With her long-running ITV crime drama Vera coming to an end, 79-year-old Brenda Blethyn isn't slowing down. Her latest film, Dragonfly, arrives in UK cinemas on Friday, November 7.
In Dragonfly, Brenda portrays Elsie, an elderly woman neglected by her carers. Her neighbour Colleen (Andrea Riseborough) steps in and takes over a caring role. However, Elsie's son (Jason Watkins) is unhappy with the bond between the pair, suspecting Colleen's intentions may not be what they seem.
In reality, Brenda's life is a far cry from Elsie's, and the actress lives a full life with both a busy career and maintaining an equally busy social life - although her husband is often not around when Brenda's friends pay their visits.
This is because the couple have chosen to live separately. The actress has been married to Michael Mayhew since 2010, after they met at the National Theatre in 1975.
In conversation with The Telegraph, Brenda recalls the moment she decided cohabiting with her husband was no longer an option after they'd moved into a flat in Ramsgate.
"I'd be saying, 'Can I open a window, it's very hot in here?' And he'd say, 'No, it's freezing.' And after a while, I said, 'Is that flat downstairs still vacant?'"
"So I moved out," she explains. The couple still eat together, and their dog spends time between both apartments, but living apart has been revolutionary for them. "It works brilliantly," Brenda shares.
"Having your own space to be able to choose what you want to listen to on the radio or to watch on the TV, or if you want your friends round," the actress lists the benefits of staying together while living apart.
The couple don't have any children, and Brenda reveals, "I've never been that maternal, hankering after a child. It's never been something that I dwelt on." Their dog, Jack, is enough for the pair, and Brenda is glad he has somewhere to go when she's out or busy with work.
During the interview, the actress also shared her sadness at leaving the role of DCI Vera Stanhope behind, a role she'd played for 14 years.
"I loved the job," she says, adding, "I was proud of it and I felt like I had a command of the character."
"I am somebody with imposter syndrome," she explains, which is not something audiences would necessarily associate with the actress. "I do sometimes think, 'Have I earned the right to be here?'"
"But with Vera, I overcame that because I knew I was on top of it," she concludes. While the character Vera retired in the show's final episode, Brenda considered stepping back a little herself.
However, before she'd even made it home after filming the final episode, the call about Dragonfly came in and filming on it began the following week.
She's also set to appear in a Channel 4 adaptation of Barbara Taylor Bradford's A Woman of Substance - this is due for release in 2026, although no official date has been confirmed.
Dragonfly will be in UK cinemas from November 7.
