Interview with Jessica Hynes (DI Frankie)

Why were you attracted to Patience as a project?

I've never done anything like it, pushing myself out of my comfort zone was an exhilarating challenge and the first series was one of Channel 4’s most successful and well-loved dramas of 2025. 

Can you describe Frankie to us? Give us a little about her background and where we find her as the first episode lands...

In my mind she is Serpico, in reality she is a grumpy, stern, hard bitten policewoman who likes pastries and motorbikes.

Tell us a little about how she reacts to Patience working in her department?

Patience is a nuisance and a liability. She's not a trained police officer and has no business working on cases. Frankie has no problem making her feelings very clear from the beginning. 

Tonally how would you describe Patience as a drama?

Fun and Stylish centred around the unique and compelling journey of Patience a criminal records officer who is a genius at solving crime.

How have you enjoyed working with the rest of the cast?

Ella, Nathan, Ali, Mark, Liza and Tom were incredible. Whenever I felt lost or overwhelmed as 'the new girl' they were always there for guidance and support.  The guest stars each week were also excellent- it was a real highlight working with such a talented roster of actors.

You are a great comic actor - How are you playing Frankie – is she funny or serious?

My instincts are to be funny and off screen we laughed a lot. Ella and Nathan are so different from their characters and we spent a lot of time laughing in between takes. On screen we are deadly serious (which was hard sometimes) particularly when we were working with Mark Benton who had us all in stitches. 

What are your most memorable moments in front of the camera on Patience? This can be anecdotal - funny moments or challenging moments..

I don't think I realised that I would be literally chasing bad guys. Running on camera was actually really fun especially when we were all doing it.  

You were shooting in both Belgium and York. What did you like best about both places? 

York was great because I stayed with an old friend and her family when I was there. 

I really like Belgian people - they seem to be both very serious and silly at the same time which is how I like to be.

Tell us about Frankie's relationships with some of the other characters in particular Patience, Jake and Calvin

Frankie’s relationship with Patience changes over the series and ultimately she grows to trust, respect and like her. 

Frankie likes Jake from the beginning - her instincts tell her he’s one of the good ones and she's right. 

Frankie doesn't take to authority and doesn't have an immediate deference to her boss but Calvin earns her respect and she ends up definitely warming to him.