Under Salt Marsh’s Rafe Spall talks impact of nepotism in his career: “That’s called an advantage”

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What’s the view from your sofa?

The main living space is designed as one open area, with the TV as the focal point. There’s also a record player and a collection of vinyl records, plus plenty of toys for our 18-month-old child.

You have four children. Do you enjoy being a dad?

Becoming a dad is the thing I’m most proud of. With kids ages 14, 13, 10, and 18 months, it’s a wide age range, and the responsibility can be overwhelming at times. But they’re what motivate me and give my life meaning. Being a father isn’t about being perfect – it’s about learning from mistakes. I definitely make plenty of them, and it can be tough, but I always do my best to be there for them. Ultimately, giving my kids a good life is the most valuable thing I’ve ever done.

Eric Bull, the detective you created for Under Salt Marsh, is now considered one of Britain’s great fictional detectives. Can you tell us more about him?

The character is a bit clumsy and direct, and he’s really into mushrooms. He’s gay, though that’s just one part of who he is. While many details about him were already written, I got to choose his background. The story needed someone not Welsh, so I decided he was from the West Midlands. My co-star, Esther Smith, is from Stourbridge, and I loved the idea of setting the character in the Black Country. It’s near North Wales, but you rarely hear that accent represented on TV.

With Bull investigating a murder while a huge storm threatened to wipe out evidence, how did the filming of Under Salt Marsh go?

Honestly, filming this show was some of the toughest work I’ve ever done. Because the whole story revolves around a massive storm, we were constantly under rain machines – for almost five months straight, up in North Wales and Cardiff! It was incredibly physically demanding, and let’s just say a lot of us spent a lot of time in wetsuits. Still, we’re lucky to be doing what we love, and it’s definitely better than manual labor!

Trying, your Apple TV sitcom that’s now being shown on BBC One, must be a cakewalk, comparatively?

Coming home after a day of filming is more draining than actually being on set, even in tough conditions. That’s because every scene requires a lot of work to find the humor, but it needs to look natural and effortless. One of the best parts of the show is how it balances funny moments with genuine emotion. Plus, I love working with the people I’ve been collaborating with for six years, and it’s a really joyful experience. I often put a lot of my own personality into the character of Jason, making him quite distinct from my character, Bull.

Did you always want to be an actor?

You refer, of course, to your dad, actor Timothy Spall. So let’s talk about nepotism.

It’s understandable why people hesitate to discuss nepotism – they worry it reflects poorly on them. But it’s important to be honest: having a famous father certainly opened doors for me. A casting director would naturally be curious to see the son of a well-known actor, just out of interest.

Having a pre-existing connection or reputation is a definite advantage – and it’s unfair to those, like Esther or Kelly Reilly, who didn’t have that benefit. While it can get you noticed, it doesn’t guarantee you the role. Ultimately, a director who has worked hard to make a film wouldn’t cast someone they didn’t believe in.

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Authors

Gareth McLean

For almost three decades, Gareth McLean has been a writer focused on television. He’s reviewed countless shows as a critic and interviewed hundreds of notable figures, including Liza Minnelli and Jimmy Savile, as a feature writer. He’s also worked as a writer on television programs.

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2026-02-16 21:20