Death in Paradise star Ralf Little has opened up about his new 'gritty' stage role after leaving the BBC crime drama.14:18, 05 Jul 2026Actor Ralf Little has spoken candidly about his latest project after leaving Death in Paradise in 2024.‌The actor portrayed the endearing yet socially awkward DI Neville Parker in the BBC crime drama for four years before deciding to step away from the programme, with Don Gilet taking over as DI Mervin Wilson.‌Now, he's traded the camera for the stage, joining the theatrical production of John le Carré's novel, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.‌During an appearance on Channel 4's Sunday Brunch, the actor discussed his portrayal of British intelligence officer Alec Leamas with presenters Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer.He explained: "There are no gadgets, no glamour, Le Carre's work, you can kind of feel his disdain for the entire spy game, and he was in the intelligence service like Ian Fleming was, John [inaudible] was.‌"My character, Alec Leamas, the Berlin Wall has just gone up, set in 1961. Alec is head of the Berlin station, spying on the communists in East Germany."One by one, every one of his agents, who he looks after, which are the closest things he's got to friends, because he can't have real friends, he can't be vulnerable because that can be exploited.""One by one, they are discovered, captured and eliminated. He basically watches all his friends disappear and get killed.‌"He comes back to London, emotionally exhausted, disillusioned, just ready to give it all up and is persuaded by the powers that be to go on one last mission, back to East Germany, back to try and capture his opposite number who is responsible for eliminating all his friends."Ralf explained that this is where the play kicks off, and from that point it's packed with 'twists and turns', leaving audiences questioning who to trust, who to believe and who is lying, reports the Express.‌The actor revealed he was 'loving' portraying Alec, having long harboured ambitions to tackle a darker role, though he was keen to acknowledge just how fortunate he's been throughout his career.He continued: "You always want to try and do something a bit different, I get it. I've been known over the years for playing affable, likeable characters.Article continues below"I understand why, and I'm delighted that I've been able to do that, but I've wanted to do something a bit grittier and grimier for a long time, and this has been my chance. Someone has taken a swing on me to do it."Sunday Brunch is available to watch on Channel 4 every Sunday from 10am.