ITV's Vera confirms heartbreaking death in final series as Brenda Blethyn addresses future

Brenda Blethyn has revealed she's hanging up her hat as DCI Stanhope in Vera but isn't ready to call it quits on acting just yet.

Come January, viewers will witness Brenda's last moments portraying the beloved detective, though her character's destiny remains under wraps.

Ahead of the concluding episodes, Brenda spoke about life after Vera, hinting at a possible "semi-retirement."

"I do understand Vera because I've played her for so long," she said, then noted: "When you come to a new job, quite often with the nature of filming, you have very little time.

"You turn up on day one and shoot a scene, and filming is not chronological, so it's hard to get under the skin of a character.

"While in the theatre, you rehearse for a month and get to understand the character very well, and it is performed chronologically," reports Newcastle Chronicle.

She added: "While in the theatre, you rehearse for a month and get to understand the character very well, and it is performed chronologically.

"But it's not the same in film and television. You've got to turn up knowing it, and that's it. You don't get much time to interact with the other actors.

"But obviously, for me, Vera was different. Because I've been on it for so long, I could enter her world more fully."

Despite enjoying her role, Brenda and the Vera cast would often be away filming for months each year, and she expressed a desire not to be absent for such extended periods any longer.

"So I'm not retiring," she admitted. "Maybe semi-retired. I don't want to be doing jobs which means going away for long periods of time. I've done that for the last 14 years."

"But, there again, never say never," she hinted, suggesting a possible return to her role as DCI Stanhope.

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