Suspect – who’s who in season 2 of the hit Channel 4 show

If noirish film tropes, desperate people doing desperate things, and good ol’ murder are what float your TV boat, then good news: Channel 4’s crime drama Suspect (based on the hit Danish show Face to Face) is returning for another season.

But there’s a twist. Where season one followed Danny Frater (James Nesbitt) as he tried to find out who killed his daughter Christina, season two is set to introduce a new protagonist: his ex-wife Susannah. She’s still trying to uncover the truth of Christina’s death, but things are set to get even murkier with the introduction of a brand new character (and possible mass murderer) Jon (Dominic Cooper).

It’s set to be a nail-biting affair, and the cast look superb: here’s our breakdown of who’s playing who.

Dr Susannah Newman, played by Anne-Marie Duff

(Channel 4)

Susannah Newman is a familiar face for Suspect fans: in season one, she was the mother of Christina (who died in mysterious circumstances) and the ex-wife of Danny Frater (James Nesbitt) who was investigating her disappearance. In season two, she’s attempting to try and solve the mystery of her daughter’s death by herself.

“She is out of her depth as she is not in the police, but a psychotherapist who specialises in hypnotherapy,” Duff explains. “She is sensitive and intelligent. She’s also a woman who’s swollen with grief.”

Duff herself is an English actor. Born to Irish parents in London, she initially wanted to become a singer – but switched to acting when her teacher told her “I think you have the soul of an actor.”

Since then, she’s become a mainstay on our screens, appearing first as Elizabeth I in the BBC 2005 series The Virgin Queen, then making appearances in Sex Education, Bad Sisters and BBC One drama From Darkness.

Jon Fallow, played by Dominic Cooper

(Channel 4)

Jon appears at the start of the series seeking help for curing his smoking addiction. But things quickly spiral when he’s put in a trance by Susannah, and reveals that he’s actually a trained killer who has already killed one girl, and will kill another tonight.

“But he’s an extreme very damaged person and in need of serious help,” Cooper said, in a Q&A ahead of the series. “There’s a definite power struggle between the two of them, and it’s interesting to watch how they approach things, both coming from two different worlds of extreme grief and pain.”

Born and brought up in Greenwich, Cooper trained at LAMDA and had his big breakthrough in Alan Bennett’s play (and later film) History Boys, in which he played the rebellious Dakin. He followed this up by playing love interest Sky in the film adaptation of Mamma Mia! and since then has appeared in shows like Preacher (where he played the lead), My Lady Jane and Marvel show Agent Carter.

DS Richard Groves, played by Ben Miller

(Channel 4)

Richard Groves is Susannah’s ex lover, and when she starts to become suspicious of new arrival Jon, he’s the one that she confides in. However, to her concern, she soon finds out he isn’t taking her seriously.

Ben Miller has been acting since the Eighties. Though he studied natural sciences and physics at university, he participated in student theatre with his then-girlfriend Rachel Weisz, before abandoning his thesis to pursue a career in comedy. He joined Cambridge’s sketch comedy troupe Footlights, and it was there that he was introduced to his long-term comedy partner Alexander Armstrong in 1992.

This led to a TV and radio show for the duo, and since then, Miller has also appeared in films like Johnny English and Paddington – and scores of TV shows, including Bridgerton. He plays the hapless Lord Featherington in the period drama.

Natasha Groves, played by Tamsin Greig

(Channel 4)

Natasha is the wife of Richard Groves, and she and Susannah lock horns over Jon.

Greig, who plays her, is known both for her dramatic and comedic acting chops. In addition to playing Debbie Aldridge on long-running radio drama the Archers (which she has done since 1991; these days, Debbie spends a lot of time in Hungary), she played Fran Katzenjammer in Channel 4 sitcom Black Books, Jackie Goodman in the sitcom Friday Night Dinner and Dr Caroline Todd in the sitcom Green Wing.

Louisa McAdams, played by Vinette Robinson

(Channel 4)

Louisa is an ex-client of Susannah’s, and a police officer who helps her to shed light on the case.

Born in Bradford, Robinson began auditioning for acting roles from the age of 13 (including the role of Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars films – a role that ultimately went to Natalie Portman). Over the years, she’s appeared in Mike Leigh film Vera Drake, in Sherlock, Black Mirror, Waterloo Road and Doctor Who – and last year reprised her role as Carly in the TV series adaptation of Boiling Point.

Dr Alistair Underwood, played by Eddie Marsan

(Channel 4)

Alistair is the head of the psychiatric facility in which Susannah’s ex-husband Danny is being held.

Like many of the cast, Marsan was born and grew up in London – Stepney to be exact. Part of a working class family, he trained as a printer before moving into acting, and has forged a decades-long career in TV and film, often playing the villain. Over the years, he’s appeared in films including Sherlock Holmes, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Deadpool 2, The Winter King and The Power.

Sapphire, played by Celine Buckens

(Channel 4)

Sapphire is a witness to a crime that Jon supposedly committed.

Buckens is a British-Belgian actor who moved to the UK as a child. Her breakthrough role was in the 2011 film War Horse, after which she appeared in Netflix series Free Rein in 2017. She followed this up with an appearance in BBC drama Showtrial in 2021, and was nominated for a BAFTA and an Emmy.

Joseph Buckley, played by Nicholas Pinnock

Joseph is another ex-client of Susannah’s. Pinnock, who plays him, spent his early years in Saudi Arabia but moved back to the UK at the age of 12. Working as a model, actor and dancer, he eventually segued into acting full-time and is most famous for playing the role of Aaron Wallace in the American legal TV drama For Life.

Kate, played by Gina McKee

Kate is an old friend and colleague of Susannah’s who finds herself swept up in the case.

The daughter of a coal miner, McKee grew up in County Durham and got into acting at primary school. She won the BAFTA for Best Actress in 1997 for her work in celebrated drama Our Friends in the North and has since appeared in The Lost Prince (2003) and The Street (2007) - as well as Jed Mercurio’s 2018 thriller Bodyguard.