Actor Kris Marshall, who played Humphrey Goodman in Death in Paradise, has opened up about his journey to stardom and one unfortunate experience he had before getting his break
Actor Kris Marshall has opened up about getting fired from his job before his big break.
The star played Humphrey Goodman in Death in Paradise and has also appeared in major films like Love Actually and The Merchant of Venice. He’s now reprised his role as Humphrey in Death in Paradise spin-off, Beyond Paradise.
But Kris worked a series of regular jobs before getting into TV and film – and not all of them went well. He has revealed details about his slightly bumpy journey to stardom.
After being expelled from school, Kris was faced with a choice: retake his examinations or follow his acting dreams. He told The Guardian: “The only problem was, I had no idea how to get into the industry.
“Instead, I worked the odd, crazy job to make ends meet – doing shifts in a toothpaste factory or in the laundry of an abattoir. That one was pretty grim – the smell will never leave me.
He then confessed he was sacked from Iceland, continuing: “I was once fired from Iceland for wearing blue sunglasses on the till, and for a while, I knocked on the doors of people who hadn’t paid their TV licences,” reports the Express.
Kris’ luck changed during his time working at a pub, where he met somebody from the entertainment industry. He started by touring the nation with stage shows before securing his first film role.
“I went from hiding under my bed from the landlord because I couldn’t pay my rent, to flying over to the Toronto film festival to promote my first lead role in a film 18 months later,” he revealed.
It was his roles in Love Actually and the sitcom My Family that truly launched him into the limelight. Kris said: “I would get recognised daily. Since then, it hasn’t stopped, but I don’t mind – it’s a small price to pay for what is a wonderful job.”
Kris has suffered some setbacks in his acting journey, including the initial cancellation of his series, Sanditon, which was later revived due to popular demand. The period drama, based on Jane Austen’s unfinished work, unexpectedly returned for a second series after struggling to get ratings with its first.
Chatting to RadioTimes, Kris said about the project: “It is the first show I’ve been on that has been cancelled and then reinstated.” He credited the revival to the dedicated fans, stating: “The fans did that after it took off in America, organising an incredible campaign to bring the show back.”
Kris played DI Humphrey Goodman in Death in Paradise from 2014 until 2017. He reprised the role in Beyond Paradise in 2023.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
