When it was announced last year that Welsh actor Ioan Gruffudd would helm the ABC’s upcoming crime drama Harrow, it was a big coup for the public broadcaster.
But Gruffudd’s co-star Mirrah Foulkes was unaware of the 41-year-old’s impressive body of work, which includes roles in blockbuster films Titanic and Fantastic Four and, more recently, the critically acclaimed British drama Liar alongside Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt.
You are viewing: Why Did Mirrah Foulkes Leave Harrow
“I actually had never seen any of his work before, so working with him was new for me,” says the WAAPA-trained actress, who plays police sergeant Soroya Dass in the 10-part series. “But he’s really great, he’s got that lovely Welsh sensibility.
“He’s sweet and amiable and it was great to work with him. It definitely adds a commercial viability to the show, and if people are excited by international stars then that’s great.”
Gruffudd plays the show’s title character Dr Daniel Harrow, a brilliant but cocky crime-solving forensic pathologist who has put everything on the line for his job, including his marriage and his relationship with his daughter.
The series opens with Harrow contemplating quitting his job to set off on a lengthy sailing trip with his troubled daughter Fern, a promise he’s forced to reconsider when a murky secret from his past resurfaces.
Set and filmed in Brisbane, Harrow — produced by Hoodlum Entertainment for ABC and Disney’s ABC Studios International — marks the first time Foulkes has worked in the Queensland city despite growing up on the nearby Sunshine Coast.
“It was appealing because it was close to home,” Foulkes says.
“I grew up on the Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane … but I’ve never worked in Brisbane before so it was really nice to be close to home for a while, that was great.
Read more : Why Do My Earlobes Hurt When I Wear Earrings
“I think Brisbane is a really interesting city architecturally and visually.
“Then obviously you’ve got the iconic Queenslanders that you see all through the city and we use a lot of those houses during filming … but just the visual scope of the city itself, the CBD, it’s a really beautifully colourful city. It’s nice to see it on screen.”
Like Harrow, Dass is obsessive about her work.
From the moment they cross paths, the pair develop an instant chemistry that is set to intensify as the series progresses.
“It’s a bit of a fun one, it begins with a mutually obsessive relationship to their work and relentless pursuing of truth in what they do and then it kind of evolves from there,” Foulkes says.
“It was an interesting relationship to explore.
“From a character’s perspective, it’s interesting to see how you relate to the other characters around you and what relationships form.”
While Foulkes has had a steady stream of acting work over the years with roles in All Saints, The Crown and the US police drama Hawaii Five-O, she has since added another feather to her cap — writer/director.
She is currently working on her directional debut feature, Judy and Punch, starring her former All Saints co-star Mia Wasikowska.
Read more : Why Are Reese’s Seasonal Shapes Not Gluten-free
“I love (writing, directing and acting) and I kind of hope to trans-juggle all three if I can,” she says.
“I just like creating work that I’m proud of and there isn’t any one thing I prefer.
“I think it’s always nice to have a bit of a breather as an actor because it’s a different kind of workload.
“It’s a little lighter and more fun.”
Graduating from WAAPA close to 15 years ago, Foulkes still holds fond memories of Perth.
“It was such a long time ago now but in a lot of ways it feels like it was just a minute ago,” she says.
“I still have a really big, close circle of friends I studied with and all of the WAAPA alumni tend to seek each other out and stick together on a job. I think there’s some kind of in-built camaraderie, which I really like.
“It was a great time in my life and there’s a lot of relationships that are still important to me that were born out of those three years in Perth.”
Harrow airs on Friday at 8.30pm on ABC.
Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: WHY
