Love her or loathe her, there’s no denying DCS Patricia Carmichael has been one of the stand-out characters on the current series of Line Of Duty.
And while her nasty streak has certainly earned her no fans with the AC-12 team,
Actor Anna Maxwell Martin has revealed how her on-screen persona has actually come in rather handy at home.
Appearing on Monday’s edition of This Morning, Anna said that her children are now as familiar with Carmichael’s death stares as Line Of Duty viewers. She told hosts Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield: “I think I do give them the face, occasionally. I think I save the face for very special occasions when they need to get a grip, the kids, when I’m really at my wit’s end. All parents have the face, don’t they?”
Anna also admitted that Carmichael had become a “horror show” since making her debut in the last series.
Revealing she just “went for it” when playing her, she said: “There were a couple of bits [in the script] where she was nasty and I just went for it. And then she morphed into a horror show.”
However, she did defend her character somewhat, saying: “I think she’s just misunderstood, she’s just trying to do her
Job. She probably just wants a nice cuddle, Pat. She’s just a bit cross.”Asked if Carmichael was insecure, Anna replied: “Yes, course she is, Phil. Yes, you’ve got no idea of what’s going on in Pat’s house. She is a bit of a power freak, I suppose.
“I’m worried about myself, people really hate me because they really love Ted [Hastings, Carmichael’s nemisis]. She’s definitely his nemesis and that’s really good fun. We have good fun filming the scenes.”
With the hunt for ‘H’ reaching its climax, Anna claimed not to remember the resolution of the series.
She said: “When I was filming Line of Duty, I was filming Motherland at the same time, so I was rushing onto each set and I just can’t remember anything... Either that or they play tricks on you and when they drop you off in Belfast they blank your mind, so you can’t remember anything.”Anna also downplayed a clue some fans spotted in Sunday’s episode, after they suggested the fact Carmichael had tapped her pen four times in one scene pointed to her being ‘H’.
“I think I was just bored. Those scenes are very long. I think I was like, ‘What am I saying next?’” she added.
Line Of Duty concludes on Sunday at 9pm on
BBC One. This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV. READ MORE:The 13 Burning Questions We Have After Line Of Duty's Penultimate EpisodeLine Of Duty Fans Pick Up On Subtle Hint In Interrogation Scene That Suggests Carmichael Is 'H'Line Of Duty Fans Spot Mind-Blowing Clue That Points To Huge Marcus Thurwell Twist