‘McDonald & Dodds’ guest star Sharon Rooney: 'There’s more to Doreen than meets the eye!’
Best known for starring in such shows as My Mad Fat Diary, Two Doors Down and, most recently, Finding Alice, actor Sharon Rooney returns to our screens this Sunday in McDonald & Dodds Season 2, playing one of five friends who all become suspects when a birthday celebration ends in murder
Always centre of attention, Angela has travelled from Glasgow to Bath to celebrate her birthday with four friends, including best pal Doreen (Rooney). After meeting a group of rugby players, everyone heads to a house party at a mansion, near Brunel’s Box Hill Tunnel.
When promising rugby star Dominique Aubert is then found dead on a railway line — after drinking a lethal, spiked cocktail — all party-goers become suspects.
While McDonald (Tala Gouveia) untangles a web of mystery surrounding the women and the rugby club — and its chairman Jimmy (Cold Feet’s John Thomson) and agent Deborah (Coronation Street’s Natalie Gumede) — Doreen takes an unusual interest in Dodds (Jason Watkins) and the investigation. Is this her time to shine?
We chatted to Sharon Rooney — aka Doreen — to find out more…
Sharon Rooney on her character in McDonald & Dodds
“Doreen is the put-upon friend, and almost like the mum of the group, who’s organised this whole weekend away for her best friend Angela’s birthday. Angela is one of those people who loves to be in the spotlight while Doreen is happy to be in the background. There’s definitely more to Doreen than meets the eye, although that is the case with all of the characters in this series. You think they are one thing and they turn out to be completely different.”
Sharon Rooney on what Dodds makes of Doreen.
“McDonald sees right through Doreen and thinks she is a pain, and Doreen can tell McDonald feels that way about her, so she ignores her and hones straight in on Dodds. She is very excitable around him and constantly calls him 'Sarge’ which confuses him. She seems to enjoy winding him up.
"I worked with Jason very briefly a few years ago and it was really nice to work with him again. He’s such a great actor — so ridiculously talented — but he’s also the nicest guy. We filmed this episode for four weeks and at the end I was like: ‘Do you want me to stay a little bit longer?’”
Sharon Rooney on working with John Thomson
That was pretty cool. It’s funny because we’d worked together on this but when he was on The Masked Singer, I couldn’t believe I didn’t guess it was him. When they unmasked him, my dad said: 'Oh well done, Sharon, you kept a good poker face.’ I was like: 'I had no idea! He didn’t tell his own daughters, why would he tell me?’“
Sharon Rooney on the perfect girls’ weekend
"There is one place me and my best friends go and we love it. There is a private hot tub, so we all sit in there during the day and then, at night, it’s face masks, pyjamas, snacks, films and chatting rubbish until four in the morning. I am a bit like Doreen, I organise it all and I’m like: 'Here is where we are going, here is your itinerary, here’s our budget.’ I’ll get us all matching outfits, matching towels, the whole hog. When I’m busy with work, I don’t get to see my friends a lot, so when we get time for a girls’ weekend, I like to go ALL out.”
Sharon Rooney on being recognised
“My Mad Fat Diary is probably the most common one, although, when I’m in Scotland it’s always Two Doors Down. I have been recognised for Dumbo a couple of times by little kids. I was at an event and this little girl kept lifting my dress up. Her dad said: 'I think she is looking for your tail.’ I was like: ‘That is so cute — but this dress is quite short!’”
Sharon Rooney will guest star in the second season of ITV’s police drama McDonald & Dodds… will her character be victim or suspect?!
McDonald & Dodds is set in Bath and follows DCI McDonald (Tala Gouveia), who has recently transferred from London’s Met Police, and has been partnered with the unassuming DS Dodds (Jason Watkins), who has been happy in the background for most of his working life. To McDonald’s surprise they form an unexpectedly effective crime solving partnership.
“…The second episode of season two, titled We Need To Talk About Doreen, tells the story of Doreen (Sharon Rooney), part of a group who have travelled to Bath for the weekend to celebrate their friend Angela’s (Joy McAvoy) birthday.
Whilst out on the town celebrating, Doreen, Angela, Hilary (Shelley Conn), Melissa (Maya Coates) and Cath (Kat Ronney) get chatting to some players from the Bath Eagles Rugby Club, including its strapping new signing Dominique Aubert (Tomos Gwynfryn). They are invited to a party thrown by rugby club chairman Jimmy (John Thomson) at his home and happily attend with other members of the rugby team and Dominique Aubert’s agent Deborah (Natalie Gumede). But the following morning, as most of the party are nursing their hangovers, the body of one guest is discovered near a railway tunnel and McDonald & Dodds are called in to investigate…”
Damien will be back on our TV screens very soon – Brassic is back a week today!
Here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming second series of the Sky comedy drama, created by Joe Gilgun and Danny Brocklehurst.
(Fair warning for spoilers!)
When does it start, where to watch & how many episodes?
Brassic series 2 will comprise 6 hour long episodes and begins Thursday 7 May in the UK, airing 10pm on Sky One, with the entire series ready to stream on Sky & NOW TV.
Damien returns as Dylan Colding, best mate to main character Vinnie (Joe Gilgun), alongside the whole gang introduced in the first series – ambitious single mum Erin (Michelle Keegan), champion kebab eater Cardi (Tom Hanson), Ash (Aaron Heffernan), the son of a family of fighting Travellers, the sexually liberated Tommo (Ryan Sampson), and garage owner JJ (Parth Thakerar). Steve Evets also returns as farmer Jim and Dominic West as Vinnie’s blundering GP. New additions to the cast include Joanna Higson as Sugar and John Thomson as Mr Popov.
Sky have released a brand new high octane trailer, revealing the antics coming up for the Brassic gang, with Vinnie (Joe Gilgun) coming out of hiding to get “back robbing again”, Erin (Michelle Keegan) joining the lads in their escapades along with new member Sugar (Joanna Higson), Dylan (Damien) kissing someone who is not Erin (!).. There’s a lion, an explosion, some dancing and lots more besides.
What’s the official word on series 2 and first episode?
The official series synopsis indicates we can expect “bigger and bolder misadventures” in series 2, beginning with the gang robbing a travelling circus!
The action picks up a few months after the events of the series one finale. Together the friends embark on even bigger and bolder misadventures around the fictitious rural Lancashire town of Hawley.
In the first episode, Vinnie has been hiding out in his weed shed since faking his own death to escape from local gangster Terrance McCann. Tommo and Erin need his help and try to lure him out of hiding with a new business proposition and together with the lads they plot to rob a travelling circus. With the help of a disgruntled clown, Mr Popov played by John Thomson, the gang aim to make this theft a ‘roaring’ success…
What does Damien say about the new series?
During a red carpet interview at Sky TV’s Up Next showcase for the launch of Brassic 2, Damien said of the upcoming series:
Brassic 2 is bigger, it’s better, it’s funnier, it’s wackier. The scale of series 2 when I read the scripts is off the charts. The gang get into pretty fierce, sticky territory. Lots of danger, lots of love, lots of heartbreak and lots of laughs.”
What else do we know? (MEGA spoilers! Don’t read on if you wish to avoid!)
We don’t want to spoil the surprise for ourselves or others, but recent press previews and cast interviews reveal a little bit more about Brassic series 2, and include some fabulous new promo art from Sky.
According to the Mirror, new storylines for Erin will see her masterminding some of the gang’s crazy scams, and becoming the victim of a sex attack. Joe Gilgun said “We wanted girl power, and we’re going to do that again this time. I feel like Michelle’s really had an opportunity on this show to showcase her emotional range. She’s an unbelievable actress and we wanted her to be able to show what she’s made of.” Erin also joins a circus and gets into a cage with a lion.
We’ve seen in the trailer Dylan kissing not Erin. During an interview with Closer magazine Michelle Keegan revealed that Dylan and Erin have split up and both are in new relationships (!) which the rest of the gang don’t understand.
Early press and media p/reviews are highly positive, take a look at a selection below. (Click and select full size to see the large versions.)
TV & Satellite cover story & Michelle Keegan interview
TV Times Magazine interview with Joe Gilgun
Heat Magazine 5 star (p)review and Joe Gilgun interview
Closer Magazine interview with Michelle Keegan (Spoilers!)
We cannot wait to escape into the Brassic world again and are counting down the days.
Watch this space for more news as we get it!
To comment and discuss Brassic 2 with other fans click here!
It’s official – Brassic is back in less than a month! Sky have announced an air date of 7 May 2020forseries 2 of their original comedy drama, co-created by Joe Gilgun and Danny Brocklehurst.
Damien returns as Dylan Colding, best mate to main character Vinnie (Joe Gilgun), alongside the whole gang…
