Endeavour: Shaun Evans reveals character's tragic backstory

Shaun Evans has opened up about the heartbreaking truth about his character, Endeavour Morse. The actor, who plays the character in the hit show Endeavour, explained that the books give a full backstory on Endeavour - and reveal that his mother died when he was a child.

READ: 7 celebrities you didn't know had cameo appearances in Midsomer Murders

Chatting to PBS back in 2019, he explained: "I think the most important thing in the books is that it seems to me his relationship with women is a very interesting one. I was curious about where that begins. When you dig into the books it tells you that his mum died when he was 12 years old of cancer.

Shaun opened up about Endeavour's backstory

"His mum and dad had already split up and his dad had moved on with someone else and then just as he's about to reach puberty he has to go and live with his dad, who he doesn't have a great relationship with, and this woman, who he doesn't have a good relationship with either... It turns him in on himself.

The actor read the books to learn more about the character

"But I think one of the most important things is that this kid has seen his mum die and couldn't do anything to save her which I think drives him throughout the rest of his life. So his personal relationships with women are interesting as a result of that."

READ: All you need to know about Stephen Mulhern's love life

Shaun previously admitted that he deliberately didn't watch the original Inspector Morse series, instead opting to read the books to learn about the character. He said: "The great thing about starting with books is that it's all in your imagination so there's a freedom there rather than replicating what another actor has done, with a huge amount of respect... We agreed to do a carbon copy would be dissatisfying... then I began to see the benefit of having never seen them."