List of Death in Paradise characters
This article lists characters from the BBC crime drama Death in Paradise, which began airing in 2011, originally starring Ben Miller, Sara Martins and Danny John-Jules.
Table of character appearances
| Character | Actor | Series/Episodes | Episode count  |
Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DI Richard Poole | Ben Miller | 1.1-3.1 | 17 | 2011–2014 |
| DS Camille Bordey | Sara Martins | 1.1-4.4[lower-alpha 1] | 28 | 2011–2015 |
| Officer Dwayne Myers | Danny John-Jules | 1.1- | 32 | 2011- |
| Sergeant Fidel Best | Gary Carr | 1.1-3.8 | 24 | 2011–2014 |
| Commissioner Selwyn Patterson | Don Warrington | 1.1- | 17 | 2011- |
| Harry the Lizard | Animated | 1.1- | Various | 2011- |
| Catherine Bordey | Elizabeth Bourgine | 1.2- | 25 | 2011- |
| Aidan Miles | Adrian Dunbar | 1.7-1.8 | 2 | 2011 |
| DI Humphrey Goodman | Kris Marshall | 3.1- | 16 | 2014- |
| Sally Goodman | Morven Christie | 3.1, 3.8 | 2 | 2014 |
| DS Florence Cassell | Josephine Jobert | 4.1- | 8 | 2015- |
| Officer JP Hooper | Tobi Bakare | 4.5- | 4 | 2015- |
| Martin Goodman QC | James Fox[lower-alpha 2] | 4.7-4.8 | 2 | 2015 |
Episode count is as of episode 4.8.
- Cast list is in chronological order of appearance (episode-wise) in the programme, and in the case of cast who began featuring in the programme at the same time, in credit order.
- Morven Christie and James Fox both featured in voice-only for their first appearances - episodes 3.1 and 4.7, respectively.
- List consists of all main and recurring characters.
Current characters
Characters currently starring in the programme, in standard credit order:
Detective Inspector Humphrey Goodman
| Humphrey Goodman | |
|---|---|
| Death in paradise character | |
| Portrayed by | Kris Marshall |
| Duration | 2014- |
| First appearance | Series 3, Episode 1 |
| Classification | Main cast |
| Profile | |
| Occupation | Detective Inspector |
Humphrey is assigned to Saint Marie after the murder of D.I. Richard Poole at the start of Series 3. Clues from Poole's investigation helped Goodman reveal the motive and the killer's identity; Goodman commented that Poole had 'solved his own murder.' Goodman stayed on in Saint Marie after his wife Sally announced she would not be joining him on the Caribbean island. He became the chief inspector on the island, and took to Poole's old habit of announcing the murderer in front of all the suspects and his police team. He is very clumsy, often forgetting things or finding himself with nothing to take notes on; he embraces Caribbean life much more than his predecessor. He has a knack at being able to solve murders instantly, looking at the meaning of small details, much like his predecessor. He fell in love with his detective inspector, Camille Bordey, often coming close to revealing his feelings for her. He tried to stop her leaving when she requested a job in Paris, but conceded. He shared a passionate kiss with her just before she left the island. Her successor, Florence Cassell, also managed to get along with Goodman, often sharing jokes and they dedicate a drink to Camille after their first solved case.
Officer Dwayne Myers
| Dwayne Myers | |
|---|---|
| Death in paradise character | |
| Portrayed by | Danny John-Jules |
| Duration | 2011- |
| First appearance | Series 1, Episode 1 |
| Classification | Main cast |
| Profile | |
| Occupation | Officer |
Dwayne is the longest-standing member of the Saint Marie police force, but utterly lacks ambition; he has complete faith in his seniors and perhaps too good an understanding of the criminal world on the island. Dwayne often uses unlawful means to get his job done, and has an eye for the ladies, sometimes getting distracted, even by his senior DS Florence Cassell. He is the go-to man for any investigations into the shadier aspects of Saint Marie. As of Series 4, episode 5, he is the last remaining original team member.
Detective Sergeant Florence Cassell
| Florence Cassell | |
|---|---|
| Death in paradise character | |
| Portrayed by | Joséphine Jobert |
| Duration | 2015- |
| First appearance | Series 4, Episode 1 |
| Classification | Main cast |
| Profile | |
| Occupation | Detective Sergeant |
Cassell replaces Fidel as sergeant at the start of Series 4, and later is promoted to detective sergeant when Camille Bordey leaves mid-way through the series. She works efficiently and gets along with all the team, establishing a strong connection with Goodman when she is promoted. She is sent a note by Camille in order to know how to 'control' Goodman, and they both drink to Camille after she helps solve her first case as detective sergeant.
Officer JP Hooper
| JP Hooper | |
|---|---|
| Death in paradise character | |
| Portrayed by | Tobi Bakare |
| Duration | 2015- |
| First appearance | Series 4, Episode 5 |
| Classification | Main cast |
| Profile | |
| Occupation | Officer |
Replaces Florence Cassell as a new police officer in series 4, episode 5 when she is promoted. He is 21, and the youngest member of the team. He is taken under Dwayne's wing; a police officer who Hooper says he heard all about at police training college. He initially ended up watering the plants on his first day, because of a lack of things to do. He slept in the police cells temporarily because he could not find a place to live. Goodman found him one night, amidst much screaming and shock; Catherine, who had a spare room after Camille's departure, invited him to stay with her, an offer he enthusiastically took up.
Catherine Bordey
| Catherine Bordey | |
|---|---|
| Death in paradise character | |
| Portrayed by | Élizabeth Bourgine |
| Duration | 2011- |
| First appearance | Series 1, Episode 2 |
| Classification | supporting cast |
| Profile | |
| Occupation | Landlady; Barmaid; bar Manager |
Camille's mother and owner of a bar where the police team often chat about the case over a drink. She makes a particularly good cup of tea, according to DI Richard Poole, although their relationship generally with each other is strained. She raised Camille as a single mother and is therefore very close to her; she does not react badly when Camille confirms she is thinking of leaving, in fact, she supports Camille and respects her choices, urging her to do whatever makes her happy. When Camille leaves, she has a spare room and lets the homeless JP stay in her spare room when Goodman finds out he has no where to live and is sleeping in the police cells.
Commissioner Selwyn Patterson
| Selwyn Patterson | |
|---|---|
| Death in paradise character | |
| Portrayed by | Don Warrington |
| Duration | 2011- |
| First appearance | Series 1, Episode 1 |
| Classification | supporting cast |
| Profile | |
| Occupation | Commissioner |
The island's police commissioner, who has risen through the ranks to become Saint Marie's top policeman, in charge of staffing. He advises the team on cases of particular difficulty or of political or social interest where the island's most notable figures are involved. It was revealed in episode 3.3 that Judge Ann Stone (Josette Simon) put him in jail for a day over parking fines.
Past characters
Characters who have previously starred in a main role in the programme, in standard credit order:
Detective Inspector Richard Poole
| Richard Poole | |
|---|---|
| Death in paradise character | |
| Portrayed by | Ben Miller |
| Duration | 2011-14 |
| First appearance | Series 1, Episode 1 |
| Last appearance | Series 3, Episode 1 |
| Classification | main cast |
| Profile | |
| Occupation | Detective Inspector |
A British inspector assigned to the island to investigate the previous inspector's murder, Poole was instructed to remain on the island as the new police detective. Despite his distate for the island and inexperience with tropical weather - to the point where he continued to wear his old suits - he often showed a useful knack for making deductive leaps based on minimal information and random events, and favoured making arrests by addressing all the suspects at once before identifying the killer. In series 2 he grew slightly more relaxed. He recommended Fidel for the sergeant's exam. Poole briefly returned to London, but in spite of his distate for Saint Marie, he chose to return. Richard was murdered in the first episode of Series 3, at a Cambridge university reunion, by Sasha Moore, when he threatened to expose her identity theft, and was replaced by DI Humphrey Goodman.
Detective Sergeant Camille Bordey
| Camille Bordey | |
|---|---|
| Death in paradise character | |
| Portrayed by | Sara Martins |
| Duration | 2011-15 |
| First appearance | Series 1, Episode 1 |
| Last appearance | Series 4, Episode 4 |
| Classification | main cast |
| Profile | |
| Occupation | Detective Sergeant |
A former undercover investigator, she was assigned to the precinct because her cover was blown when she was arrested during Poole's first investigation. She was the team's best investigator after Poole, often handling the computer work. Initially, she and Poole did not get along as a result of a culture clash. Over time their relationship became a friendship, and showed some hints of romance - when he briefly left the island, she admitted she admired him considerably, and was pleased when he chose to return. His murder in the opening scenes of Series 3 clearly devastated her and she was unsure about his successor, DI Humphrey Goodman, although she warmed to him over time. She was then offered an undercover job in Paris, and she decided to leave. As she left, she kissed Humphrey. She had not previously expressed emotions for him, although he had for her.
Sergeant Fidel Best
| Fidel Best | |
|---|---|
| Death in paradise character | |
| Portrayed by | Gary Carr |
| Duration | 2011-14 |
| First appearance | Series 1, Episode 1 |
| Last appearance | Series 3, Episode 8 |
| Classification | main cast |
| Profile | |
| Occupation | Sergeant; Officer |
Young, hard-working and, at the start of Series 3, married to a woman called Juliette and has a daughter who was born in the Series 1 finale. He is put forward for his sergeant's exams by his boss, DI Richard Poole, in series 2, in recognition of his hard work. He passes them, and officially becomes a sergeant. At the start of series 4, in a phone call between him and Dwayne (his voice does not feature; the conversation is shown from Dwayne's end), it is revealed that he has been promoted and is now working on neighbouring island St. Lucia.
Recurring characters
Characters who have featured in more than one episode of the programme, yet are not part of the main cast, in chronological order of appearance:
- Harry the Lizard: (Various episodes, Series 1-) The animated companion to both lead detectives, he lives at the house and likes mashed-up fruit and bugs. He was originally kept by DI Richard Poole, and later passed on to DI Humphrey Goodman. He is often asked rhetorical questions by the detectives when they are pondering details of a case or just talking about other matters.
- Aidan Miles (Adrian Dunbar): (Series 1, episodes 7&8) A possible love interest for Catherine Bordey, until DI Richard Poole exposed him as a murderer in the series 1 finale. He was in hiding on the island, and his name was in a puzzle compiled by his victim, hence revealing his crime.
- Sally Goodman (Morven Christie): (Series 3, episode 1 (voice only) & episode 8) DI Goodman's wife who was originally planning to join her husband on Saint Marie, but confirmed by voicemail in the series 3 premiere that she was leaving him, wished for a divorce and would not join him. In the series 3 finale, she arrived on the island asking Humphrey to come back to her, but he declined. In episode 4.8, during a conversation between Humphrey and Martin Goodman, it was revealed that Sally was engaged to a lawyer called Derek Grundy and at an event also attended by Humphrey's parents she was continually asking after Humphrey.
- Martin Goodman QC (James Fox): (Series 4, episode 7 (voice only) & episode 8) DI Goodman's father who came to Saint Marie in order to persuade Humphrey to return home and go back to his former wife, Sally.
Further pages
Further pages within Wikipedia you could visit for information about Death in Paradise include: