Zoe Tapper Talks About Grace Series Three

A Forensic Approach

Grace, adapting Peter James’ successful series of books with John Simm, just returned for a third series and here’s Zoe Tapper who plays Cleo Morey in the new run…

At the start of series three would you say Cleo is feeling more secure in her professional life or her personal life?

I think we see Cleo in a pretty solid place in both lives when we start the series, but unbeknownst to her there are still some underlying complications, that will inevitably have to come to the fore. At the end of the last series, Cleo and Roy were reunited after a period of uncertainty and as an audience we were left on the cliff-hanger that there had been a possible sighting of Roy’s ex-wife Sandy, in Germany. In terms of her professional life, this series sees Cleo taking more of a lead with some of the cases and going out on location to recover bodies. Her two worlds are increasingly starting to merge and we start to see Roy leaning on her a little for advice. He confides in her and really values her judgement on various cases.

What’s the next step up the ladder when you are an Assistant Anatomical Pathology Technician?

The next step is to be the leading pathologist who carries out the post-mortems. At the moment Cleo very much assists Nadiuska De Sancha played by the brilliant Carolina Valdés. We see her working besides Nadiuska and on site when bodies are found.

There is a great scene in Dead Man’s Grip where Cleo deals with the grieving parents of a victim involved in a traffic accident. Is the way she handles that an important part of her job?

Yes, Cleo’s job is an extraordinary test of the psyche. Personally speaking, it’s not a job I could imagine doing but I respect those that can, enormously. It must be incredibly difficult to deal with death, up close on a daily basis. Cleo has the right balance of toughness to handle the job, but alongside that, she has retained a level of empathy that allows her to show genuine compassion for the victims and their grieving relatives.

What interesting pathology details did you learn this series? Did you know about salt being used for torture and that pigs aren’t keen on eating human teeth?

I remember the trip to the farm day on Not Dead Yet vividly, because it made a welcome change – my character is usually in the mortuary or somewhere, gruesome exhuming bodies, so it was actually quite nice to be out in the fresh air with the pigs! How extraordinary that pigs are quite happy to eat pretty much anything and everything but just not teeth. I suppose it’s understandable really, I shouldn’t imagine someone’s dentures are particularly palatable! I have to say that the piggies were very easy to work alongside and made very amenable cast mates for that day… if a little noisy!

What has happened to the bodies that Cleo examines this series?

In the first episode, Dead Like You, there’s a case that has never been resolved, dating back to 2012. The case is finally brought to light when the victim’s body is exhumed and Cleo confirms the identity of the victim to Grace. It is quite a moving moment for him, a rare example of a case that he was unable to solve. Cleo recognises both his relief and sadness in that moment and shows real compassion for him. I like those moments, the professional, personal crossover in Cleo and Roy’s lives. Small moments of humanity shared between them.

In Dead Man’s Grip we see the poor victim of a horrible car accident. Part of Cleo’s job is to reassemble the body and make it as presentable as possible for the grieving family members. Despite the horrible nature of the scene, I really enjoyed the chance to work alongside Laura Elphinstone, who plays Bella, in those scenes. I am sometimes envious of the the CID gang. They all get to hang out together the whole time and they are quite a lively bunch! Laura is a brilliant actress and a wonderful woman. We are outnumbered by the boys, so we do tend to take every opportunity to tell the producers and writers that we want more scenes together in future episodes! I think it’s about time that Cleo and Bella became best friends!

In episode three, Not Dead Yet, a body has been found in a freezer and another guy has been tied up and tortured. Cleo and Nadiuska come in and assess the scene and relay their findings to the team. It feels good to have the chance to increasingly see Cleo in more of a professional context.

What interesting discussions did you have with Peter James during series 3?

Peter has a real presence. He will often do a set visit and be a supporting artist for the day. He’s incredibly generous with his insight into the world that he has created and knowledgeable about the crimes we are exploring and how they are handled. I feel certain that he would always be able to answer any questions I might have about Cleo’s role and open to suggestions. There is quite a lot of structure already set up for the way the role unfolds in the books but there is also a lot of room for the characters to evolve according to how we have portrayed them in the series.

Does Cleo want to know more about Roy’s relationship with Sandy? Would you?

Looking objectively at it as a story and for dramatic purposes, I think that it is a good thing that Sandy is still around. The minute we lose that jeopardy I think it could become a bit too comfortable for Roy and Cleo. Obviously, from a personal perspective, it would be awful to have that hanging over your relationship. It would be incredibly distressing and unsettling. The other issue, is that despite Roy’s assertions that he wants to do things differently with Cleo, to be very open and honest with her, he is still withholding this secret information. That undoubtedly is going to have ramifications further down the line. I don’t know what the next series holds for Cleo at all but I do know that that breach of trust will potentially be a big problem for her. It certainly would be problematic for me!

Have you read ahead with Peter James’ Grace novels?

No, I haven’t. I like seeing them fresh, as scripts because the stories are actually quite different to the books. As much as Peter is a brilliant storyteller, I think our characters do differ quite significantly from the characters that he created 20 odd years ago. Cleo in our series is a very different woman to the Cleo characterisation in those early books, so I don’t find them overly helpful as research for the role. Plus, it’s quite fun not knowing. Having said that, because I know that John has read a lot of the books I do sometimes go, ‘Ooh, what happens to us next?’ But the danger is that I hear something that sounds really juicy and get excited only to find out that for whatever reason it can’t be included in the series.

Which of these three stories resonated the most with you?

I do find Dead Like You incredibly creepy. The scenario with the character played by the brilliant Thomas Coombs in the minicab is chilling and unfortunately recognisable. I think it will resonate with most women – even if it’s not premeditated or overt, women feel a very real sense of danger simply going about their daily lives. I think that element of the story has been illustrated well. In fact, in a lot of the episodes you see an individual crime but also the broader impact it has in society as a whole. Hopefully audiences will feel that too.

Were you aware of the angel shots warning code for women in pubs and bars?

Yes, but they do it differently in different places. Often in women’s toilets in bars and clubs you’ll see a sign on the door that says, ‘If you are ever in trouble or worried ask for ‘Julie at the bar’ or some other name. It’s a very specific way of finding help if you need it. It’s a good thing that those sorts of accommodations are in place but of course, not so great that they need to exist in the first place.

What was your most rewarding day of filming?

There is a lovely scene on the famous Brighton band stand with John. Cleo and Roy are meant to be meeting after work and have both been really busy. They were supposed to be going out somewhere for their anniversary but have missed their reservation. Roy’s got a few bits and pieces of picnic stuff and actually it turns out to be quite romantic. They talk about moving in together but inevitably get interrupted by an urgent call. It really typifies their relationship that they have these little snatched moments to connect on a human level but ultimately they totally understand when the pursuit of truth and justice has to take precedence.

What’s your way of relaxing after a full-on day of Grace post-mortems?

For me, despite going to work and dealing with dead bodies, in a mortuary, the whole physical process of going to Brighton to film is quite a treat. I live in London, and I’ve got a busy home life with two young children. So, having a few days in Brighton by the sea, sometimes feels like a bit of a break!

What sort of responses do you get from fans of the show and the novels to Cleo?

When it’s an original drama people just take it at face value but when somebody decides you are going to be a character that everybody already knows or has an idea of in their minds, it is quite daunting. Touch wood, I feel as though I’ve been embraced by the Grace fans.

People are very kind to me. I think people like Cleo; she’s a likeable character. She doesn’t really do anything too annoying. She is bright; she’s got a real sense of self. She’s an intelligent woman and there’s a nice equilibrium in her relationship with Roy. I’m sure there are some people who imagine her as something completely different, but you can’t please everyone. Certainly, the show has been very well received. We’ve had great viewing figures and lovely feedback, so I’m really pleased. It’s a lovely job to do.