Feud Behind The Professionals

Martin Shaw discusses a behind the scenes feud with late co star Lewis Collins from the 1980s hit The Professionals.

Shaw Opens Up About Feud with Lewis Collins on Bodie and Doyle

Martin Shaw, now 80, describes a long hidden feud with his late co star Lewis Collins from The Professionals. In an interview with the Telegraph, Shaw says the rift began when they played villains in The New Avengers in 1977. He recalls Collins as arrogant and repeatedly boasting about his physical prowess at the expense of others. Shaw says he told the casting director they did not get on, yet Collins was still cast. On the first day of shooting, Shaw tried to set a constructive tone, but Collins told him to f*** off and the tension lasted about four years. The dynamic on screen showed Bodie and Doyle as a tough, credible duo; off screen, the relationship was strained. Collins died in 2013 after a cancer battle. Shaw notes that he felt blessed relief when their collaboration ended and that healing came only after a reunion about ten years later.

The confession shines a light on the pressures of 1980s television, when big ensembles and top salaries met tight schedules and high egos. It reminds us that famous partnerships often rest on fragile nerves and forced chemistry. The story also underscores how memory can soften old wounds; Shaw says reconciliation came with time, suggesting that the public legend of a perfect duo can obscure messy behind the scenes realities. This is a case study in how star power and performance can mask personal frictions that matter to the people involved, even as a show remains beloved by fans.

Highlights

The episodes behind Bodie and Doyle remind us that legacy is built as much on human stories as on screen actions.