You play new lead detective DI Humphrey Goodman; was the prospect of filming in the Caribbean for six months what attracted you to the show?
Well, it definitely wasn’t a game killer. We filmed in Guadeloupe, which is a very beautiful place. When I got the role I did get a few actors texting me going, ‘B*****d!’
The old DI (Ben Miller) was killed off in episode one. Did Ben give you any advice?
Yes, he told me to know my lines backwards, especially the reveal scenes at the end, which can be 11 pages long. If you start messing up, the heat can really sap your energy. Secondly, he said shoot all your scenes in the morning. In the afternoon, when it really heats up, you can be in flip-flops and a vest off camera watching the other actors fry!
Did they make you look hot and sweaty or was it natural?
It’s even hotter than it looks! You get your make up done at 7am and by 7.15am, it’s all sweated off. To begin with I was like, ‘Oh God! Do I look really sweaty?’ After a week I was like, ‘I’m in the Caribbean and I’m wearing a suit. I’m going to be sweaty!’
Did your family come out to stay with you?
Yes, my wife Hannah and son Thomas (aged one) came out for four months and we went native. We had a lovely villa with a pool overlooking the sea. My wife teaches yoga so she was teaching it to the cast and crew and my little boy went to a French crèche.
It's the Caribbean - I'm going to be sweaty!
Did they have a great time?
They did but there’s quite a bit of wildlife out there, it’s very hot and there are lots of mosquitos. My little boy was only 8 months when he came out and it was hard to keep him cool. He’s a very strong lad so he was fine but it was a constant worry with the mozzies - they can carry quite nasty diseases.
Did you get much time off to party?
It’s not really a job you can party on as you film six days a week from 7am to 6pm but I did get Friday nights off so I had a little bit of fun. They had Karaoke at the hotel so I did my version of Billy Joel’s Piano Man. I also do Kung Fu Fighting once the drinks have been flowing!
Do you still get recognised from My Family?
In Australia they know me from a film called Death At A Funeral; in America and Japan it’s Love Actually and in Africa it’s My Family. I turned up at Nairobi Airport once and the immigration guy looked at my passport and went, ‘Nick! I love you!’
Death In Paradise, Tuesdays, 9pm, BBC1
By Jenny Cockle