Endeavour legend Shaun Evans talks saying goodbye to Morse and why he kept his Liverpudlian accent for ITV’s Betrayal

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Three years later, here we are, and the first thing Evans asks about is how I’m doing. He really is a kind person. But today, we’re discussing Betrayal, a spy thriller and family drama that he both produced and stars in. Evans plays John Hughes, an MI5 agent dealing with a lot: potential job loss, a struggling marriage, and a serious national security threat. Like his character in Endeavour, John is a solitary and principled man, but this role is set in a very modern, relatable world. We often see John at home with his kids and his wife, Clare, who is going through a difficult time, which highlights the pressures faced by someone with a demanding job and a normal family life.

Evans was drawn to the role of a man going through a midlife crisis. He also thought combining that with the popular spy genre could be interesting. The show follows a man whose impulsive actions at work lead to disaster, while his personal life is falling apart. The four episodes depict his efforts to fix both his professional and marital issues.

The show centers around two main ideas: the secretive world of spying and the pain of betrayal. To ensure authenticity regarding the espionage elements, the producers brought on Gordon Corera, a former BBC security correspondent and podcaster, as an advisor. When it comes to portraying betrayal and complex motivations, actor Evans believes imagination is key. He explains that the challenge – and the joy – of acting lies in understanding and embodying characters unlike yourself, figuring out why they act the way they do. He gives a thoughtful and carefully worded response, revealing very little – a skill that would undoubtedly serve him well in the world of espionage.

In both Betrayal and his previous role in Until I Kill You, actor Stephen Evans moved away from the standard, formal accent he used in Endeavour, opting instead for his natural Liverpudlian accent. This made sense for Until I Kill You because the real-life criminal he portrayed, John Sweeney, was also from Liverpool. However, for Betrayal, Evans deliberately chose the accent to highlight the character’s social background. He explains, “We often picture MI5 agents as being from elite universities like Oxford and Cambridge, but that’s not always true anymore.”

For over 20 years, ever since graduating from the Guildhall School of Drama, he’s relied on accents to help him get into character. He explains, “When I was starting out, I wanted to play roles completely different from myself – to truly transform and leave my personal life behind.” He pauses, then adds, “Ironically, it’s harder to portray someone with your own accent; you have to work harder to convincingly become that person.” It’s easy to see how being able to switch accents so effortlessly would also allow him to go unnoticed in public. He agrees, saying, “It’s like having a disguise – a big coat you can put on.”

The last time we talked, Evans – who many believe was as good as, or even better than, the original Morse – was looking forward to a long vacation to relax and recharge after nine years of playing the same character.

He’d always dreamed of going to Italy to learn the language and pursue his love of photography. When I asked if he ever made that happen, he immediately pulled a real camera – not a phone – from his pocket to show for it. He explained that he did go to Italy and take a language course, and while he’s not completely fluent, he’s quite proficient. He’s been back to Italy many times, and after taking a lot of photos, he even had a small exhibition when he returned. However, he soon got a new job and focused all his energy on that instead.

Now working as an actor again – though his name still carries weight and can help get TV shows approved – Evans admits life is different from when he was completely consumed by ‘Endeavour,’ where he starred, produced, and occasionally directed. He says there are both good and bad sides to the change, but he fondly remembers his time on the show and remains close with the people he worked with.

Even Roger Allam, who usually doesn’t show much emotion when talking about his work, is secretly a very warm person. It’s similar to his character, Inspector Thursday. Evans explains that his work on ‘Endeavour’ was a significant learning experience, and he feels he’s grown from it. He enjoys the challenge of bringing everything he’s learned to new and different roles, and appreciates the variety it brings.

Despite often seeing reruns of his detective series on ITV3, Evans doesn’t usually watch his own performances. He prefers to concentrate on his current work and then distance himself from it. He enjoys the flexibility of taking on different acting roles and simply delivering a strong performance – that’s what truly motivates him.

Betrayal will premiere at 9pm on Sunday 8th February on ITV1 and ITVX in 2026.

Authors

Caroline Frost

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2026-02-02 20:37