Fidel Best, played by Gary Carr on Death in Paradise, was written off for undisclosed reasons, with suggestions that the young actor was looking for new acting opportunities.
Death in Paradise is the hit BBC One detective series premised on DI Neville Parker, a UK detective inspector who is transferred to the Caribbean island of St. Marie to solve crimes.
Having recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, the cast of the series looks completely different to the original cast.
One of the first cast members to exit the series is acclaimed English actor, Gary Carr, who left after the third season finale.
The reason for him being written off remains a mystery as Carr has not spoken out about his exit since. But considering his career trajectory, it is assumed that the actor was looking for new acting opportunities.
Who are the original remaining Death in Paradise cast members?
Death in Paradise premiered with Ben Miller in the lead role of DI Richard Poole, who was the first main cast member to leave as he was killed off during the season three premiere episode.
Miller left the series in order to focus on his new marriage and family as he had found out that his wife was pregnant upon arriving to shoot the new season.
Miller’s exit was just the beginning, as in the years since then, the entire cast has changed, with the only remaining original cast members being Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, played by Don Warrington, and Catherine Bordey, played by Elizabeth Bourgine.
Why was Fidel written off Death in Paradise?
When we were first introduced to Officer Fidel Best, he was considered the most organised and competent officer on the team.
This is as he was always tasked with taking fingerprints and witness testimonials. Moreover, he was always eager to please DI Richard Poole.
In season two, we watched Fidel studying towards being a sergeant, and he eventually passed with flying colours after much tribulation and doubt on his end.
It was this storyline that created his exit during the season four premiere, as it was revealed that Fidel had taken a job on another island, hence his surprising and abrupt exit from the series.
At the time, the reason for this exit was never revealed. Even in the years since, Carr has not addressed the exit during little interviews that he has conducted in the past.
Moreover, since the actor does not seem to have social media, there has not been an avenue where fans can question him about his decision or whether he would be interested in returning, as Miller did return for a cameo during the series’ tenth year milestone in 2021.
But for the most part, it is speculated that Carr decided not to return in order to pursue new acting opportunities, which is evident in his acting career following Death in Paradise, as most of his roles before were minor supporting and cameo roles.
Kris Marshall on Gary Carr’s exit
Kris Marshall is another actor who was part of the main cast members of Death in Paradise after joining in 2014 and subsequently making his exit in 2017 after three seasons.
Marshall spoke on his stance about Gary Carr’s surprise exit before his departure from the detective series.
Speaking to Digital Spy, Marshall asserted that he was not surprised and went on to add, “I understand where he is coming from. I was just the same when I was younger. He wants to move on.”
Will Fidel ever return to Death in Paradise?
It does seem unlikely that Officer Fidel Best would ever return to the series, though his character was not killed, but moved to another island in the Caribbean. This has left room for the possibility of his comeback in seasons to come.
But considering that Carr did not return for the tenth season anniversary and that his tenth year anniversary since his exit is nearing, the chances are slim that he would return.
Moreover, since the actor is a recluse in terms of interviews, it is difficult to tell what his personal stance is in this regard.
What is Gary Carr doing now?
Even during his time as Death in Paradise’s Fidel Best, Gary Carr already had notable roles as Downton Abbey’s Jack Ross and Bluestone 42’s Millsy.
Since his exit from the detective series, other notable roles he has had include The Deuce’s C.C, Trigonometry, and most recently, the leading male role on Prime Video’s original The Peripheral which is set to premiere later this month on Friday, 21 October 2022, on the streaming service.