Return to Paradise star Anna Samson has opened up about her character Mackenzie Clarke and how she took inspiration from another Death in Paradise detective
Abbie Bray Deputy Editor for Screen Time
09:56, 14 Nov 2025
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Anna Samson, the actress known for her role in Return to Paradise, portrays Mackenzie Clarke in the Australian spin-off of the series Death in Paradise.
In a recent interview with Reach PLC and other media outlets, she shared her experiences returning for the second series and drew parallels between her character and another detective from Death in Paradise.
When questioned about the similarities between her character and Kris Marshall’s Humphrey Goodman, particularly their shared awkwardness, Anna responded with delight, “That is a great compliment.
“I reference Kris Marshall’s interviews quite a lot because I’ve watched the show for the acting and those detectives.
“But I also watch how they speak about the show, their insights into the show, because it’s useful,” reports the Express.
Kris Marshall as Humphrey Goodman(Image: BBC)READ MORE: BBC Breakfast guest in tears as hosts share child’s heartbreaking cancer battleREAD MORE: I’m A Celebrity on Martin Kemp’s ‘bucket list’ as he reveals son Roman’s ‘jealous’ reaction
She went on to say, “There’s that information available to me, so I’ll use it to give myself as much as I can to play this role. And I find what Kris Marshall says in interviews about the genre, the show, the writing, the characters, very, very clever.
“He’s very smart, and he’s very correct in a lot of the things he says about making a show like this, and I try not to steal too many of them for interviews, because it will be very obvious, but I just agree with him a lot on what it means to make this show and how to make this show. So I take that as a great compliment.”
In the Australian spin-off of Death in Paradise, fans noticed a nod to Detective Richard Poole, played by Ben Miller, when Mack made her entrance, dragging her suitcase along the beach, much like Poole did in series one.
Anna Samsom plays Detective Mackenzie Clark(Image: BBC)
Viewers were delighted to discover that Ardal O’Hanlon had reprised his role as Jack Mooney in Return to Paradise, often appearing via video link from London.
Anna expressed her wish to collaborate with some of the other detectives and revealed her desire to dine with them.
“I am constantly trying to get those other detectives somewhere in the show… out for dinner, something,” the actress divulged.
Jack Mooney has also reprised his role in Return to Paradise(Image: BBC)
“I am a fan of them, but I feel like I could pretend to be cool, because I’m also a detective in the show, so I wouldn’t feel like such a fan girl.
“It’s like a really good way of just hanging out with them, because, you know, we’re all detectives on the show, when really it’s just because I want to meet them.”
Return to Paradise is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
