WUNMI MOSAKU
Passenger’s lead on TV detectives and her northern soul
You’ve played a few detectives, including DC Lawson in Vera, DS Catherine Halliday in Luther and (kind-of detective) Hunter B-15 in Marvel’s Loki — what’s different about DI Riya Ajunwa in Passenger?
Passenger doesn’t feel like a procedural drama and Riya feels like part of the community, even if it’s a community where everyone is a bit of an outsider. She has itchy feet after years in the Met and likes the idea of being a big fish in a small pond. Then there’s also the question of “What is up with this town?”. The way she addresses the crime is her talking, not the badge. You see her life, courage, vulnerabilities, fears and hopes. It feels personal, and the normality of the place makes what happens seem even more unnatural.
Having played so many detectives, do you think you’d make a good one? And do you have much in common with Riya?
I love a good puzzle and I’ve got that inquisitive nosiness of a detective — needing to know what’s going on and why. Riya has a warm heart and I’d like to think I have too, although she’s more guarded and has a colder exterior. I also used to box as well, four times a week, not “boxercise” but proper pad work. I love it, although I haven’t boxed in about a year because my trainer left town and I had a baby, so there were other things to focus on!
Is this the first time that a role has been written specifically for you?
I think so, although I wasn’t Andy’s muse or anything! He already had a really good story, which he adapted with me in mind after we hung out back in 2016. The script was a joy to read, which is a big deal for me as I’m dyslexic. Every character, every object, every environment had a purpose. I wasn’t involved in decision-making but, because I was the lead, it was an opportunity to ask questions. If I ever write something, I now have a better understanding of how so
