Wil Johnson as Emmet Peterson in Death in Paradise (Credit: BBC One)
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Death in Paradise finale: Meet star Wil Johnson, aka Emmet Peterson

He's been acting for more than 30 years!

Death in Paradise series 10 comes to an end tonight (Thursday February 18 2021), and the murder suspect is Emmet Peterson – but who is actor Wil Johnson who plays him?

What have you seen him in before?

Here’s everything you need to know about the DIP final and its star Wil Johnson.

Wil Johnson as Emmet Peterson in Death in Paradise
Wil Johnson as Emmet Peterson in Death in Paradise (Credit: BBC One)

Read more: Death in Paradise series 11: Will Ralf Little return as DI Neville Parker? Everything we know so far

Who is Emmet in Death in Paradise?

Before the opening titles of the series finale, a man by the name of Emmet Peterson staggers into the police station wearing a blood-spattered top.

He confesses to killing his boss, a local cosmetics magnate.

Of course, there’s a lot more to this tale of murder than meets the eye.

Is Emmet really guilty of the grisly crime?

Emmet is played by actor Wil Johnson – star of Emmerdale, Waking the Dead and Waterloo Road.

What has Wil Johnson been in before?

Wil Johnson is a British actor who has been on our TV screens for more than three decades!

His first ever TV role was as Paul in Casualty in 1987 – when he was around 22.

Wil went on to star in some hugely popular TV drama series including Cracker, The Bill and Clocking Off.

From 2001 to 2002, he appeared as a main cast member in two series of the BBC’s Babyfather.

Between 2000 and 2011, he played DI Spencer Jordan – later promoted to DS – in Waking the Dead opposite Sheila Johnson, Claire Goose, Trevor Eve and Holly Aird.

Will later portrayed Marcus Kirby in Waterloo Road, Sean Dolan in Holby City and Dax in Lewis.

Soap fans will recognise him as Dominic Andrews in Emmerdale.

Will played Gemma’s dad Dominic between 2012 and 2014.

Since then, he appeared as Joe Abernathy in Outlander from 2017 to 2020.

He’s also a very familiar face in theatre, and has famously played Othello.

Wil Johnson as DS Spencer Jordan in Waking the Dead
Wil Johnson as DS Spencer Jordan in Waking the Dead (Credit: BBC One)

Read more: Death in Paradise detectives ranked: Which of the BBC actors comes out on top?

How old is Wil Johnson?

Wilbert Charles Johnson was born on April 18 1965.

He is currently 55 years old.

Where is Wil Johnson from?

Wil was born in Muswell Hill, London, and raised in Tottenham.

His mother was a dressmaker and his father a carpenter.

Wil had no interest in acting while he was at drama school, due to a speech impediment and regular panic attacks.

However, he changed his mind after he filled in for an absent actor and realised how much he enjoyed it.

Wil Johnson as Joe Abernathy in Outlander (Credit: Starz)
Wil Johnson as Joe Abernathy in Outlander (Credit: Starz)

Is Wil married?

Wil married model and writer Alexandra Spiegel in 2001, but they divorced in 2010.

He married Camilla Johnson on December 4 2014.

He has seven children, four from his marriage to Alexandra – step-daughter Mischa, son Joachim River, and twin daughters Rain and Zillah-May.

His eldest daughter Ayanna Witter-Johnson is an English composer, singer, songwriter and cellist.

Her notable performances include opening for the MOBO Awards Pre-Show in 2016.

Death in Paradise series 10: episode eight

A man confesses to murdering his boss, despite being unable to remember what happened.

Neville is convinced that things are not as simple as they seem, and becomes determined to uncover the truth and unmask the real killer.

The last in the series promises to go out with a bang.

Poster

The final episode of Death in Paradise airs on Thursday February 18 2021 at 9pm on BBC One.

Do you recognise Wil Johnson from his other roles? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.


Helen Fear
TV Editor