Jennifer Black interview
Published: Thursday, 4 October 2007, 3:52PM
Jennifer Black is pleased that in the new series of Rebus we get a glimpse of Templar’s more vulnerable side.
“During the series, Templar is knocked a bit sideways by some of the blows she is dealt and, in dealing with this, we see a different side to her.
"It's not just the professional, hard front that she usually has that the viewer will see when she feels hurt or let down. It is good to play a more rounded person," explains Jennifer.
Jennifer believes Templar sees herself in Rebus' hard working sidekick DS Siobhan Clarke, played by Claire Price.
She explains: "Siobhan does want to climb the ladder, but Templar thinks she attaches herself too much to Rebus. Because he's a bit of a maverick, and on his way out, she doesn't want Siobhan to be tainted with his bad reputation.
"Rebus doesn't toe the line, but Templar admires him a great deal. He has real instinct and, in fact, she envies him slightly because she always plays it by the book which is probably why she has got so far. But basically, she has an office job while he's out there relying on his gut instinct to catch the criminals."
She continues: "This season she reaches the end of her tether with him. He has pushed her too far. But, regardless of this, Templar is still very fond of him.
"Partly because she's known him for so long and partly because she understands him. But she thinks he is his own worst enemy, so often he needn't rile people quite so much.
"And the reason she gets on at him so much is not because she thinks he is a bad detective, but because she thinks he constantly shoots himself in the foot with her superiors.
"In the end, she always forgives him because he is such a good cop and she ultimately respects his opinion. Although she no longer has any romantic feelings for him, she does care what happens to him which is why she knows if he pushes too hard and gets the sack, it'll be the end of him."
Jennifer muses: "The part of Templar we never see is her home life. I expect she has given up quite a lot to get where she is – husband and family, but I like to imagine she has a nice life and a happy relationship.
"I've read all Rankin's Rebus books. They're wonderful and do all the background work for us, so I knew all the character's histories. How they first meet etc."
In the second episode, Rebus takes Templar to see their old boss in a nursing home.
Jennifer says: "He is very old school, sexist and Rebus takes Templar back there to try to patch things up between them. It's obvious Templar still bears a grudge about the way she was treated at that stage in her career.
"It's an indication of how much she has had to deal with over the years to get where she is and also one of the reasons she is so hard on Siobhan.
"Templar gets frustrated with her pandering to the whims of Rebus. She worked hard to make her way in a male orientated world and doesn't want Siobhan ruining that for other women to come.
"Many high ranking police women in the force have made personal sacrifices I'm sure. When I did my initial research at St Leonard's Police Station, I talked to an Inspector who told me they had quite high divorce rates because of the long hours and terrible things they had to deal with."