Benidorm is Murder is Channel 5's latest detective drama, written by Death in Paradise writer Ian Jarvis. John Hannah stars as burnt-out ex-detective Dennis Govan, who is hiding behind a failing Scottish pub in Benidorm. He meets aspiring actress Rosa, who is obsessed with classic British crime shows and talks her way into his bar, his investigations, and his life. Together, they solve crimes in the holiday hotspot.
Who plays Rosa?
Carolina Bécquer plays Rosa. Viewers first meet her in episode one when she enters Dennis's pub, The Tavern. Rosa is a hyperactive aspiring actress who talks herself into a job and then into his life as his self-appointed sidekick.
Speaking about casting Carolina, writer Ian Jarvis said: "Rosa is the catalyst to everything. Dennis just wants to sit and watch sport in his own pub and drink beer all day for the rest of his life. She lights a fire under him and gets him out. She's this brilliant ball of energy and Carolina is not dissimilar to Rosa in many ways. We just feel lucky to have got her before she's a superstar."
He added: "It's great having a Spanish character at the heart of the series because they give an alternative point of view on the British and all our idiosyncrasies and the weird idioms we use. On a practical level it is great that Rosa speaks Spanish because us Brits are not very good at learning the language."
Chemistry on screen
Jarvis also said: "Dennis and Rosa's relationship is the heart of the show. You can only write it so much and then you just hope you can find two actors who have that kind of chemistry and can do the rest. Carolina and John light up the screen. They are very much like they are on-camera when they are off-camera."
John Hannah spoke about working with Carolina: "We clicked immediately as people. It was like we'd known each other forever. I said to Simon [director] that I thought this show would stand or fall on the Rosa character. It's a very, very difficult part to be that light and fluffy, but also to be serious and believable, and to do so much dialogue in a foreign language. I can barely do it in English. Ian and the production team were very bold in writing such a complex character and hoping that they would find somebody that could do it. Carolina is such a find and such a lovely human being."
Who is Carolina Bécquer?
Carolina Bécquer is a bilingual actress with international training and experience in film, TV, and theatre. Benidorm is Murder is her first big television role, although she appeared in the film 8 Years in 2022.
Speaking about her first day on set, Carolina said: "Oh gosh, I was very nervous. I had one scene with John. I was particularly nervous because I had to say this funny line, which fortunately we had rehearsed. It was, 'Drink up you tart, you're nicked!' Director Simon Delaney said, 'I'm going to need that to be much more dramatic and very British.' John was so kind. He recorded himself saying the line and then I spent the entire weekend trying to copy his accent. I was nervous to say it in front of the entire crew but once I'd got it out a few times I was able to calm down and enjoy the day."
Carolina shared when she got the acting bug: "Since I was very young, I was always putting on shows for my family. I think they have some tapes of me as a kid putting on plays and driving everyone crazy with my singing and dancing. They took me to drama class when I was six years old. I loved it. I don't remember a specific moment when I said, 'I want to be an actress.' I think it came very naturally to me. I really enjoyed going to drama classes and when I realised that that was an option as a profession, I knew that that was my thing. I do remember going with my family to see The Sound of Music and I loved seeing those kids on stage performing and dancing. I just wanted to be up there with them."
Connection to the role
On what appealed to her about Rosa, Carolina said: "Honestly, I felt an immediate connection to her when I read the first episode. Usually when you get a character you must do some background work to understand them and see who they are but with Rosa I immediately knew who she was. That had never happened before. It was very instinctive. She wants to be an actress, but I really connected with how she comes alive when she's doing what she loves. Her passion. Her determination. It was very special."
Benidorm is Murder starts on Channel 5 on Thursday, July 30 at 9pm.
