Meet the cast of McMafia
The BBC1 drama starring James Norton drama has a large cast of international actors
New BBC crime drama McMafia has a huge cast of international actors, with the production team aiming to hire performers from the same regions as their characters for greater authenticity.
If you’re wondering where you might have seen these familiar faces before, take a look at our full guide to the cast and characters below...
- McMafia spoiler-free preview: “The Night Manager with spreadsheets”
- Why is it called McMafia?
- James Norton on McMafia, death threats and acting with his dad
James Norton as Alex Godman
The English-raised son of Russian mobsters, Alex has tried to leave his parents criminal past behind him – but when the past comes back to haunt them, he has to get his hands dirty.
James Norton is best known for his breakout roles in BBC1’s Happy Valley and ITV’s Grantchester, with other notable roles in productions like Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Black Mirror, the BBC production of War & Peace and Doctor Who.
Merab Ninidze as Vadim Kalyagin
A brutal mob boss and devoted family man, Vadim comes into conflict with the Godman family.
Georgian actor Merab Ninidze moved to Austria in the 90s, and works mostly in Vienna and Berlin with a wide range of film roles under his belt.
Western audiences will probably recognise him most easily from parts in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies and Channel 4 foreign-language drama Deutschland 83, but he’s also appeared in movies like Jupiter’s Moon, Nowhere in Africa, The Rainbowmaker and Under Electric Clouds as well as TV parts in Berlin Station, A Case for Two and Tatort (basically the German version of The Bill) among others.
Juliet Rylance as Rebecca Harper
Alex’s long-term live-in girlfriend Rebecca is a well-meaning soul who works for ethical banker Sydney Bloom.
Actress and producer Juliet Rylance has appeared in various films and TV series over the years including horror film Sinister, The Knick, American Gothic, Frances Ha and A Dog’s Purpose. She is the stepdaughter of Oscar-winning Wolf Hall and Bridge of Spies actor Mark Rylance.
