Ben Miller, best known for his role as DI Richard Poole in the BBC series Death in Paradise, has announced a new career venture. The 58-year-old actor will star in an eight-part comedy series titled Austin, acquired by the BBC, where he plays a children's author named Julian Hartswood.
In the series, Hartswood inadvertently causes a social media storm, threatening his career and that of his illustrator wife Ingrid, played by Sally Phillips. However, his life takes an unexpected turn when Austin, the neurodivergent son he never knew existed, arrives. Miller's character attempts to embrace this new family dynamic to restore his public image.
Miller, who has authored several children's books and was the ninth bestselling children's fiction author in 2021, finds art imitating life in this role. The Australian show has already been a hit on ABC and will be available on BBC iPlayer for UK viewers.
Reflecting on his departure from Death in Paradise after two series, Miller cited personal reasons, including the birth of his son and family commitments. He told Radio Times in 2014 that his circumstances made it 'too complicated' to continue filming in Guadeloupe.
