ADHD Diagnosis and Acting Career
Welsh actress Gwyneth Keyworth, known for her role in the BBC detective drama Death Valley, revealed that being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) about two years ago made her feel "so lucky" to have discovered acting as a career. She shared that school was particularly challenging for her before the diagnosis.
Keyworth expressed that her diagnosis helped her relate to her neurodiverse character, detective Janie Mallowan, in the BBC whodunnit series. The second series, which completed its six-episode run in June on BBC One, featured her collaborating again with Timothy Spall's character, John Chapel, to solve murders set in the Welsh countryside.
"I believe with Janie, and what I share with Janie, I know that personally I am so lucky to have found acting," Keyworth told BBC Radio Cymru.
"These things like thinking on the spot, being talkative and bringing a lot of ideas was something positive.
"Janie too has a diversity, and what I wanted to show, especially in the second series, is that she doesn't deal very well with paperwork and how she can change from one subject to another.
"It's part of her character, but what I didn't want to do was make a sob story."
Keyworth, who has also appeared in series such as Game of Thrones, Black Mirror, and The Crown, added:
"This is part of her. This is the reality. It doesn't have to be something negative, just something that 'is'."
Background and Experiences Growing Up
Born in Aberystwyth, Keyworth noted that ADHD was not widely discussed in her hometown during the 1990s, especially in relation to women, as the condition often presents differently in females.
"And definitely not a lot of people were speaking about it in terms of women, because it looks very different," she said.
"I remember teachers saying 'you're not trying enough', and I was crying because I was trying my very best - but I just couldn't do 'this thing'. I'm writing, and I'm not very good behind a desk."
"Almost every school report I have says that 'Gwyneth dreams and doesn't concentrate, is talkative and has a lot of ideas but can't finish reading'."
She mentioned that she eventually received support from teachers who allowed her extra time to complete assignments.
"Now you look back on it, it's so obvious," she said regarding her ADHD diagnosis received about two years ago.
Working on Death Valley with Timothy Spall
Keyworth returned to Death Valley for its second series earlier this year, working alongside Timothy Spall. The show is set and filmed across multiple locations in Wales, including Penarth, Little Haven, and Bannau Brycheiniog.
She described her experience working with Spall as "amazing".
"We both work quite similarly. Take the work seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously," she said.
"He is so good at what he does and he brings so much energy to the work. To think of all the things he has done in his career, he is a national treasure."
