Hello fellow Endeavourists and welcome to a new post. A very exciting post as we have Dakota Blue Richards AKA Shirley Truelove, answering the questions you asked. I don’t imagine Dakota will read this post or even this website but if she should wander in this friendly house then I would like to thank her for taking the time to take part in this Q&A.
So, without further ado let’s dive in.
Hi Dakota, Thank you so much for taking the time to complete this Q&A as I know you must be very busy. So here we go;
Q: Maria asks – Is there one film director that you have always wanted to work with? And Why?
A: There are many directors I would love to work with. Growing up, some of my favourite films were Tim Burton’s so working with him is a dream I’ve had since I was very young. Baz Luhrmann makes beautiful films, I think I know every word of Moulin Rouge! by heart, so working with him would be wonderful. Quentin Tarantino’s movies are some of my favourites as an adult. Also he writes some great female roles. I think I could die happy after starring in a Tarantino movie. But the list is very, very long and also features Ridley Scott (Blade Runner being another all time favourite), Dennis Villeneuve, Nicolas Winding Refn, Patty Jenkins, Greta Gerwig. Ava Duvernay is a recent favourite – my respect and admiration for her is growing exponentially.
Q: Kim asks – Having left the cast of Endeavour; what are your plans? I’d really like to watch what you’re involved in next.
A: I made a promise to myself after Endeavour that the next thing I worked on would be something I felt very passionate about. I’ve turned down jobs since finishing Season 5 on that basis. Until the right thing comes along I’m going to focus on my writing.
Q: Bertie asks – Who asked you to take this part? Did you have to audition for it? Did they tell you how many episodes you would be in -so you could plan your schedule for any other commitments?
A: I auditioned for the part back in April 2015. At that time Trewlove had only four lines. I took the part, which came with a three year contract, on the promise that the part would grow and develop. In terms of scheduling, we shot 6-8 months of the year, and we usually got our monthly schedules when we were already a week or two into them. That made it sort of difficult to have any other commitments.
Q: La Gazza Ladra asks – Is Shaun Evans as nice as everyone says he is? Surely, he must have the occasional off day?
A: He’s nicer. I’m really running out of ways to articulate what an incredible person he is. An inspiration as an actor and a true friend.
Q: Cappy asks – Did Russell Lewis provide you with a complete backstory for the Trewlove character or did you add more bits and bobs to it as time went on?
A: Nobody gave me any backstory for Trewlove whatsoever. To this day I don’t know where she came from or what her life was like previous to her appearance on the show. I have my own theories, of course, but I don’t know if they are in alignment with Russel’s. The following questions were asked by many people.
Q: What episode of Endeavour is your favorite? And why?
A: Icarus. I was very unwell during the shoot which made it difficult, but it was nice to explore a side of Trewlove that we haven’t seen much of. And I got to work with Shaun in a way I hadn’t had much opportunity to before.
Q: Was your decision to leave influenced by the fact your role was not as fully developed as it could have been? Or was it simply a case of time to move on?
A: Both.
Q: Endeavour hires a different director for every episode. Which one has been your favorite? And why?
A: I really liked Gordon Anderson. He was thoughtful and considerate of his actors. He encouraged us and gave us his thoughts but left room for our own interpretation too. He was also very understanding and accommodating of my poor health at the time.
Q: How arduous are the days when you are shooting? What do you do to pass the time in between takes?
A: Mostly I write. I wrote a screenplay from scratch during my time on Endeavour and then redrafted it three times. I found I wrote very well in my trailer, and the cast and crew were very supportive. Shaun and Anton especially gave me a lot of encouragement. I read a lot too. I read maybe 30 books in my trailer, including Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch and the complete plays by Henrik Ibsen. I also took a lot of naps.
Q: What is the most outrageous fan theory about the show that you are aware of?
A: That I killed Fancy.
Q: What Shakespeare character would you most like to play? And why?
A: Lady Macbeth. I’m already in character.
A few questions from me;
Q: What is like joining an established series as a new cast member?
A: It is daunting joining an established cast, but everyone was so kind and welcoming that I felt at home very quickly. I was no more nervous that I had been on any other job.
Q: Do you get star struck? I’m an admirer of Anton Lesser and I know that if I was in a scene with him I would be too busy watching the great man act that I would forget to say my line.
A: Anton is wonderful and I do spend a lot of time just watching him work. I have definitely felt star struck before, but ultimately we’re all just people working towards a collective goal. Once you start to feel like a team those feelings fall by the wayside. I’ve been incredibly fortunate in my career to have had the opportunity to work with some of my heroes.
Q: Did you do any research regarding policewoman in the police force in the 1960s?
A: Yes, but the few women that did exist in the police force at that time were documented as statistics – there are very few first hand accounts. It’s hard to build a character on statistics.
Q: Does it concern you that there are now no strong female police officer roles in the Endeavour series? (Of course, Russell might write a new female role into series 6).
A: It is no longer my show to be concerned about.
Enough from me onto questions from other fans.
Q: If you are available would you be happy to make a guest appearance in future episodes of the Endeavour series?
A: I am definitely open to it and have said as much to Russel, but it would depend very much on what they were bringing me back for.
Q: What was the first scene you recorded for the series and how nervous were you?
A: My introduction scene I believe. I was pretty nervous because I was yet to have a conversation with anybody about my character but Shaun very quickly made me feel at ease.
Q: Here is big question that so many fans of the Endeavour series need to know: What does Win put in Thursday’s sandwich on Wednesday?
A: If I knew I wouldn’t tell you.
Thank you from me and the followers of my website. We are all big fans of your Endeavour character and we were all sad to know that you would no longer be in the show. We all wish you well in your future roles and hope to see you on our TV screens very soon.
Regards Chris
My question wasn’t asked. I wanted to know if she was working in the US recently, or on a holiday.
Sorry Margaret I never received your question. Or it’s possible it arrived after I had sent the questions to Dakota. Sorry.
Thanks Chris and Dakota – loved the answer to my question regarding: directors – actually Dakota lists quite a few of my faves and a couple that I am not familiar with their work so going to check them out. I feel the series didn’t stretch her – especially Series 4 and 5 except her last episode but TBH I would have liked to have seen another scenario to showcase her – the fake marriage thing has been done to death (no pun intended) and didn’t really make sense to me unless she and Morse had some UST during the series which they didn’t.
This is brilliant. It was very kind of Dakota Blue Richards to take time to do this now that she’s no longer on the show. Good job putting the list of questions together.
OK – Very good – writer- now that is good to know- if she cannot continue the acting the way she wants to- then writing might hold something for her- but you know I am sure acting -will continue- thanks so much for the Q& A – good article !
If Endeavor and Lewis were spin-offs of Morse, perhaps there’s room after Endeavor ends for a “Trewlove of Scotland Yard”