added that the opportunity was an “absolute dream” and noted how inspired she was by her fellow actors within the drama.
“The team and cast we have behind this are truly inspiring, and I’m so excited to bring the stunning scripts and this great piece of literature to the screen.”
The cast ensemble also includes Irish actor Emmett J Scanlan as Adam Fairley, and Line Of Duty’s Will Mellor as Jack Harte.
TV Bafta winner Lenny Rush will play Frank Harte, while Lydia Leonard takes on the role of Olivia Wainwright alongside Leanne Best, who has been cast as Adele Fairley.
Filming has already begun in Yorkshire, with Channel 4 confirming the series will air next year, with a date set to be announced soon.
The original adaptation of A Woman of Substance aired on Channel 4 40 years ago, and starred Deborah Kerr and Jenny Seagrove.
The 1984 series also featured Liam Neeson and garnered two Emmy nominations, including one for Kerr.
Its finale on January 4, 1985, attracted 13.8 million viewers, which remains Channel 4’s highest ever audience to this day.
Rebecca Holdsworth, commissioning editor at Channel 4, promised the new version would be a “fresh, sexy and bold adaptation of an iconic book”.