Fool Me Once replacement felt 'no pressure' taking over as lead from Michelle Keegan
Last New Year, Brassic's Michelle Keegan starred in Fool Me Once, which quickly became one of Netflix's most-watched shows ever. Now, another Harlan Coben novel is hitting the screens, and it's set to be just as gripping.
In Missing You, the spotlight shines on Slow Horses star Rosalind Eleazar, who shares why she felt no pressure despite Fool Me Once's nearly 100 million viewers. "Hilariously, I got this job before Fool Me Once even came out," Rosalind, 36, laughs. "Then when it did air, it was watched by everyone! The numbers are ridiculous, it was such a huge success. So there was a part of me that went ‘oh no’. But that quickly went away, and I hope that Missing You will be just as successful. It’s a completely different story – this one feels smaller in a way and more intense."
Rosalind takes on the role of Detective Kat Donovan, who heads up a missing persons unit. From the get-go, where she's on a date with a new guy – played by Busted's very own Matt Willis – Kat showcases her formidable fighting prowess.
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"I don’t think I’m like Kat at all, she’s far braver than I am!" Rosalind admits. "But I did love all the stunts! I got very bruised after being shoved in that opening scene which I had to do in six-inch heels while the sprinklers were going off. As the show progresses, there's a ton of sprinting, and it was quite funny because I’d end up outrunning the camera."
Kat's world is turned upside down when her long-lost fiancé Josh (played by Ashley Walters), who disappeared 11 years ago, pops up on a dating app. But the drama doesn't stop there; as Kat delves into a missing person case, she also unravels the mystery of her father's murder, revealing deep-seated secrets from her past.
Comedy icon Sir Lenny Henry stars as Kat’s dad, Clint Donovan, in this gripping five-part series and he's full of praise for the show. "It’s a twisty-turny procedural drama with a big, big heart," he enthuses. "And can I just say, Ros, oh my God, she’s like Clint Eastwood with an afro – she’s legendary as Kat! ".
In the storyline, Clint has been tragically killed, but he lives on through flashbacks, including one particularly festive scene. Lenny recalls filming it with joy. "There is a legendary dancing scene in the show," he reveals. "Every wedding and birthday, people get up to do the candy dance, right? Well, I can’t dance at all, they keep asking me to do Strictly but I would let every Black person in Britain down. At the end of the take, we got the crew to do it too, there is a video!".
For those who loved Harlan Coben's previous hits like The Stranger, Stay Close, and Fool Me Once, you'll be thrilled to hear that Richard Armitage is back, taking on a brand new character.
Richard, who stars as Kat's boss Ellis Stagger in the series, shared his excitement about taking on a detective role for the first time. "I’ve never played a detective before," he said, adding that his familiarity with Harlan Coben's work made him eager to join the project.
"I did get a few people on set asking me about the Harlan Coben thing because I’ve been in four of the shows now. At the end of The Stranger, I was begging them to do a second season. I wanted to do another show, and the second adaptation was Stay Close, and I said, ‘Well, I’ll read the script and make a decision’ by number four, I just go, ‘Yes!'. I don’t need to read them, the thing about Harlan’s writing is that he never ever lets you down."
Rosalind, who has previously worked with Richard, also spoke about their on-screen dynamic. "I worked with Richard in a play called Uncle Vanya where our characters had this very intense, passionate relationship – which we had to play out for 60 performances," she recalls.
Rosalind adds, "So when we sat down for the read-through of Missing You, Richard and I couldn’t quite figure out how to respond to each other because we started bringing a bit of our old spice! We had to recalibrate, but we ended up with a wonderful shorthand."
Harlan Coben, the US-born writer behind the series, expressed his delight at becoming a part of a New Year's Day tradition. However, he cautioned eager fans about the show's complexity. "While there are twists and turns and suspense, this is also a love story," he warns.
"The story between Kat and Josh is central here, but there’s also Kat’s friendship with Stacey (played by ex-EastEnders star Jessica Plummer) and Aqua (Mary Malone). We’re combining all of these things into an even shorter series. But I think this is the most emotional ending I’ve ever experienced, when I watched the end of episode five I actually cried."
Watch Missing You on New Year’s Day, only on Netflix
