Exploring the Unconventional Therapist in Netflix’s Dept Q

The interesting part about portraying a therapist, I suppose, is the opportunity for some lighthearted moments—like when Kelly McDonald, playing Dr. Rachel Irving in the new Netflix thriller Dept Q, finds herself frustrated by her client, DCI Carl Morque, who seems more interested in his packed lunch than any real therapy. It’s true, Morcke embodies the typical troubled detective we see in police dramas, but Irving is anything but typical. She comes across as somewhat dull and even a bit hostile, calling her work with police “silly” and referring to Morque as “doral,” which—well, that’s not something you’d expect from a standard therapist. McDonald, who’s experienced something different with therapy herself, might just agree with that sentiment.

This show is based on a novel by Danish author Jussi Adler Olsen and brought to life on screen by Scott Frank. It follows Morck, who, despite his flaws, has the responsibility of tackling cold cases while being relegated to a rundown basement known as Department Q. His team’s first case revolves around the four-year-old disappearance of a lawyer, with everyone suspecting the worst. What they uncover is both alarming and terrifying.

Interestingly, some might assume McDonald’s role is that of a police officer. “No, actually. They told me early on what my character would be like,” she noted during a Zoom call. Currently filming in Los Angeles, she clarifies that she plays a detective but, with a laugh, adds, “Really, I’m more of a sheriff. It’s quite different.” She even jokes about the hat she wears.

At 49, McDonald has been in Los Angeles since January, and while it’s tough being away from her two sons, ages 12 and 17, they do visit her, and she always makes it back to Glasgow. “That guilt doesn’t ever get easier,” she admits, reflecting on the struggles of being a working mom. “You’re always feeling like you’re not quite enough in either role. They understand what I’m doing; we can see each other’s faces through technology, which helps a lot.” Recently, she described checking in on them from afar, noting how it felt so far away and yet so close.

As for her sons’ views on her work, they seem more intrigued by her role in the lantern series or her part in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew than her earlier work, like in Gosford Park. “We haven’t really delved into that,” she comments, but she did show one of her sons the prop green lantern, emphasizing it feels more like drama than anything cartoonish.

Surely, they’re aware of their mother’s iconic status—after all, McDonald made her debut in Trainspotting, playing Diane. Growing up in Glasgow with her mother and siblings after her parents’ divorce, she wasn’t heavily involved in drama at school, though she always had a fondness for film and TV. She recalls a summer obsession with musical theater, trying to recreate scenes with neighborhood kids, yet they didn’t share her enthusiasm. “They were just not that into it,” she laughs.

For McDonald, acting was her way of playing out those fantasies, a private affair often performed in her bedroom. Recently, as her older son tackled exams, she reflected on how she learned her lines in her room and did surprisingly well in English. There wasn’t a definitive plan to be an actor; everything just unfolded, especially after someone handed her a flyer for an open casting call that led to Trainspotting.

At the age of 18, while balancing a restaurant job, the casting process felt “incredibly daunting.” She reminisces about auditioning with Ewan McGregor in the room, joking that she couldn’t even see her face because the script was in the way. Although she didn’t feel particularly special at the time, looking back, she finds it funny to see her past self on magazine covers from that era, often portraying the iconic “cool Britannia.”

Did she mingle with other celebrities, like Liam Gallagher or Kate Moss? “I might’ve gone out with Kate Moss once,” she muses, but admits she didn’t closely engage with the celebrity scene. She recalls attending a premiere of a film she wasn’t part of. “I don’t think I could do that now,” she laughs, feeling quite content with her quieter life in Glasgow—a lifestyle that suits her well. “I need to build my nest,” she adds thoughtfully.

Was this a conscious choice to maintain such a grounded life? McDonald has never chased Hollywood fame or engaged with social media. “I’m a patient person and I consider myself fortunate to be involved in projects that matter,” she shares. While she doesn’t lack ambition, she admits, “I want to create meaningful work with good people, though I never quite know what that looks like until it comes along.”

Over the years, McDonald has collaborated with remarkable talents, spanning four years on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, starring in critically acclaimed films like Nanny McPhee and Swallows and Amazons, as well as the notable police drama, Line of Duty. With a wealth of experience behind her, returning to the Trainspotting sequel was a fun, and notably different experience—not marred by the pressure she felt before. “I’ve seen Ewan at various points,” she notes, appreciating the camaraderie that came with being among her peers instead of feeling out of place.

Even now, there’s a hint of that original nervousness. “The process has become easier, but when ‘action’ is called, it can still feel like the first time,” she admits with a chuckle. She’s motivated by a desire to meet expectations. “Once I push through that initial day, things improve.” She notices the younger actors around her. “I’m genuinely impressed by them. They have such confidence,” she says, contrasting her own self-deprecating tendencies. “It’s refreshing to see.”

McDonald reflects that it took her into her 40s to reach this point of contentment. “You realize you can stop wasting energy on things that don’t matter. I’ve become less apologetic about who I am,” she quips.

For many, she’s still that young actress from Trainspotting, but now, in her 30s and 40s, she has thrived with some of her best roles. “It’s exhilarating to connect with a script,” she expresses. She values the learning process, even when it feels slow. “But I know it’s worthwhile because I just love being in that environment again.”