While some people’s careers slow down with age, Kerry Godliman’s has accelerated, with standout roles in shows such as Ricky Gervais’s Netflix hit After Life and cosy crime drama Whitstable Pearl . Now, at the age of 51, the actress tells us she’s found herself at a bit of a crossroads.
“Casting has got more interesting as I age, that’s for sure,” she says. “And now my kids are growing up, so I might have more time to do international stuff. As a parent I’ve always stayed close to home, so there’s a new freedom, which is both daunting – and exciting.”
The actress and comedian is warm and open as she chats from her south London home. She’s mum to daughter Elsie and son Frank with her husband of 17 years, Ben Abell, all of whom dip in and out of the background during our interview.
With Elsie, 18, off to drama school and Frank, 15, nearing the end of his school trajectory, Kerry is unsure how to feel about her newfound freedom. “It’s weird. There are moments where the empty nest syndrome is real but, at the same time, I don’t want to overly neg that.
“There’s a lot to celebrate. I’m really proud of my kids that they’re going out into the world, and I think, ‘Wow, that’s amazing,’ but you are left with the question of, ‘What do I do now?'”
For Kerry, one positive thing about getting older is managing her anxiety, something she struggled with starting out in the industry. “I’ve got more confident with age. Letting go of anxiety is just part of ageing. You learn to manage it better but it’s still there in the background and you can never fully dodge it. HRT helps, though!” she laughs. “So does yoga and eating better.”
The west Londoner started out in 2012 sitcom Derek , starring alongside pal Ricky Gervais, before moving into stand-up comedy. Finding time between comedy tours and filming schedules, Kerry reunited with Ricky in 2019 for the moving and award-winning series After Life .
“I love working with Ricky. He’s just a lot of fun and I like the way he deals with big emotions like grief and all the big stuff. He sits it next to a humour that makes it playful and palatable, and he just holds a lot. I think he’s really good at that.
“He always tells me a story about his mum’s funeral and how he tried to make the funeral director laugh. He’s got that juxtaposition of deep pain and loss next to humour and release. That’s humanity, isn’t it? It’s part of being alive and he’s really smart at communicating that with drama and comedy, characters and storytelling.”
Kerry played Lisa, the late wife of Ricky’s character Tony in the drama, which she describes as a “privilege” to have worked on. “It was emotional, because you’re dealing with grief and I’m playing a woman from beyond the grave. I have these quite intimate conversations with people about their grief or loss.”
Though it was filmed two years previously, After Life saw a spike in viewers during the 2020 lockdown. “I was in the middle of a tour and my diary emptied out, so to see this show blow up was quite mad and unforeseen. I could never have predicted my career to take off in a time like that.”
Five years on from the pandemic, Kerry has portrayed Pearl Nolan in Acorn TV drama Whitstable Pearl , whose third series hit the small screen last year. And while Kerry may seem very different to her restaurateur-turned-detective character, she says there are plenty of parallels with her maverick on-screen counterpart.
“I really love Pearl Nolan. She’s a single mum, and one of the themes of the show is her child growing up and getting older. And, as I said, my kids are now entering adulthood so it throws up a lot of questions,” she continues.
“What Pearl does is throw herself into her passion and detective work. It’s a really lovely narrative.” One thing Kerry doesn’t agree with, however, is Pearl’s penchant for love drama – as she continues her will they/won’t they storyline with copper Mike McGuire (played by Howard Charles).
“Between you and me, I think she’s better off with Tom,” giggles Kerry as she references Pearl’s current partner, portrayed by Peep Show star Robert Webb.
A fourth series of the show is yet to be announced, with Kerry admitting she doesn’t know whether it will happen or not – but she says she’ll be there if it does. She adds, “That’s the joy of having a long-running show. I think you’ve earned that emotional investment. In season one you’ve just got to cover a lot of exposition and you’re introducing people.
“Once you get to a third season, you’ve got a shorthand that means you can explore much more emotional, interesting stuff. It’s a really lovely job. It’s a real joy.”