Midsomer Murders has been a staple on our TV screens since it began way back in 1997. It's continued to air over 20 years, so its popularity is seemingly never ending. Throughout its 21 seasons, many of the stars of the show, such as John Nettles, Jane Wymark and Neil Dudgeon, have become household names and loved by viewers.
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John Nettles has become a household name from the show
But there are a number of stars who have popped up throughout the show that you may not have expected – including Oscar-winning actress, Olivia Colman! The Favourite star appeared in the ITV drama back in 2009 for its twelfth series, playing the role of Bernice.
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Olivia played Bernice in the murder mystery show
The episode, titled Small Mercies, featured John Nettles as the leading star DCI Tom Barnaby and Jason Hughes as DS Ben Jones as they explored the suspicious death of a local troublemaker, Richard, after his body is found dead in the model village. After much investigation (historical spoiler alert!) Bernice, who was childlike and mysterious, was revealed as the killer.
The actress went on to win an Oscar for her role in The Favourite
Olivia's part in the whodunnit series marked one of her earlier roles in television, before she became an international, award-winning star. Olivia began her career appeared in Channel 4 cult TV show Peep Show and Green Wing, before going to land roles in BBC comedy 2012 and That Mitchell and Webb Look. Afterwards, the 46-year-old came into more prominence when she appeared as DS Ellie Miller in hugely popular ITV series Broadchurch in 2013, for which she was awarded the BAFTA Award for Best Actress.
More recently, she has been hailed for her performances in shows such as The Night Manager, Flowers and BBC's adaptation of Les Miserables. She won the Primetime Emmy award for her role as the godmother in Fleabag, and the Golden Globe Award for her portrayal as Queen Elizabeth II in Netfix's The Crown. In 2019, she was awarded the Academy Award for Best Actress after playing Queen Anne in The Favourite.
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