Jonathan Pryce Revisits Welsh Roots in Under Salt Marsh

For Sir Jonathan Pryce, the journey to the pinnacle of British acting has taken him from the dystopian streets of Brazil to the hallowed halls of The Crown. Yet, in early 2026, the two-time Tony winner has embarked on his most personal project to date. In the new Sky Original crime thriller Under Salt Marsh, Pryce returns to the rugged, windswept landscapes of North Wales—a region he calls his "homeland" but hasn't filmed in for nearly sixty years.

The series, which premiered on January 30, 2026, sees the 78-year-old actor stepping into the role of Solomon Bevan, a formidable farming patriarch and a pillar of the fictional coastal community of Morfa Halen.

A Homecoming Six Decades in the Making

Born and raised in Holywell, Flintshire, Pryce left Wales as a teenager to pursue drama school in London. While he has frequently worked in South Wales throughout his illustrious career, Under Salt Marsh provided a rare opportunity to return to the North.

"Location had a lot to do with it," Pryce remarked during the series’ premiere. "It was a chance to celebrate a side of my family who are from Bethesda and Bangor. Getting the chance to act in that landscape was a real gift."

The actor noted the irony of his return; as a young man, he couldn't wait to escape the small-town life of North Wales. Returning as an international icon, he found a new appreciation for the "epic landscapes" that he once took for granted, even finding a peculiar joy in the relentless Welsh rain that characterizes the series.

The "Welsh King Lear"

Critics and cast members alike have dubbed Pryce’s performance as Solomon Bevan his "Welsh King Lear." Solomon is a man deeply connected to the environment, possessing a "self-made power" over his community. The character is introduced during a moment of profound grief—the discovery of his nine-year-old grandson, Cefin, dead on a water bank.

Pryce’s portrayal is defined by a rugged, stoic authority. In one of the season’s most discussed scenes, Solomon unleashes his sheep at a town hall meeting to show his contempt for a proposed evacuation. This blend of rural grit and Shakespearean gravity has made Solomon the emotional anchor of the show.

A Community Haunted by Secrets

Under Salt Marsh is far from a standard police procedural. Created by Claire Oakley, the six-part series uses a "once-in-a-generation" storm as a ticking clock for a murder investigation.

• The Lead Duo: Kelly Reilly stars as Jackie Ellis, a teacher and former detective who finds the body, while Rafe Spall plays her estranged partner, Detective Eric Bull.

• The Tension: The discovery reopens a three-year-old cold case involving the disappearance of Jackie’s niece, threatening to wash away long-buried secrets before the storm hits.

Pryce has praised the "predominantly Welsh cast" and the authenticity of the production, which was filmed entirely on location in Barmouth, Fairbourne, and Anglesey. For Pryce, the accuracy of the accents and the intimate depiction of community life were essential to his decision to join the project.

The Power of the Landscape

In Under Salt Marsh, the Welsh coastline is not merely a backdrop; it is a character in its own right. Pryce has spoken extensively about how the "harsh winter conditions" and the "unforgiving landscape" dictated the tone of the performances.

"I remember saying, 'I might not be your Solomon Bevan, but I'll be my version of him,'" Pryce shared. His version is one that feels weathered by the salt and the wind, a man who belongs to the mud and the marsh as much as the mountains behind him.

A Legacy Continued

As Sir Jonathan Pryce revisits the "land of his fathers," he brings with him a lifetime of experience that elevates the genre of the British crime thriller. Under Salt Marsh is a reminder that while an actor may travel the world and play popes and princes, there is a specific kind of magic that occurs when they return to the soil that raised them.

For audiences, seeing Pryce back in North Wales is a highlight of the 2026 television season—a homecoming that is as haunting as it is beautiful.

Source - https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqxyq74e5pjo

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