John Simm to star in ITV adaptation of popular detective series

John Simm has landed a starring role in ITV’s adaptation of Peter James’s crime novels.

The 49-year-old actor – whose television credits include Doctor Who and Strangers – will play Brighton-based Detective Superintendent Roy Grace in the forthcoming series.

ITV has commissioned Endeavour creator Russell Lewis to adapt the first two books in the series – Dead Simple and Looking Good Dead.

The drama follows Grace, a hard-working police officer who has given his life to the job.

However, his career has hit rock bottom and he is fixated by the disappearance of his wife, Sandy.

When a stag night prank appears to go wrong and the groom goes missing, Grace’s colleague, Detective Sergeant Glenn Branson, calls upon him to unravel the events that led to the mysterious disappearance, three days before the man’s wedding.

Grace will begin filming in Brighton in early 2020.

James said Simm is the perfect actor to play his tenacious detective.

He said: “John Simm, who actually looks like the Roy Grace of my imagination, is inspired casting.

“With John in the lead, the brilliant scripting by Russell Lewis, and our wonderful production team, I’m confident that fans of my novels and of TV crime dramas in general will be in for a treat.”

Lewis said: “I’m thrilled and honoured to be involved in bringing Peter James’ brilliantly gripping series of Roy Grace novels to ITV.

“Each story is a fantastic, hair-raising, twisting, switch-back of a rollercoaster ride that grips the reader from first to last, and the opportunity to translate that best-selling magic to television is like all one’s Christmases and birthdays come at once.

“As his millions of fans and admirers are well aware, Peter’s meticulous research and eye for detail is the stuff of legend.

“His long established, close relationship with the police, taken together with a knowledge of Brighton and the South Coast that is the sole preserve of the born and bred lends his stories an unimpeachable veracity of place and procedure.

“That John Simm will be breathing flesh to the bones of Roy Grace really is the cherry on a dark and troublingly encrimsoned cake.”

Earlier this year it was announced that Simm will star in the Game Of Thrones prequel, alongside Naomi Watts, Marquis Rodriguez and Richard McCabe.

Grace is co-produced by Second Act Productions, Tall Story Pictures and Vaudeville Productions.