Death in Paradise star Shantol Jackson, who plays sidekick Naomi, has revealed she sobbed when she got turned down for a part on the show.
Yes, before landing the part of DS Naomi Thomas, Shantol auditioned for a different role on the hit BBC One drama and was absolutely gutted when she didn’t get it!
Shantol, who was first seen in Death in Paradise season 11, had gone for a part in an earlier series.
"I auditioned a year after getting my agent and didn't get the job,” she told Hello!. "They said: 'We really like your tape; you're just not the right fit for this particular role'". At the time, I couldn’t understand it, so I cried. My manager in Jamaica got so excited and then it didn’t happen. I was so disappointed.
"Then, a few years later, my agent said: 'So you remember that audition you did for Death in Paradise? They think they have a role that's good for you now'. I said: 'What?!'"
She went on to reveal that in the last interview in the casting process over Zoom she had to kindly ask some builders doing work nearby to be quiet. "I had to go next door and ask the men please to kindly stop their work. I said: ‘Could you just give me ten minutes.'"
Luckily it all worked out and Naomi is now a key part of Death in Paradise season 13 which is continuing on BBC One.
She previously spoke about Naomi and Marlon, who shared a kiss in the Christmas episode. Talking about whether they might become an item, she said: "They have a very interesting relationship, and this series will show a lot more of their relationship in terms of the versatility of it. It would be very interesting because they obviously really care for each other, but you don't know if it will be anything more than that. But we'll see…”
Plus she also spoke about how Naomi admires DI Neville Parker (Ralf Little) despite his quirks.
"She is fascinated in how his brain works, so she actually enjoys watching him work and discovering things. They have a sort of brother/sister-like relationship, where she makes sure he's OK and he manages to get things done while still being his quirky self."
