Grace’s John Simm ‘left with PTSD’ after ‘traumatising’ sea rescue scene in hit ITV drama
JOHN Simm has revealed he was left “traumatised” after filming a brutal sea rescue for the new series of Grace.
The actor, 53, who plays DS Roy Grace in the ITV drama, had to plunge into the freezing waters off Brighton in full costume to pull off the dramatic scene.
John admitted: “I had to swim out in my suit, untie someone and get them to safety. It was absolutely freezing – no acting required! It was a seriously tough day.”
The chilling experience has stayed with him, with John saying: “I think I’ve got PTSD from it – I’m traumatised! I don’t do cold water swimming, it’s not my thing. That was the first time I’ve been in the sea in Brighton, and I was in a suit!”
Grace creator Peter James insisted he doesn’t write punishing scenes just to make John suffer, adding: “John must think I spend all my time dreaming up new ways to torture him – but I do try to give him some nice things too!”
Grace fans are in for an emotional rollercoaster as season 5 kicks off with tragedy for DS Roy Grace and his partner Cleo.
The last series ended with Roy finally finding his missing wife Sandy, only for her to take her own life – leaving behind a son he never knew about.
But just as he begins to navigate fatherhood with Bruno, another devastating blow strikes.
John revealed: “When we return, Roy and Cleo are dealing with the loss of a child. You realise very quickly what’s happened.”
Zoë Tapper, who plays Cleo, added: “You find out right away she’s lost the baby, and they’re dealing with this devastating grief.
“They were really poignant, moving scenes to film and interesting in another way, because I think for Cleo, her work is so integral to who she is as a person, and she’s on bereavement leave at the beginning of this series, and Roy has had to go back to work, so they’re separated in their grief as well.
“So I felt very isolated, she felt very isolated to me as a character at that beginning, the place where you where you first see her. But as with how this series always goes, she’s then faced with quite a lot to deal with in among all of that too.”
With tensions running high and fresh challenges ahead, Grace season 5 is shaping up to be its most gut-wrenching yet.
Other fan favourites Richie Campbell, Laura Elphinstone, Brad Morrison, and Sam Hoare will all be back for Grace season 5.
However, Craig Parkinson – who played Norman Potting – won’t be returning, after bowing out at the end of last series.
Grace season 5 will air this spring, meanwhile seasons 1-4 available to stream on ITVX.
Crime dramas on ITVX
Crime drama buffs have a wide selection of choices on ITVX - here is a selection of some of the programmes available to binge.
- Professor T: Based on a Belgian TV series of the same name, former Death in Paradise lead Ben Miller plays the title character. Professor Jasper Tempest is a criminologist with OCD who helps the police solve crimes. The cast also includes Emma Naomi, Barney White and Andy Gathergood.
- The Beast Must Die: This series follows a mother’s grief for her son, who was killed in an accident. Nicholas Blake’s novel of the same name has been adapted for the programme. Stars include Cush Jumbo, Jared Harris, Billy Howle and Geraldine James.
- Red Eye: Starring Richard Armitage, Jing Lusi and Lesley Sharp star in this six-part thriller, which mostly takes place during an all-night flight between London and Beijing. With dead bodies piling up and a mystery to unravel, the heroes must work fast to get to the truth.
- The Twelve: This Australian drama originally aired as a miniseries in 2022, with the episodes dropping in the UK in February 2023. Four months later, the show was renewed for a second season. Jurassic Park star Sam Neill stars in the leading role of barrister Brett Colby.
- Manhunt: Martin Clunes stars in this drama based on true murder investigations. Series one focused on the death of Amélie Delagrange, which took place in 2004, while the second depicted the search for serial rapist Delroy Grant.