Downton Abbey star Phyllis Logan admits it's "daunting" playing lead in Murder Most Puzzling
"Eventually I had a talk to myself and said, “We can do this!”"
Murder Most Puzzling star Phyllis Logan has admitted playing the lead role of Cora Felton in 5's comedy-drama was daunting but appealed to her "because it’s just so wacky and different".
Logan, who is most recognisable from her role as Mrs Hughes on Downton Abbey, plays a puzzle expert who joins forces with the local police to solve a string of murders in the sleepy town of Bakerbury.
The three-part series is an adaptation of the Puzzle Lady Mysteries books by late American author Parnell Hall – with the 69-year-old as the eccentric and often not politically correct main character.
Logan has revealed she was a little apprehensive about playing the lead role but that her excitement about the part proved too strong.
She explained: “I read the script, and then I got my husband to read it too – I always like to get his opinion. He commented on how great the script was and what a wonderful part Cora is, and I felt the same. So I met up with the director, Tom (Dalton), who came up to Scotland to see me.
"I did tell him I was a little bit trepidatious because I knew the workload was going to be extraordinary – Cora has so much to do and so many lines. But eventually I had a talk to myself and said, “We can do this!”. I said yes and off we went…"
Logan added: "It’s daunting to be playing the lead character, but I thought I might as well! Normal police procedurals aren’t usually that interesting to me to be honest. I liked being in Shetland with Ashley Jensen because it had a great twist at the end, and I was playing a wonderful, nasty character, so that was great.
"I was also in a show called Guilt, which was different as well because it was more of a black comedy. The Puzzle Lady was appealing to me because it’s just so wacky and different, and ultimately entertaining I hope. I hope that people enjoy it for its entertainment value. You can’t accuse this show of being bleak.”
Logan as Cora Felton was introduced to audiences in the Murder Most Puzzling premiere on 5 on Thursday evening and will return in the second episode, which sees her cross paths with a prison inmate who insists he has been wrongly found guilty of killing his ex-girlfriend.
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Murder Most Puzzling continues on 5 at 8pm on Thursday 26th June.
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