Vera star Brenda Blethyn has made a surprise observation regarding her character on the ITV programme
Brenda Blethyn has shared her thoughts on women on TV(Image: ITV)
Actress Brenda Blethyn believes her iconic role on Vera would have gone to a man if it had been cast years earlier.
The 80-year-old brought the role of DCI Vera Stanhope to life on the hit ITV detective show from 2011 until 2025. Throughout its 14-season run, Vera kept a loyal audience with an average of 7.8 million viewers per episode over its lifetime.
Sharing her thoughts as the leading lady in the show, actress Brenda reflected on other women on TV. Admiring actress Vicky McClure, who has leading roles on both Line of Duty and Trigger Point, Brenda believes that certain roles would of previously been played by men.
Talking to Mail On Sunday, she said: “We are seeing women playing what would have been male roles. I was watching Vicky McClure in Trigger Point.
“Ten years ago that role would certainly have gone to a man, no question. She is terrific. I met her briefly once and I thought she was great. My word, I was thinking last night when I was watching it, ‘My goodness, this would’ve been a bloke playing this role’. Even Vera, 20 years ago, would have been a bloke – Victor or Vern.”
The star mentioned the evident shift in a woman’s portrayal on screen and added: “What I’ve noticed over the years is there’s less focus on glamour. That’s why I loved Vera. She wasn’t reliant on lipstick or a love interest.”
Brenda received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her performance in Secrets and Lies in 1997, followed by another Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Little Voice two years later.
However, for many viewers, she is best known for her role as DCI Stanhope, the determined detective who investigates cases across Newcastle upon Tyne and Northumberland.
The character is instantly recognisable in her familiar raincoat and green bucket hat.
Playing the role required Brenda to spend around six months away from her home in Ramsgate, Kent, where she lives with her husband, Michael, and their cockapoo, Jack.
More recently, she appeared as Elsie, an elderly woman who has been neglected, in the powerful 2025 film Dragonfly. She also took on the role of an older Emma Harte in the television adaptation of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s bestselling novel A Woman of Substance.
The actress is now preparing to return to filming for a second series.
Vera is available to watch on ITVX.
