Episode Thoughts by Michael Elwyn

Playing Giles Cato in MIDSOMER MURDERS made a welcome change for actor Michael Elwyn.

“Giles is fanatical and obsessive about preserving Midsomer’s old buildings and he goes too far in his desire to protect England from vandals. It’s a real bee in his bonnet. It’s always good to go running through woods and popping out of trees. Giles didn’t have to explain any matters of plot, so I could just concentrate on his eccentricity.”

Giles recruits Barnaby’s wife Joyce (Jane Wymark) as a volunteer.

“Giles lives on his own but he and Joyce have a shared concern and he would be very fond of her. It meant I had some great fun scenes with Jane. I think Barnaby was a bit jealous actually. I had a good costume – a brown moleskin suit with a green waistcoat – which I quite liked, but John Nettles was very rude about it.”

Adds Michael: “I hadn’t worked with John before so that was good, and Peter Smith was one of the nicest directors I’ve met. The script was good too. It was a real pleasure to quote Larkin, as Giles does. You don’t get that very often!”

After filming MIDSOMER MURDERS, Michael’s next job was in Bucharest for a feature film with Steven Seagal. “It’s a movie called Toy Man. I am playing Steven Seagal’s father-in-law and my daughter gets kidnapped. I couldn’t resist it, especially the chance to play east coast American.”

Michael lives in London with his partner, actress Alison Steadman. His other credits include Dirty Filthy Love, Byron, Bad Girls, Daniel Deronda, Bertie and Elizabeth, Micawber, No Bananas, Selling Hitler, The Orchid House and War and Remembrance. Films include The French Lieutenant’s Woman and One of our Dinosaurs is Missing, and he has also recorded several plays for BBC Radio 4.