Anna Samson, who plays Mackenzie Clarke in the Australian Death in Paradise spin-off Return to Paradise, has addressed comparisons between her character and Kris Marshall's Humphrey Goodman. Speaking about the parallels, Samson described the comparison as a 'great compliment' and revealed she studies Marshall's interviews for insights into the show.
The actress explained that she draws on Marshall's commentary about the genre and character development. 'I find what Kris Marshall says in interviews about the genre, the show, the writing, the characters, very, very clever,' she said. 'He's very smart, and he's very correct in a lot of the things he says about making a show like this.'
Return to Paradise's first series featured a nod to the original show, with Mack's arrival mirroring that of Ben Miller's Detective Richard Poole. The spin-off also saw Ardal O'Hanlon reprise his role as Jack Mooney, appearing via video link from London.
Samson expressed enthusiasm for future crossovers, stating she is 'constantly trying to get those other detectives somewhere in the show... out for dinner, something.' She added that being a detective in the franchise provides a good excuse to meet her predecessors without feeling like a 'fan girl.'
