Netflix adaptation of The Thursday Murder Club has a jam-packed cast of Oscar-winning actors and Hollywood stars, but did you spot this Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast member? Joseph Marcell, who played Geoffrey in the Will Smith sitcom, appears in the murder mystery as Father Mackie.
The 77-year-old actor appears in two scenes within the Cooper's Chase retirement home. It’s a blink and you’ll miss it appearance from the iconic comedy actor who many of us grew up watching on TV. He stars as a member of Coopers Chase and a vicar, with his scene being mainly in the cemetery protest. He is quickly dismissed as innocent by the detectives, but his role was much bigger in the source material.
Fans of the NBC sitcom will remember Geoffrey, the butler who was a constant presence in the Banks house. He has since made small cameos in films and TV shows, but no role as iconic as his time as the Banks’ butler. His last main role was in the BBC sitcom Mammoth.
The Thursday Murder Club stars Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie as the titular four. The story follows a group of armchair detectives at a retirement village who use their skills to try and solve a crime which happens in their own home.
The Thursday Murder Club has been met with a lukewarm reaction despite the amazing cast. The book series written by beloved TV presenter Richard Osman, has a huge fan base thanks to its mix of comedy and crime. This film version has not quite managed to bring to life Elizabeth, Reg, and co, nor capture the author’s trademark wit.
The film is already two hours longer, but so many elements of the book were omitted from the big screen adaptation. Obviously, not everything can make the final cut, but as a reader, it’s hard not to miss some of the more heartbreaking moments.
Father Mackie’s role was cut down, likely leaving some of Marcell’s most moving on-screen moments on the cutting room floor. We suspect the writer/director would have intended Marcell to have a big role, before his role was cut down.
Spoilers ahead for those who want to read the book, but originally Mackie was not a vicar but a doctor who fell in love with one of the nuns at the church in the '70s. She sadly took her own life after their affair was discovered, which is why he was so adamant against the cemetery being dug up so flats could be built on the spot.
Bodgan’s story is also hugely different from the book, which is the biggest gripe most readers have about this Chris Columbus-directed adaptation. His history was not given the time it deserved, which meant the came across much more differently on film.
By changing these significant book moments, what should have been a heartbreaking drama turned into a cosy Sunday show. Richard Osman has defended the book and its film adaptation as being completely separate entities.
The Thursday Murder Club is on Netflix.