As Happy Valley approaches its endgame and we find out exactly what will happen between Catherine Cawood and Tommy Lee Royce it would be a crime not to recognise the sheer volume of British acting talent appearing in the series.
Of course we know Sarah Lancashire's acting background but what about the rest of the Happy Valley cast? We've got stars of Game of Thrones, The Batman, Peaky Blinders, and more included in the cast and more than one has done a stint in some of our top soaps.
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Read more: Clues we spotted in the final episode trailer as to how it might end
Sarah Lancashire - Catherine Cawood
The main star of the show, albeit with a very powerful supporting cast, and we don't need much reminding about where we've seen her before. After making her mark on Coronation Street back in the 1990s and breaking Curly Watts' heart as Raquel Wolstenhulme Sarah has gone on to dominate whatever drama she has appeared in. That list has included the cosy Where the Heart Is, Rose and Maloney, and her other collaboration with Sally Wainwright, Last Tango in Halifax, which starred Nicola Walker and ran for five series between 2012 and 2020.
On the big screen you'll have seen her in Yesterday and the 2016 redo of Dad's Army. In 2018 and 2019 we saw her Jack Thorne-penned Kiri and The Accident, both of which were filmed in Wales.
James Norton - Tommy Lee Royce
The big baddie of Happy Valley shot to fame when the first series aired in 2014 the same year as he also launched his role of Sidney Chambers in the vicar in ITV's sleepy drama Grantcheste, in which Robson Green also starred. Before these two huge roles James was seen in a series of critically-acclaimed big-screen movies: Formula 1 drama Rush, in Mr Turner opposite Timothy Spall, and also Belle. In 2019 he starred in the new version of Little Women as John Brooke.
And since Happy Valley he's been a mainstay in major British TV dramas from McMafia to War & Peace, The Trial of Christine Keeler, and Black Mirror. Also in 2019 he starred as Welsh journalist Gareth Jones in Mr Jones.
Siobhan Finneran - Clare Cartwright
Siobhan Finneran has an extensive career spanning 30-plus years with roles in some of the country's biggest TV shows like Downton Abbey, Benidorm, The Syndicate, and The Loch. She launched her career in saucy 80s comedy Rita, Sue, and Bob Too opposite Nevison Gallagher actor George Costigan.
As well as Happy Valley Finneran has appeared as factory employee Josie Phillips in the long-running ITV soap Coronation Street. Josie is best remembered for her on-off employment and difficult relationship with her boss Mike Baldwin. Her other drama roles include Heartbeat, Where The Heart Is, Clocking Off, and Bob & Rose. But her most famous roles are probably as the spiteful O'Brien in Downtown Abbey and as Janice Garvey in Benidorm. In the Spanish-set comedy she stars with Happy Valley series one co-star Steve Pemberton. Read more about Siobhan here.
Charlie Murphy - Ann Gallagher
The character of Ann has perhaps undergone the biggest transformation from series one to three going from spoilt brat to kidnap victim and trainee cop to potential detective. She also played a part in one of the most hearth-wrenching scenes of series three( read more on that here).
The County Wexford-born actress has bagged some brilliant roles since starring as Ann for the first time back in 2014. She played Jessie Eden in Peaky Blinders, Makee in the game adaptation Halo, Simone Turner in The Capture, and is well known back home in Ireland for her role in Love/Hate. Before she took on the role as Ann she starred with James Norton in Northmen: A Viking Saga as well as having parts in The Village, Ripper Street, and films '71 and Philomena.
Karl Davies - Daniel Cawood
If you're currently home during the day and catch old episodes of Emmerdale you'll see Karl as Robert Sugden, a role he played for 205 episodes between 2001 and 2005. But after leaving the Dales Karl has enjoyed some roles in huge TV dramas like Chernobyl, The Bay, The Baby, and The Tower while he also played Alton Lannister in Game of Thrones.
Rhys Connah - Ryan Cawood
Rhys is doing a sterling job as Ryan Cawood, returning to the role after seven years so he could be a teen for the story to continue. In between he scored roles in films The Runaways, The Messenger, The Walk Invisible, and also TV show The White Queen.
George Costigan - Nevison Gallagher
Like many of his Happy Valley co-stars it's perhaps easier to say what George hasn't been in. Vera, Scott and Bailey, Casualty, Midsomer Murders, Emmerdale, Hetty Wainthrop, Kavanagh QC... We could go on, but you get the picture. Of course in recent years, other than Nev, George is most recognised for being gross Patrick Fairbank in Line of Duty, one of the high-up coppers involved in a child sex abuse ring. As we mentioned higher up he also appeared opposite Siobhan Finneran in 1980s sex comedy Rita, Sue, and Bob Too.
Mark Stanley - Rob Hepworth
Actor Mark Stanley has been a stalwart of UK drama for almost a decade and his dependable place at the heart of the country's primetime TV series is solidified off-screen with his real-life partner Rochenda Sandall who herself has starred in Line of Duty, Doctor Who, and Criminal: UK. You'll have seen Mark in the past year in The Thief, His Wife, and the Canoe and Trigger Point opposite Vicky McClure. He had a role in Game of Thrones as Grenn, White House Farm as Colin Caffell, and police dramas Honour and The Bay.
Amit Shah - Faisal Bhatti
Mild-mannered-turned-murdering pharmacist Faisal is played by Lamda graduate Amit who's had roles in The Witcher, His Dark Materials, and Death in Paradise on TV as well as Last Christmas, Ordinary Love, and Johnny English Strikes Again on the big screen. Amit is also a seasoned stage actor with roles in productions at the Royal Court Theatre and Donmar among others.
Con O'Neill - Neil
The 56-year-old English actor is a long-time acting presence on both UK TV and in big-screen Hollywood blockbusters with varying roles and characters showcasing his acting talent. This winter Con will be seen on TV in three separate new shows aside from Happy Valley aside. The Weston-super-Mare-born, Wigan-raised star is also in Russell T Davies' Nolly opposite Helena Bonham Carter and BBC Two's new comedy Our Flag Means Death.
But the seasoned actor, who won a Laurence Olivier Award for his 1988 performance in Blood Brothers (and was nominated for a Tony for this too), will be familiar of late to fans of DC superhero Batman as he had a prominent part in Matt Reeves' The Batman opposite Robert Pattinson. In it he played Mackenzie Brock, chief of Gotham Police. The talented actor is a chameleon and can play drama and comedy and one of his most notable roles was as club owner Val in the BBC Three sitcom Uncle.
Rick Warden - Mike Taylor
His first huge role was as Harry F Welsh in the epic World War Two series Band of Brothers back in 2001 and since then he hasn't really been off the screen – starring in The Bill, Hustle, Rome, Primeval, and loads more in the 2000s. Then in the 2010s he picked up roles in Sherlock, Holby City, Misfits, The Pact, Vera, and also ITV's recent Trigger Point.
Derek Riddell - Richard Cawood
Catherine Cawood's ex-husband, who's still very much on the scene, is Scottish actor Derek. Viewers may remember him well from playing the villain Adam Gettrick in series two of The Missing. He's also been in Gentleman Jack, Industry, and Shetland. Earlier in his career he had regular roles in Channel Four nursing drama/comedy No Angels and also Clocking Off, which also starred Sarah Lancashire and Siobhan Finneran.
Alec Secareanu - Darius Knesevic
Romanian actor Alec is bad boy gangster Darius but he's got a long list of roles in some top-drawer dramas. In 2019 he was Constantine in Baptiste. But the role which brought him to prominence in the UK, and to awards judges, was as Gheorghe Ionescu in the 2017 film God's Own Country, which also stars The Crown's Josh O'Connor. O'Connor stars as a young farmer who embarks on a life-changing journey with the arrival of immigrant Gheorghe.
Anthony Flanagan - Viktor
Stockport actor Anthony has been in Cobra, Endeavour, House of the Dragon, Gentleman Jack, Dracula, The Terror, and The Village in the past decade, but perhaps his most recognised role is as Tony in Shameless or Barry Gannon in Red Riding.
Happy Valley's final ever episode airs at 9pm on Sunday on BBC One. For more TV and showbiz stories subscribe to our newsletter here.
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