SILENT WITNESS STAR EXPLAINS IMPORTANCE OF ONE STORYLINE COMPARED TO CO-STARS
Silent Witness star Liz Carr has explained the one storyline she insisted on for her character.
Speaking of her role in the BBC One crime drama, Carr said that she wanted forensic scientist Clarissa Mullery to have a stable love life unlike her co-stars' "weird relationships".
Discussing the role with host Lauren Laverne for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Carr said that she "wanted to show what I needed to see when I was growing up".
Related: Silent Witness star Emilia Fox admits episode fears
Carr, who played Clarissa for eight years before leaving the hit series in 2020, has been in a wheelchair since she was seven years old.
The actress, whose character was married to a man named Max (played by Daniel Weyman) on the series, said she felt it was important to represent a disabled person in a stable relationship.
"I loved Clarissa from the minute I read the script," Carr said. "I got her. I wanted her to have a stable relationship as what we see on TV usually is disabled people going: 'Will they love me because I'm disabled?'
Related: Silent Witness announces return with two new cast members
"That's valid, don't get me wrong. But that's usually the same story we see. So I wanted to show what I needed to see when I was growing up… all the other main characters, Thomas, Nikki and Jack, they all have kind of weird relationships. I'm going to be the one in the stable relationship."
Opening up about her life in the spotlight, Carr said that, unless people recognise her from TV, she's "invisible".
"If you don't know me from the telly, I'm invisible as a disabled woman. If you know me from the TV, people want selfies. They're thrilled to meet me. It's a dual life, fascinating."
Silent Witness is available to catch up on via BBC iPlayer.