Yahoo News Ordeal by Innocence star explains "resting bitch face"
There's more to Morven Christie's silent and seemingly miserable housekeeper in Ordeal by Innocence than initially meets the eye – just don't make any judgements on her "resting bitch face" in the Agatha Christie adapted murder mystery.
Or be swayed by the show's promotional shot for that matter, which sees her character looking as though she has quite literally been caught redhanded – these could be carefully crafted red-herrings for the BBC One show.
The hugely-anticipated three-part series follows the death of wealthy philanthropist Rachel Argyll and the suspicion her murder arouses among the family. Her son Jack Argyll is charged with the crime – but continues to plead his innocence.
Morven's character Kirsten Lindstrom is a complex one. She was brought into the Argyll family as a foundling and later adopted, but she was also recruited by the clan as a carer for their children.
"She has a slightly different position than just a housekeeper within the house because she was brought in as a foundling right after they adopted Mary their first child to help with childcare, and for various reasons she ended up being adopted also by the family," Christie told Digital Spy.
"She is a member of the family as well as being a housekeeper, because she is an orphan and comes from where she comes from she loves the children."
On whether Lindstrom's dysfunctional background could breed a bitter anger and resentment towards the Argylls, Christie continued: "I think it could create resentment, but it's also given her a family and a role, and she and Rachel really depend on each other – so it's quite an interesting relationship and dynamic."
The actress was also excited to take on a character who doesn't ever speak after playing parts that she says have been so "absolutely" opinionated.
"It was really exciting to play someone with a completely different status, a completely different background, a completely different way of being," she said.
"I've been playing a lot of characters that absolutely say what they think, but she's very internal. No one is asking her opinion. She is so silent most of the time.
"But I have this real fascination with why people don't speak. Your silent face has to tell the story."
Morven also loved that her character had no concerns with her appearance, and that minimal make-up was required on set.
"She has a steam-burned face – there's something really cool about a character who has a complete absence of vanity, and it's really freeing when you're on set," she recounted.
She then joked that she was initially convinced that her character had committed the crime because of her self-described "resting bitch face".
"When I first read the script I got two pages in and thought, clearly this maid did it, because otherwise they wouldn't cast this face," Morven laughed.
"I have a resting bitch face – they're trying to deceive you with the casting."
Fans of the Agatha Christie novel will know who the perpetrator is, although writer Sarah Phelps has said this may have been changed in the adaptation, and you'll have to watch it to find out.
Ordeal by Innocence begins on Easter Sunday, April 1 on BBC One.
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