‘Can’t take much more!’ rant Death in Paradise fans as ‘iconic’ star is killed off in twisted BBC scenes
DEATH in Paradise fans have been left fuming after iconic actress Haley Mills was killed off just minutes into her appearance on the show.
Hayley, 77, joined Death in Paradise as a guest star in the second episode of the new series. However, she was brutally murdered with her own knitting needle just minutes into the episode, which aired on Sunday evening.
The Academy Award-winning actress played Nancy Martin, a nursing home resident who was enjoying a visit from her cousin Eloise (played Juliet Cowan), who was from the U.K.
The episode began with Nancy enjoying a game of bingo at the nursing home, but she quickly clashed with her arch-bingo-nemesis, Barbara (Ellie Haddington). After losing, Nancy stormed off, leaving Eloise and Barbara inside to finish playing.
However, the camera then cut to Nancy alone on a bench where it became clear she was dead, having been stabbed with her own knitting needle.
Soon, Ralf Little’s DI Neville Parker and the Saint Marie police force were called in to solve the case, making for an exciting episode.
However, some Death in Paradise fans took issue with the fact the BBC series killed off Hayley’s character.
While a murder at the beginning of the series is necessary to give Neville something to investigate, they weren’t impressed with how little screen-time Hayley was afforded.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, to voice their disappointment, one fan said: “Death in Paradise, nooo. Why get an iconic actress like Hayley Mills to guest star then bump her character off after 2 mins?”
“Hayley Mills getting a trip to the Caribbean for three minutes of acting. Good move!” another criticised.
“I know they have not just killed Hayley Mills off in the first 5mins?” a third wary viewer asked.
While a fourth said: “We’re getting flashbacks, right? Because having a British acting legend in the show just to kill her in the first 5 minutes is quite harsh otherwise…”
Thankfully, fans were treated to flashbacks and Hayley returned periodically throughout the episode, but its clear viewers would have liked to have seen more of her.
Hayley Mills' most iconic roles
Hayley Mills was began acting in 1947 when she began acting has gone on to have an impressive career.
- Hayley won the BAFTA for Most Promising Newcomer for her performance in the British crime drama film Tiger Bay (1959), which was her second ever acting role.
- She also won the Academy Juvenile Award for Disney’s Pollyanna in 1960.
- Hayley played twins Susan and Sharon in the 1961 Disney film The Parent Trap.
- She reprised her roles in The Parent Trap sequels.
- Hayley was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best British Actress for her turn in Whistle Down the Wind (1961).
- From 1969 onward Hayley took her talents to theatre, playing iconic characters such as Anna in The King and I and Gertrude in Hamlet.
- From 2007 to 2012, she played Caroline Du Plessis in the ITV drama Wild at Heart.
Having Hayley Mills on the series was a dream come true for Ralf Little
Ralf Little, who plays Never Parker, was thrilled to have The Parent Trap actress guest-star on Death in Paradise.
During an appearance on The One Show ahead of the new season, Ralf admitted he was left “star-struck” by Hayley.
Gushing about the actress, he said: “Hayley Mills is in episode two and Hayley Mills is just, sort of, an idol of mine, an absolutely legitimate living legend.
He continued: “An Oscar winner, she was in Whistle Down the Wind when she was a kid, which is one of the most… it’s set exactly where I’m from in the Lancashire hills. I used to watch it with my grandparents. It’s a beautiful film.
And she just came on set just this extraordinary legend, fabulous actor, and was just the most professional, nicest, easy-going person. It was what you aspire to.
“She was probably one of the few people I’ve ever been star-struck by, and I got to do scenes with her,” Ralf admitted.