Scottish actress Alison O'Donnell returns to our screens as DS Alison 'Tosh' McIntosh in the latest series of Shetland on BBC One. Born in Motherwell, Alison initially pursued a career in international law before opting to follow her passion for acting.
She began her career in theatre, landing small roles in productions such as Feel the Force and Holby City.
Alison's breakthrough role came when she starred in the play My Romantic History at the Edinburgh Fringe, where she met her partner, playwright D. C. Jackson. The couple have two children together, with one born after filming for season four of Shetland.
In an interview with The Scotsman, Alison revealed how the show's costume designer cleverly concealed her pregnancy during filming, reports the Mirror.
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She praised the designer, saying: "The costume designer is brilliant... shirts with pleats at the back and things in three sizes, so they fit as I grow. But by the end of filming I was six months pregnant and pretty big so I start sitting down a lot, or I'm holding a folder. Classic stuff."
At the time, 35-year-old Alison joked about how her character was more organised than she was. When asked if motherhood had changed her, she replied: "I have never, ever been this happy. I didn't know it was possible to be this happy."
"I'm not somebody who's always had this ambition to be a mother, but I knew I wanted to give it a wee go, so I've surprised myself."
Despite her newfound confidence, she confessed that she was not always sure about the path her life would take.
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"If you want to bring authenticity and truth, you have to find a way to be comfortable with who you are and allow yourself to meet the character halfway. And I was not very comfortable with myself for a very long time," she elaborated.
"My twenties were a hot mess. Put that... makes me sound mysterious. I sort of bounced about, constantly trying to reinvent myself. I didn't feel I was enough somehow and I always wanted to be something more interesting left-handed, anything."
Her partner played a significant role in helping her recognise her worth, as she revealed he loves her "in a way I didn't know was possible".
"His love for me is very, very selfless and undemanding. He doesn't ask anything of me, he just loves me for who I am."
She even credited him for her landing the role in Shetland, stating she "wouldn't have got the part in Shetland" without his support boosting her self-confidence.
Shetland airs on BBC One on Wednesday at 9pm
