Charlotte Spencer shares personal link to Brink's-Mat scandal from BBC's The Gold
The enigma surrounding the infamous Brink's-Mat robbery may have been partially unravelled in BBC One's first series of The Gold, but there's still more beneath the surface to uncover.
Hugh Bonneville and Charlotte Spencer are back on the case as London detectives in the gripping second series of the drama, which draws inspiration from the 1983 heist where a staggering £26 million in gold bullion was nicked from a Heathrow warehouse. Though Micky McAvoy's crew were nabbed for the heist in the initial series, they only ever recovered half of the lost loot.
Charlotte, who portrays Detective Jennings, shared her insights with fans curious about the need for a sequel: "A lot of people have said, 'Oh my God, why is there a second series?'" she said. "A lot of people don't realise that they actually only found half of the gold."
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Discussing the depth of the storyline, Charlotte hinted, "There's a whole other half – a whole other story. There are many stories that happen from this and I think people are going to be amazed at just how far it spreads and how much this web keeps growing."
Not just on-screen, but also in real life, Charlotte has a personal connection to the notorious heist through her father, who knew Neil Murphy – one of the cops digging into the case. Talking about her dad's surprising revelation when he came across the script, Charlotte confessed, "It was such a passing comment that I just thought it was amazing – and you tend to find that a lot of people knew people involved in whatever way."
"My dad hasn't spoken to that man for years but it's very rare that you get any kind of connection to a real story. For me, that was like, 'Wow – this was really ingrained in British culture.'"
Even though it's been over two years since filming the first series, Charlotte, 33, effortlessly slipped back into her role as the collected and unwavering Nicki Jennings who remains on the straight and narrow despite her family's dodgy dealings.
"This is the second time that I've done a series where my character has come back and there's just a really lovely feeling of going in and knowing the character," she reminisced. "There's none of this panic about, 'Have I found her?' because I know where she is now. It's really lovely."
Already boasting several convictions as notches on her belt, Nicki no longer needs to impress her superior Brian Boyce – portrayed by Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville.
"We find her a bit more solidified in where she is now. She's already proved herself and she is a good detective," Charlotte expressed. "She's getting her head down and concentrating on finding these people."
The new series ushers in fresh faces like Malpractice's Tom Hughes, Criminal Record's Stephen Campbell Moore, Cheaters' Joshua McGuire and The Witcher's Lorna Brown to spice up the drama. Viewers can also get excited for Jack Lowden and Tom Cullen to return as the notorious criminal gold dealers Kenneth Noye and John Palmer.
However, when the cameras stopped rolling on The Gold, Charlotte and her fellow actors swapped the gritty crime scenes for some cheeky sunshine, chilling out on location in sunny Tenerife.
"It was so wholesome – a load of us would go out for dinner together and some people have young children so brought them out," she reveals.
Charlotte, gearing up for intense scenes, would tap into the mindset of Jennings by listening to a custom-made playlist - a technique she employs for every role.
"I make the playlist and it might be really random stuff – whatever gets me into that mood for some reason or what I think they'd listen to. I listen to that on set and it gets me in the headspace," she discloses.
"There was a lot of 1980s stuff – David Bowie and Queen's Under Pressure... even things like the Beatles that maybe she would have listened to with her dad growing up."
Discussing the prospects of The Gold returning for another series, Charlotte remarks, "The story finishes after this otherwise we'd be in the realms of fiction, so this is the last series but I think that's right.
"I'll miss the fact that she genuinely wants to do good and there are people like that out there. There are police officers and all sorts and we don't see enough of them. Wholly good people who can make mistakes but the drive is for justice."
Watch the premiere of The Gold tonight at 9pm on BBC One and catch-up on BBC iPlayer.
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