After lead actor James Norton announced he was leaving Grantchester, newcomer Tom Brittney stepped in to take over as one of the main cast members alongside Robson Green. The 29-year-old, who took on the role of Reverend Will Davenport in 2018, confessed he understood why the fans of the ITV show weren't too happy with James' departure after four series. "I totally understood people are attached to the show, it's their world and change is hard, and losing James Norton was really hard for people," Tom recently told Digital Spy.
Tom Brittney recently joined the cast of Grantchester
"But I knew the show would continue because when I was filming I thought 'this is good' and I looked at (Robson's) reaction and it was good," he added after watching out for Twitter reactions. "I was really honoured and flattered, and I can only thank the writers for making the transition easier than it could have been."
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James left the show last year after feeling like his character's storyline came to a "natural conclusion". At the time, the 34-year-old told Radio Times: "When the possibility of a fourth series came along, the decision was whether or not to start a whole new journey for Sidney… It felt like it would be better to hand over the baton to someone else and give Grantchester a fresh injection of energy. It's been a privilege to play such a wonderful character, but I feel like there are other vicars, other conflicted souls to explore. So it’s time to introduce Tom Brittney as Reverend Will Davenport."
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Tom's character Will is now "fully at ease with his role as the Vicar of Grantchester," and thinks a version of Eden is in reach. The actor has previously starred in Outlander and Humans. Speaking about joining the cast, he previously said: "It was one of the most terrifying things I have ever done in my life… [but] once I was there with everyone the nerves went."
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