Ralf Little has revealed the savage yet humorous response he received from his younger brother after taking on a recent acting role. Following his departure from Death in Paradise, the actor took on the character of Alec Leamas in the spy thriller The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.
The character was a far cry from the roles fans are used to seeing him play. However, according to Ralf's brother, the part was actually closer to his real-life personality.
Brother's brutal observation
Speaking about the role on Joel Dommett's BBC Radio 2 show, the 46-year-old said: "It was really kind of dark and twisted and my brother, who is 10 years younger than me said to me, 'Oh, it's really good'.
"And I said, 'Oh, thanks' and he said, 'It must be nice to finally play yourself'."
Laughing, Ralf admitted he was taken aback by his sibling's brutal observation, explaining that the character was "a 45-year-old burnt out functioning alcoholic" who was also "grumpy" and "disaffected".
"He said, 'It was much more you'. I was like, 'Alright, well don't tell everyone! At least soften the blow a little bit'," he laughed.
Love for darker characters
Ralf, whose recent roles have also included the Channel 4 psychological thriller Hunting Alice Bell, said playing Graham Hunter was another joy because it allowed him to take on a character unlike those he has portrayed before.
"Doing Hunting Alice Bell was a real joy because again I get to play somebody that's very far away from who I am and what I'm known for, what I'm like, unless you ask my brother in which case, I'm playing myself," he added.
"I love darker characters and I understand why I rarely get the opportunity to but I really enjoy it."
Upcoming projects
Ralf is now set to appear in the new Agatha Christie drama Hercule, joining a stellar cast.
His latest projects come two years after he stepped away from the BBC drama Death In Paradise, in which he played DI Neville Parker. Sharing a touching statement at the time of his departure, he said: "My time on Saint Marie has come to an end - what an end! New adventures await Neville, and he got to sail away into the sunset with his best friend. Who knows what happens for them next!".
Previously discussing why he made the decision to leave, he said on BBC Breakfast: "I had talks with the BBC, and with Red Planet, the production company, and we all agreed that it just felt... if it was in my heart, like if it was just a heart decision, I'd have wanted to do it for 20 more years."
"For my character Neville, it just sort of felt like his story... it deserved to be finished and his journey... deserved to be completed and he deserved a nice happy ending and so it just felt right."
