Death In Paradise is getting a female lead detective in an exciting first for the popular programme.
Anna Samson will be taking centre stage in Australia’s spin-off from the crime comedy drama, Return to Paradise, as DI Mackenzie Clarke, which will be available to watch in the UK on BBC and iPlayer later this year.
The original show is set in the Caribbean island of Saint Marie, and has been a fan-favourite since its launch in 2011. During its thirteen series, viewers have seen four male leads cracking cases in the sunshine – Ben Miller, Kris Marshall, Ardal O’Hanlon and Ralf Little, who recently exited the series.
Speaking about the decision on BBC Breakfast he said: ‘If it was just a heart decision I would have wanted to do it for 20 more years.
‘But just for the show and for my character Neville it just sort of felt like his story was finished and his journey deserved to be completed.
‘He deserved a happy ending and it just felt right.’
Talented actress Anna will now be taking proceedings down under and into a new era.
While we wait to watch the new episodes, let’s take a look at the game-changing Anna including her time on Home and Away, and upbringing…
Who is Anna Samson?
Anna was born in the UK, before moving to Nigeria and finally, settling in Australia in her teen years where she pursued a career in acting. Her passion was something that was inside of her from a very early age.
‘I was about four years old when I confronted my parents with my plans to be on the stage,’ she told Toasting Aussie Theatre.
She attended a performing arts high school in Sydney and quickly found a love for theatre. ‘The stage has always been where I feel my best, and it gets the best of me,’ Anna, who has took on roles in theatre shows The Master and Margarita and Consent in the last year, shared.
What TV shows has Anna Samson been in?
Although theatre is her first love, she soon began to get enamoured by other parts of the acting world.
‘I had always dreamt of becoming a stage actor and that whole world intoxicated me and it still does. More recently, screen has become another great love because I’ve started to do more and I’ve started to understand what it takes to do a screen performance,’ she told Cinema Australia in 2017.
‘My whole world is opening up in terms of the film and TV industry for me, so that’s really exciting.’
Her first TV role came in 2012 with the Australian adventure series Conspiracy 365, and she went on to star in Winners and Losers, The Doctor Blake Mysteries, Jack Irish and Dead Lucky. She also starred in American shows, HBO’s The Leftovers and Hunters.
Who did Anna Samson play in Home and Away?
Her biggest role until now was in the soap Home and Away. She played Mia Anderson from February 2021 to April 2022 – a single mother to Chloe.
During her short but memorable time in Summer Bay, she ends up helping Chloe (Sam Barrett) cover up the murder of her father and marries Ari (Rob Kipa-Williams), the guy who was prepared to take the wrap.
Mia leaves after he dies as everything in town reminds her of him.
Who is Anna Samson’s character in Return to Paradise?
Anna will be playing DI Mackenzie Clarke in the six-parter, which will be filmed in Sydney and the idyllic Illawarra coastal region.
Her character is an Australian ex-pat who worked her way up at London’s Metropolitan Police by cracking uncrackable murder cases. However, when she is accused of tampering with evidence, Mackenzie packs her bags and returns to ‘the last place she ever wanted to be’ – her hometown of Dolphin Cove.
Upon her arrival, it is clear she’s not welcome, as six years prior, she dramatically left her ex-fiancée Glenn (Tai Hara) at the altar.
With no other job options and bills to pay, she must put her unique talent for solving a mystery to work at the Dolphin Cove Police Station.
When a case lands on her desk, she won’t stop until the killer is in handcuffs. It’s her undeniable skillset and work ethic that will help Mackenzie win over the people of Dolphin Cove.
Following the casting announcement, she wrote on Instagram stories: ‘Been absolutely dying to tell everyone where I’ve disappeared to and why my hair is this colour. Thanks for all the love. Paradise here we come.’ Anna previously had blonde hair before dying it red for the role.
The franchise’s second spin-off, after Kris Marshall’s DI Humphrey set up a new life in Devon in Beyond Paradise, will have a ‘distinct Australian flair’.
Co-Creator and Executive Producer Peter Mattessi says: ‘I’m beyond excited to welcome Producer Di Haddon and our two fabulous directors Mat King and Tenika Smith who are coming together with our amazing cast to bring the world of Return to Paradise to life.
‘We are having so much fun creating this brand-new mystery series that brings an Australian twist to one of the globe’s most successful television franchises. We think audiences in Australia, UK and around the world are going to fall in love with our wonderful characters, our delicious whodunits, and our gorgeous coastal Australian locations.’
Lloyd Griffith (Ted Lasso, Nolly), Tai Hara (Home and Away, Colin From Accounts, Austin), Catherine McClements (Total Control, Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries), Celia Ireland (Wentworth, Total Control), Andrea Demetriades (Mother and Son, The Artful Dodger) and Aaron McGrath (Gold Diggers, Preppers) will make up the rest of the cast.
Return to Paradise will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year
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