Spooks' Hermione: 'Playing Ros has been a gift'

Spooks' Hermione: 'Playing Ros has been a gift'
Spooks' Hermione: 'Playing Ros has been a gift' (Image credit: BBC / Kudos)

Hermione Norris, who plays Spooks' Ros Myers, gives us the inside scoop on the new series... What can we expect from the new series? "The writers have set a very high benchmark to keep it current and exciting. Last year, it was the Russian conspiracy, this year it's about a group called Nightingale who are trying to bring about a nuclear war between Pakistan and India." Is it frightening to be involved in the action and stunts? "You know what, I love all that stuff! As an actress Ros has been a complete gift. I love doing physical things - fighting, running away from explosions, practically being drowned - actresses don't always get the chance to be that physical." Are we ever going to see a softer side to her? "Certain events occur behind closed doors so you will get to see some of the consequences for her of what she has to do in her professional life. It's really interesting playing a strong powerful woman with authority." Are there ever moments in your life where you think 'what would Ros do?' "Once these guys cut my husband up really badly in the car and I got out thinking 'right'! But then you've to remember, it's probably not a good idea. I'm not that strong, I haven't got a gun and there's no MI5 or police backup!" What do you think real spies make of Spooks? "I'm sure MI5 have a good laugh at us on a weekly basis! In reality there's bound to be hundreds and hundreds of people involved in keeping our country safe - not a group of five people and certainly not one woman wielding a gun!"

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.