Death in Paradise star confirms identity of Mervin’s brother and he’s a familiar face
EXCLUSIVE: Death in Paradise star Don Gilet has paid tribute to Daniel Ward as his on-screen brother Solomon makes his debut alongside new Sergeant Mattie Fletcher
Death in Paradise star Don Gilet, who portrays DI Mervin Wilson, has spoken warmly about his on-screen sibling, Solomon (played by Daniel Ward), who arrives on screens tonight.
The detective, who never had the opportunity to meet his biological mother, reaches out to his estranged brother, though the reunion doesn’t unfold as hoped.
“It’s great working with Daniel,” Don told Reach PLC and other media outlets. “I didn’t realise until working with him, he also writes, so he’s one of those people who really loves to do a deep dive into the writing and the character.
“So it was really good to play with a guy who’s got a sense of where the writing comes from, the root of the writing. And it’s always great to work with actors who can take it off the page and run with it, and take the time to really form a 360 of the character.
“But I mean in terms of the characters we play, Mervyn and Solomon as brothers, couldn’t be any more opposed, which makes the drama, which makes the entertainment,” reports the Express.
Mervin Wilson meets his brother Solomon in Death in Paradise(Image: BBC)
Don added, “He’s always wanted family. He didn’t think he had anything beyond the mother that he came searching for, and unfortunately, the timing of it, she had already died by the time he got there. But to find a brother, it was a dream he never even thought he could have, and he finds out that he’s so opposite to him in every way possible. He’s a larger-than-life character.”
“Mervyn isn’t the sort of character that wants to sort of make his presence known in many ways. It works for his work, actually, that he can just slip in and slip out and things like that,” the former soap star explained.
“But Solomon is all the family he needs, very much in terms of how much energy he’s got, and he’s just at odds with everything every which way that Mervyn would like a brother to be; he is not that, and I think it’s enjoyable watching how they work together or not, as the case may be.”
Yet Mervyn and Solomon’s initial encounter doesn’t unfold as expected, as Don hints: “And the one thing that he wanted, he is now wondering, you know, ‘Be careful what you wish for’.
“But I suppose this is the familial imperative he has that he’s always wanted. It’s going to be a challenge to continue to embrace him as a member of his family.”
Daniel Ward plays Solomon in Death in Paradise(Image: BBC)
Solomon isn’t the sole fresh face joining the show; Saint Marie’s police department is also welcoming Sergeant Mattie Fletcher, portrayed by Catherine Garton. Mattie takes over from Darlene Curtis, previously played by Ginny Holder.
Tonight’s episode synopsis reveals: “The commissioner’s return to the department is disrupted by a suspicious incident at Government House, in which a man has fallen from the roof to his death. It looks like a suicide, but DI Mervin Wilson suspects foul play.
“No one was on the roof with the victim when he fell, and he’d locked the roof door behind him. Away from the investigation, Mervin is anxious to finally meet his half-brother Solomon, the other son of the mother he never knew.”
Death in Paradise will be broadcast on Friday on BBC One.
