An Interview with Grantchester’s Melissa Johns & Bradley Hall
Melissa Johns and Bradley Hall, the actors behind bickering office best friends Miss Scott and Larry, spoke with MASTERPIECE in July 2024 in an exclusive interview to share their insights on the (often hilarious) duo, their relationship and its evolution over the years, and much more — including, perhaps, some hopes and dreams for Miss Scott and Larry’s future. [Warning: This interview contains spoilers from Episodes 1-5 of Season 9.]
In the Season 9 premiere, we learned about the major step Larry and Miss Scott took together. What were your reactions when you saw that in the script?
Melissa: We messaged each other straight away. “Oh, I just thought we were going to be besties, but here we go.” …I don’t think we were expecting this when I joined the show, I certainly wasn’t expecting them to have the friendship that they’ve got…Even if it’s not a will-they, won’t-they moment, you can just tell that there is actually a real pure friendship there.
Bradley: When Miss Scott came [in Season 6], in Larry’s mind it was, “Is she a threat or am I going to date her?” Those were the two things, and it could’ve gone either way…When we finished Season 8, they were definitely on really good friendship terms, and I think we were both thinking we were really happy with [that]. But when I read the draft of the episode, I remember thinking, “Huh? Hang on a minute, that’s quite a sudden jump.”
Whether it’s in friendship or more, what is it between Larry and Miss Scott that they admire about each other?
Bradley: Initially when Miss Scott comes in…she’s this drop-dead gorgeous woman in this very male-oriented office. He’s constantly been so attracted to her in a physical sense, but then also what’s developed is the fact that she listens to Larry more than other characters. If Larry says something, people always react, “Oh, for God’s sake, can you just stop talking?” Whereas Miss Scott says, “Can you stop talking?” But secretly she thinks, “Keep talking. Maybe I’m interested.”
Melissa: Larry feels like the first thing in her life that is a constant. At the beginning she thought, “Oh God, men, this is just what they’re like.” And then you can quite literally see through her smiles, the moments where she thinks, “Yeah, he is coming back,” and…he really does make her laugh and he allows her to be one of the lads.
“Disabled people have been around for years, but the stories we tell don’t always include those people.”
What do you admire most about Miss Scott?
Melissa: When I got the audition to self-tape for Miss Scott, I genuinely didn’t think they would consider me. And the reason for that is, as a disabled actor, I was born with one arm. My body looks very different to other people. You rarely see people like me in period dramas. It just doesn’t happen, which isn’t right. We did exist. We didn’t just start existing from 1990.
Disabled people have been around for years, but the stories we tell don’t always include those people. So I genuinely thought, “Oh, maybe they’re just seeing me because, I don’t know, maybe they just have to see a certain amount of disabled actors.” Honestly, when they called to say that I’d got the role, it’s probably one of the most shocked I’ve been in terms of getting a role in my entire career, because not only did this feel like just a wonderful, incredible job for me to get… it just felt like a massive breakthrough to be able to not play a victim or somebody who needs help or somebody who’s pitied. It wasn’t that. It was, “You are going to play this fierce, feisty, determined, loyal, reliable, strong-willed, kind person who existed in the fifties and sixties.”…I could do nothing but be completely and utterly in love with that character.
I remember slipping into that wiggle dress for the first time and those stilettos and thinking, “Oh gosh, not only are they just making her look great, but she just knows what she’s doing. The power she has.” But she doesn’t. In terms of reality, she has no power in that office. But at the same time, I feel so powerful when I’m playing her because she just has a way with words and with energy.
Larry proposed right after their night together. Was that was him trying to do the right thing because he thought that’s what he should do?
Bradley: I think in that moment, [Larry wonders if] what happened with Miss Scott was an illusion. He’s wondering, “Did that really happen? And then also because I’ve wanted that to happen for so long…how can I make that a real thing?”
Obviously his mum’s no longer around. I think he would’ve loved to have that chance to probably speak to his mum about Miss Scott, so it’s a big deal for him to give his mum’s ring to Miss Scott…I think he almost comes a bit unstuck when he’s saying it [proposing] and then Miss Scott says, “But Larry, you don’t want to marry me.”
If Larry and Miss Scott were to get married in the future, what do you imagine that marriage would look like?
Melissa: I think they’d almost have to have two separate relationships. They’d have to have a work relationship where the boundaries were really put in, and then I feel like their private life they would just go all out. I genuinely think they’d be like two teenagers in love because they’d have to hold back on it all day essentially.
Bradley: People will have these sort of relationships where they might at the start absolutely hate each other, but then something just happens over time and then it thaws out a bit. And then suddenly, the next thing they know is that they’re really besotted by each other.
Melissa: You’re so right. The Larry and Miss Scott relationship, I think, is one of the most realistic, natural parts of Grantchester… This is about two people who are complicated, and have reasons that we don’t know about yet in terms of their home lives that mean that they are the way they are. And regardless of whether it’s platonic or crazy in love, they are clearly really attracted to each other in some way and need to have each other in their lives. And I’m really glad that that has happened over four seasons. It’s not been something that we just rushed straight away.
We’ve seen Miss Scott become more involved with investigations, especially in Episode 5. Is there a police badge in her future?
Melissa: I don’t know. I know that we were allowed it, by that point there were female officers. I don’t know the rules on disabled people being officers. I refuse to believe that just because we haven’t seen it on screen that it didn’t happen.
I think there were strong-willed, strong-minded people who, even if the law said they couldn’t do this, that, or that, they would find a way to become involved in whatever way worked legally. Miss Scott will always be more than just a “plain old secretary,” whether that will always be her official title.
We’ve seen a lot of development with Larry over the seasons, and it seems like Geordie has given Larry more of the respect that he’s craved. Can you talk a bit about that?
Bradley: I think there was a big change at the end of Season 8 where Larry steps up when Geordie’s away in the last episode and he reports DCI Elliott for the way he treats Leonard. Larry’s used his initiative there and I think Geordie is taken aback by that. There’s a bit of a moment at the end of Season 8 where Geordie thinks he’s retiring, he thinks he’s been forced out, and he gives [Larry] the sign. And I think that’s a big moment for Larry where [Geordie’s] saying without saying, “Your mum would be proud.” But I think what he’s saying is, “I’m proud of you” and that’s a big thing for Larry.
It does feel like his confidence has built up because, for all their joking and bickering, it seems like she really believes in Larry, too.
Melissa: She absolutely believes in him. And I think she knows that in certain situations Geordie really listens to her, and I’m really glad that she uses that to say, “Can you just listen to Larry? Actually, I need you to listen to Larry.” I think that in itself shows how much love and respect she has for him.”
