TV star reveals toughest part of filming new BBC drama filmed in Scotland
GRANITE Harbour star Romario Simpson has revealed how he became an undie-cover detective – as he had to wear thermals while filming in “freezing” Aberdeen. The second series of the popular BBC cop drama set in the North East returns tonight with Romario starring as rookie DC Davis Lindo. The odd pairing of Lindo and Bart has been a hit with crime drama fans. Bart and Lindo quiz a suspect in the new series of Granite Harbour. The Granite Harbour cast which also includes actress Dawn Steele, second right. But the South London-born actor says this time he came prepared after the brisk winds blowing off the North Sea had chilled him to the bone while shooting the first series in 2022. He says: “I wore thermals under my uniform this time – and I was still freezing.” Hannah Donaldson, who plays Lindo’s mentor DS Lara ‘Bart’ Bartlett, adds: “There’s no doubt Romario developed a love for thermals while here. “We are also given these big puffer jackets to wear over our costumes in-between takes and I’d be like, ‘Nah, it’s fine, I don’t need it as it’s really not that cold.’ “Then I’d look at Romario who has his thermals on under his costume and then the puffer/sleeping bag style jacket over the top of his costume too. “I was like, ‘This is almost summer mate’.” Romario jokes: “If that’s an Aberdonian summer then I’d hate to see their winters.” The first series saw Jamaican Lindo arrive in the Granite City as a Royal Military Police officer who becomes a trainee Detective Constable under the supervision of streetwise Bart. It proved to be a major hit on iPlayer with 7.6million views and this time around promises to be more of the same as the two coppers continue to clash. Dundee-born Hannah, 39, explains: “They are an odd couple pairing and a challenge to each other. “In the first series Bart and Lindo got off to a rocky start with a clash of personalities and they’re investigating tactics, but they had a mutual respect there. “So I don’t think viewers will see a huge change as they still have different approaches to their work. “Bart is very keen for a promotion so she is more inclined to play by the rules whereas Lindo is very instinctive and a bit of a renegade and goes with his gut instinct. “But the dynamic of a Scottish police officer and a young Jamaican who is a fish out of water in Aberdeen had never seen that before and I think that’s why it works.” And Romario – who has gone on to star as Night Shift in the Disney’s Star Wars spin-off Andor – admits he really did feel like a fish out of water working north of the border. He says: “I am used to the city of London and the hustle and bustle and where no one really talks to each other. “But Scottish people do tend to talk to you even though you’re a stranger and start up a conversation. I enjoy that. It’s refreshing. “I also like the landscape in Scotland. It’s less crowded which helps with your mental clarity.” Both stars had to put on accents for the series with Lindo coming from the Caribbean and Bart a born and bred Aberdonian. And Romario believes that has also become a feature of the show. The 29-year-old says: “I think hearing those two dialects clash made it look like Lindo was even more out of his depth. “But although they’re still clashing you can see their trust in each other is growing. But he still has trouble with authority so you’ll always see friction there.” However Romario admits he did struggle to understand the Scots accent to begin with. But he adds: “When you’re surrounded by Scottish cast and crew you quickly learn to adapt. It’s not as if people are speaking in a foreign language, it’s just an accent. “So I’ve got used to the lingo and the Scottish culture. My favourite thing? Tattie scones.” Hannah – who married fellow Scots actor Ryan Fletcher since the first series – continues: “There has been a bit of chat back and forth about how much slang and colloquialisms we can get in there. Words like ‘quine’ and ‘ken’ at the end of sentences. “I think they ditched quite a lot of that for the final edit for the first series, even though we’re set in the North East. “But this year we have a really strong born and bred Aberdonian cast so there are really thick and authentic accents. I also think we’ve been allowed a quota of ‘kens’ for the second series too.” Romario laughs: “At first I was like ‘Who’s this Ken everyone keeps talking about?’ But then they told me it basically means ‘know?’ so I understood it then.” Now the duo are hoping that viewers are as hooked on the second instalment as they were on the first. Romario says: “If it goes down well and I come back for a third series I will definitely come prepared with my thermals again. But even though it’s freezing I still love being in Aberdeen.” * Granite Harbour begins tonight (May 2) on BBC Scotland HD at 10pm and shown on BBC One on Friday (May 3) at 9pm.
GRANITE Harbour star Romario Simpson has revealed how he became an undie-cover detective – as he had to wear thermals while filming in “freezing” Aberdeen.
The second series of the popular BBC cop drama set in the North East returns tonight with Romario starring as rookie DC Davis Lindo.
But the South London-born actor says this time he came prepared after the brisk winds blowing off the North Sea had chilled him to the bone while shooting the first series in 2022.
He says: “I wore thermals under my uniform this time – and I was still freezing.”
Hannah Donaldson, who plays Lindo’s mentor DS Lara ‘Bart’ Bartlett, adds: “There’s no doubt Romario developed a love for thermals while here.
“We are also given these big puffer jackets to wear over our costumes in-between takes and I’d be like, ‘Nah, it’s fine, I don’t need it as it’s really not that cold.’
“Then I’d look at Romario who has his thermals on under his costume and then the puffer/sleeping bag style jacket over the top of his costume too.
“I was like, ‘This is almost summer mate’.”
Romario jokes: “If that’s an Aberdonian summer then I’d hate to see their winters.”
The first series saw Jamaican Lindo arrive in the Granite City as a Royal Military Police officer who becomes a trainee Detective Constable under the supervision of streetwise Bart.
It proved to be a major hit on iPlayer with 7.6million views and this time around promises to be more of the same as the two coppers continue to clash.
Dundee-born Hannah, 39, explains: “They are an odd couple pairing and a challenge to each other.
“In the first series Bart and Lindo got off to a rocky start with a clash of personalities and they’re investigating tactics, but they had a mutual respect there.
“So I don’t think viewers will see a huge change as they still have different approaches to their work.
“Bart is very keen for a promotion so she is more inclined to play by the rules whereas Lindo is very instinctive and a bit of a renegade and goes with his gut instinct.
“But the dynamic of a Scottish police officer and a young Jamaican who is a fish out of water in Aberdeen had never seen that before and I think that’s why it works.”
And Romario – who has gone on to star as Night Shift in the Disney’s Star Wars spin-off Andor – admits he really did feel like a fish out of water working north of the border.
He says: “I am used to the city of London and the hustle and bustle and where no one really talks to each other.
“But Scottish people do tend to talk to you even though you’re a stranger and start up a conversation. I enjoy that. It’s refreshing.
“I also like the landscape in Scotland. It’s less crowded which helps with your mental clarity.”
Both stars had to put on accents for the series with Lindo coming from the Caribbean and Bart a born and bred Aberdonian.
And Romario believes that has also become a feature of the show.
The 29-year-old says: “I think hearing those two dialects clash made it look like Lindo was even more out of his depth.
“But although they’re still clashing you can see their trust in each other is growing. But he still has trouble with authority so you’ll always see friction there.”
However Romario admits he did struggle to understand the Scots accent to begin with.
But he adds: “When you’re surrounded by Scottish cast and crew you quickly learn to adapt. It’s not as if people are speaking in a foreign language, it’s just an accent.
“So I’ve got used to the lingo and the Scottish culture. My favourite thing? Tattie scones.”
Hannah – who married fellow Scots actor Ryan Fletcher since the first series – continues: “There has been a bit of chat back and forth about how much slang and colloquialisms we can get in there. Words like ‘quine’ and ‘ken’ at the end of sentences.
“I think they ditched quite a lot of that for the final edit for the first series, even though we’re set in the North East.
“But this year we have a really strong born and bred Aberdonian cast so there are really thick and authentic accents. I also think we’ve been allowed a quota of ‘kens’ for the second series too.”
Romario laughs: “At first I was like ‘Who’s this Ken everyone keeps talking about?’ But then they told me it basically means ‘know?’ so I understood it then.”
Now the duo are hoping that viewers are as hooked on the second instalment as they were on the first.
Romario says: “If it goes down well and I come back for a third series I will definitely come prepared with my thermals again. But even though it’s freezing I still love being in Aberdeen.”
* Granite Harbour begins tonight (May 2) on BBC Scotland HD at 10pm and shown on BBC One on Friday (May 3) at 9pm.
