Sofia Barclay: ‘I Hope Women Feel A Kindred Spirit When They See Havers’

Kicking off tomorrow night on BBC One, Lynley is the BBC’s detective drama we’re all about to be talking about. At the centre is DI Tommy Lynley (Leo Suter) an aristocrat and Oxford alum who intriguingly opts for a life not tending to the country pile but untangling knotty crimes. His partner? DS Barbara Havers (Sofia Barclay), a working class mixed race woman who, in short, brings a very different background to the table.

Based on Elizabeth George’s novels and a reboot of the beloved 00s BBC series, we caught up with Sofia in December to hear more about reimagining Lynley in the 2020s, plus working on her own projects and loving Shakespeare.

Q&A: Sofia Barclay On Lynley

Hi Sofia. Lynley is about to air on BBC One. How are you feeling about it?

Really excited because I thought it was going to drop later in the year, but they brought it forward. So I’m kind of shocked – but in a nice way! It’s quite nice when things happen without you having lots of time to think about it, because then it just is upon you.

Can you give us an elevator pitch for the show?

There is this guy who is the eighth Earl of Asherton – the last person you’d expect to find in a rural police office! It’s a bit of a mystery why he’s there – why he has dedicated his life to being a detective. He is teamed up with a DS who is sort of a maverick, a pain in the arse – but for the right reasons. And we get to watch a really interesting, knotty crime unfold at the same time as watching the dynamic between these two seemingly opposing forces come together to become greater than the sum of their parts.

Did you know of the original series before you joined the reboot?

Vaguely in the back of my mind. I was still at school when the original series came out. But I met Nat Parker [the original Tommy Lynley] before – he is a brilliant actor, and I knew him as Henry VIII in Wolf Hall, but I also knew that he’d been on this other big show. So it was kind of in the back of my consciousness.

‘Havers is trying like mad to see the world become a better place‘ (DI Thomas Lynley (LEO SUTER) & DS Barbara Havers (Sofia BARCLAY) in Lynley © BBC/Playground TV)

How did it feel when you got the role?

There was an element of pressure. It’s something that people have a lot of opinions about already, because they care about it so much. But if I’m really honest, Lynley’s script is so different from the books and the original series. Steve Thompson has done a beautiful job adapting the world with the same energy, characters, spirits and some of the same plot lines – but with totally different given circumstances. And because of that big difference, it almost takes the pressure away. 

My entry point was Havers. I fell in love with the character before anything else – before the Lynley world, before the BBC. Before all that kind of stuff comes in, you just feel attached to a character. Me and this character had a contract together on some energetic level, and I felt lucky to be the one to fulfil that.

How would you describe Havers?

How deep do you want to go?! Havers is someone who had a really difficult time when she was a kid for various reasons, and feels this deeply personal sense of injustice in the world. I think the reason she chose to become a police officer and then a sergeant is because she has this burning sense of justice. Every opportunity in life to fix an injustice is a corrective experience for her, so every case feels deeply personal. Every single case illuminates all the parts of her body. It’s not just a mental exercise, even though she’s a very clever girl: all her energies come online to fix a problem.

She doesn’t always follow the rules. She has a habit of saying exactly what she thinks at any given point – probably, I reckon, because she’s faced a lot of pushback for being a mixed race Indian girl from the wrong side of town in an all-male environment. People don’t accept her forthrightness very easily because of those things, which I actually think have made her slightly double down on it – a bit to an unhelpful degree! As we all do, sometimes. She puts people’s backs up – sometimes warranted and sometimes unwarranted – but she’s trying like mad to see the world become a better place. 

I think that’s just the best part of her: she’s very unfiltered, she’s a total mess, and she doesn’t hide it. She doesn’t feel the urge to look feminine or fit in. Personally, I just love that

Obviously she has been on screen before. How is she similar or different to Sharon Small’s version of the character?

You can’t touch Sharon! Sharon Small is the OG – and I think what’s so beautiful about what she did is that you couldn’t replicate it. Anyone trying to replicate it would just fail! Steve has written a whole new circumstance for Havers in Lynley, and all I can hope is that I transmit the same kind of energy, maverickness, willful, cheekiness, gremlinness that she has – but maybe in a more modern way.

‘I hope audiences all fall in love with Leo.’ (DI Thomas Lynley (LEO SUTER) & DS Barbara Havers (Sofia BARCLAY) in Lynley © BBC/Playground TV)

Did you do anything special to prepare for the role?

I’ve got a cousin who’s a police officer, and I’ve had a weird amount of time in my life training to do a detective role in America. I spoke to a lot of people who are detectives in New York and New Jersey for that – the emotional impact of the job. For me, that’s the bit that’s interesting: why you go into this role, this life, why you choose these things, how it impacts you, how you’re able to manage or not manage. That is really the stuff I was fascinated by, so I dug all of that up for Lynley, too.

How did yourself and Leo Suter go about creating the Lynley-Havers dynamic?

We had chemistry tests when we were auditioning which is really great. Not everyone does that in a casting process. If it was up to me and I was running the creative industries – and had all the money in the world – I would say you should do chemistry tests for almost every team you play. It’s something so ephemeral: you can put people in a room and no matter what the logistics are, an extra energy happens and shifts when different people interact. You can never bargain what that’s going to be, it just is what it is. I remember in the chemistry test thinking we just got on like a house on fire straight away, and we had a really nice rapport. I can’t take credit for any of that. It’s just there.

In terms of the actual work of it, Leo was a lead on Vikings Valhalla for years, so he knew a lot about how to be a leading man – stuff that I didn’t know. Eighteen weeks of shooting in Ireland, on a practical level, is quite a lot and a bit of an adjustment. To manage your energy and to understand how it all goes. Leo is fantastic – he is so good at it, so open, and so generous with his knowledge and time. From the get go, we were always running lines and rehearsing with each other, and I felt like I could ask him all the embarrassing questions. Like, ‘Do I eat dinner now if we’re doing a running scene, or do I eat dinner afterwards?’

Any standout moments from filming?

So many! Especially the scenes in the fancy car that Lynley has – those scenes really mean a lot to me. It would be just me and Leo sitting next to each other, and these characters really are combusted, like they are fundamentally opposed to each other on a certain level, a judgmental level. There’s something about sitting in an intimate space with someone when you’re not facing each other, you’re facing outward, which pushes you into a greater level of communication. And with just the two of us in the car – with the directors and cameras outside of it – you do just get to play the truth of the scene. It feels quiet and intimate; it feels yours. 

There were also so many fun moments, like Leo running though the mud and me watching in a thick coat with heaters and snacks while he was doing all the difficult stuff. I think it came to about three minutes in the TV show, but he had to do it for five hours straight in the Irish wind and rain wearing all these fancy clothes and getting covered in mud. And everyone was asking me, ‘Are you OK to wait? Are you OK being warm? Meanwhile homeboy’s running back and forth getting completely soaked in the mud, and doesn’t complain once, just goes for it every single time.

‘I fell in love with the character before anything else.’ (Sofia Barclay as Barbara Havers in Lynley © BBC/Playground TV)

Any standout filming locations in Ireland?

There are a lot of beautiful places we got to shoot in Wicklow and outside Dublin. But to be honest, the best thing about Ireland is the people. Every single person in the cast and crew was so great and funny – always up for a laugh when things get stressful. They have a great sense of humour. When things get cold or go over time, that’s kind of the best thing you can rely on: that no matter what’s going on, there’s going to be someone making you laugh. They’re also incredibly efficient – it’s amazing. The Irish film industry is top notch.

What are you most excited for audiences to see?

I hope they all fall in love with Leo. That’s my dream, because he is just so wonderful. And he’s so good in the series; the character is so quietly commanding. 

I also hope that people, women specifically, feel that kindred spirit element when they see Havers. I personally always feel so connected to women on screen who don’t have to be perfect and groomed and can be a bit messy and outside the bounds – either in their physical appearance, their emotions or their intelligence. Some of the best characters on TV, I think, have made me feel that.

Anything you can tease about a possible second series?

I’m not allowed to say!

Any roles in the pipeline that you’re excited about? (If you’re allowed to tell us!)

I’ve got some mad creative projects that I’m doing. I’m just going to say I’m doing something that’s a bit Shakespearean, and I’m excited about it. I also write my own projects when I’m not working; those are things that keep me very busy and feeling creative. And there’s another TV show I’m on but I’m not allowed to talk about it!

What has been your favourite project to date?

I really feel like every one I do is a favourite for different reasons. Lynley taught me one of the biggest lessons of my life, professionally, so that means a lot to me. I did a movie called Love Again with Priyanka Chopra, Sam Heughan and Celine Dion of all the random people – and that was one of the most amazing film experiences I’ve ever had in my life. It felt like such a family, especially because it was filmed during Coronavirus so we were all in a bubble and bonded together. And I think when you watch it, you can see the level of fun that me and Priyanka had together. I was just so happy to be there. I think it shows when actors are really having a good time – the energy is translated through the screen. 

I did a play at the Haymarket called The Two Worlds of Charlie F about men and women who served in the armed forces and got wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq. That was something that fundamentally changed the inner landscape of my heart. Also Mosquitoes at the National Theatre with Olivia Coleman, Olivia Williams and Joe Quinn: that was incredible. Both Olivias were like goddesses, and I learned a lot from watching Colman, talking to her and getting to know her. She is a national treasure, and taught me so many lessons about being the kind of actor I want to be.

What’s a genre you’d like to do more of?

Shakespeare. I’ve done Othello, but I would love to do more. I just saw Twelfth Night at the Barbican directed by Prasanna Puwanarajah and it was so good. If you haven’t seen it yet, beg, borrow and steal a ticket. It’s phenomenal. Prasanna is a friend, and he’s done this beautiful thing where he has stretched the play, really played with it and pushed with the bounds without ever losing the real meat of the story. And it’s Christmassy, but also human, dark and funny. When you see Shakespeare done well, I think there’s nothing better in the world. More of that would be on my manifestation list. And maybe more rom coms. I loved doing Love Again. Maybe I could do a Shakespearean rom com?

Who is an actor, writer or director you’d love to work with?

He’s a friend, but Prasanna Puwanarajah is someone who I’m already desperate to work with in any shape or form. There are so many dream cinema creators – the big greats – that form movies that change who you are. If I ever came across Christopher Nolan, I don’t know what I do with myself – probably melt into a puddle. But that is an experience I probably would put on my bucket list.

How do you like to spend your free time?

I’m a free diver, so I love to go and free dive. It’s really weird, but it’s my favourite thing to do. So when I get a chance, I go to places where I can do that – but only where it’s warm! 

Also writing: I’ve got five or six different scripts in different development stages. One is with a production company right now, I’m writing another currently, and another I’ve written and is sitting in the background doing the rounds… I’m always doing something creative that keeps me feeling like myself when this industry can be quite up and down.

Do you live in the town or the country? Which do you prefer?

I’m a London girl, born and bred. Having said that, after Coronavirus I really realised how smart people are to live in the country. Just the daily benefit you get, and how much that adds to your feeling of inner peace and daily happiness. So actually, I’ve been a city girl in my life, but you’ve caught me at a moment where I’m considering leaving for the first time. 

How can we all live a little bit better?

If someone knows the answer, tell me! I guess realising not what the grand, big changes we can make in our lives would be, but asking what are the small things we can do every day to put us in a better state? Whether that’s emotionally, mentally or physically. And to then make better decisions that we feel more happy with. I know a lot of people think that the big salve in the world for us is going to be some big change – I need to change my career or my apartment or change everything! And those things might be. But actually the thing that makes the biggest difference is the small thing every day that puts you in a place to show up better. It has taken me a while to learn that lesson. Sometimes I think we wish for a magic change of state that’s going to change us internally. But actually, you have to do the things, whatever they are, to put you in that place every day. Then you can build your own sense of alignment and happiness from that.

Anything fun in the pipeline – professionally or personally?

Lynley coming out – that’s the big one at the moment! I’ll be doing some filming in January, which feels really fun as well. It’s nice to have two different things going on: one like that you have to press and push, and one that is creative. So I’m very lucky that I’m starting the year with that.

What Sofia Barclay Is Loving Right Now

I’m currently watching… Lots of Disney movies. Whatever I’m writing – a children’s thing at the moment – I try to live in that world.

What I’m reading… I just finished The Man Who Pays The Rent by Judi Dench. So funny.

The last thing I watched (and loved) was… One Battle After Another. I was laughing like mad in the cinema!

What I’m most looking forward to seeing… Emily in Paris season 5

Band/singer I always have on repeat… Olivia Dean and Taylor Swift

My ultimate cultural recommendation… Twelfth Night at the Barbican!

Sofia Barclay stars as Barbara Havers in Lynley, beginning 8.30pm Monday 5 January 2026 on BBC One. Catch up with all episodes on BBC iPlayer.

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