Brenda Blethyn has said she would love to return to her starring role in Vera, nearly two years after leaving the long-running ITV drama. The 80-year-old actress played DCI Vera Stanhope for more than a decade before bowing out in early 2025, but has now said she would jump at the chance of a comeback if it ever came about.
Return 'at the drop of a bucket hat'
In a new interview with Woman's Day, Blethyn said: "In a drop of her bucket hat. Yes, if they did a special or something, of course I would. It was a wonderful job." She recently starred in the remake of A Woman Of Substance and relished filming something a million miles away from Vera, which meant she could finally ditch the famous bucket hat and coat synonymous with her signature role.
Joking about her character's famous costume, she said she would come back 'at the drop of a bucket hat'. She said: "It's a great story traversing the 20th century in all its highs, lows and innovations. What's not to like? It's exciting and it ticks all the boxes. It's sexy and tragic, then it arrives at her being the richest woman in the world!"
She added: "The series opens with older Emma in a limousine with a cocktail cabinet in the corner in 1970s uptown New York. I thought, 'Finally, I've arrived! Where is the old trench coat and bucket hat from Vera?' It was great! Variety is the spice of life and it was fun to embrace that, swanning about in couture and high heels!"
Career highlights and fondness for Vera
Away from Vera, Blethyn has had a versatile acting career, receiving Academy Award nominations for her roles in Little Voice and Mike Leigh's Secrets & Lies. She also appeared in the 2005 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice and, prior to that, starred in the Holocaust miniseries Anne Frank: The Whole Story. From 2020 until 2022, she starred in the ITV sitcom Kate & Koji alongside Jimmy Akingbola and Inbetweeners star Blake Harrison.
She recently insisted she is always happy to discuss her most famous role. She said: "I don't mind still talking about Vera because I'm rather proud of her. I had to do the show for so long – it was 15 years if you count back to the pilot. She's like an old friend. I still take every opportunity to go back to Newcastle."
Final Vera novel confirmed
Just weeks ago, author Ann Cleeves appeared at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, where she confirmed she was writing the twelfth novel in the series. In an interview before taking to the stage for the festival's closing event last Sunday, Cleeves disclosed she has completed writing the final Vera novel in what she hopes is "a fitting way to end it".
She added: "I loved writing it. Brenda hasn't read it yet, so I'll be sending it to her as she's such a great reader." Meanwhile, Blethyn said: "She'll still be there floating about, she's not dead, is she?" to which Cleeves replied: "No, I haven't killed her. I can tell you I haven't killed her."
