Meet the cast of The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix
The cast is shaping up nicely.
Filming has begun on Netflix’s highly anticipated adaptation of Richard Osman’s best-selling novel The Thursday Murder Club, and with it has come our first look at the cast in character.
The image (above) shows Osman surrounded by Dame Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Sir Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie in character as the central quartet.
Meanwhile, recent weeks have seen new cast additions being announced, with the first batch including David Tennant, Daniel Mays, Naomi Ackie, Jonathan Pryce and Henry Lloyd-Hughes.
Meanwhile, more recently Richard E Grant, Tom Ellis, Ingrid Oliver, Geoff Bell, Paul Freeman and Sarah Niles have also been added to the ensemble.
Adapted from Osman’s novel, the film is set in a peaceful retirement village where a group of four elderly friends – Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron – take on cold cases for fun.
However, when a property developer is found dead, the four find themselves in the middle of their first live crime.
Osman previously said of the adaptation when it was announced back in April: "I’m so proud of this book, so it is a dream to see The Thursday Murder Club in such incredible hands. From Chris Columbus to Amblin to Netflix, there are geniuses everywhere I look. And what a cast. I’m pinching myself."
Read on for everything we know so far about the cast of the Netflix film.
The Thursday Murder Club cast: Who stars in the Netflix film alongside Helen Mirren?
The confirmed cast members so far are as follows:
- Helen Mirren as Elizabeth Best
- Pierce Brosnan as Ron Ritchie
- Sir Ben Kingsley as Ibrahim Arif
- Celia Imrie as Joyce Meadowcroft
- Naomi Ackie as Donna de Freitas
- Jonathan Pryce as Stephen Best
- David Tennant as TBC
- Daniel Mays as TBC
- Henry Lloyd-Hughes as TBC
- Richard E Grant as TBC
- Tom Ellis as TBC
- Geoff Bell as TBC
- Paul Freeman as TBC
- Sarah Niles as TBC
- Ingrid Oliver as TBC
Read on for everything you need to know about the cast and who they're playing.
Helen Mirren plays Elizabeth Best
Who is Elizabeth Best? Elizabeth is an ex-spy, resident at the retirement home and founder of the Thursday Murder Club.
What else has Helen Mirren been in? Mirren has enjoyed an impressive career full of iconic movies including The Long Good Friday, Excalibur, 2010, Gosford Park, The Queen and Hitchcock. The legendary star made her acting debut in the late 1960s in a number of films, but it was the 1969 film Age of Consent that catapulted her to fame. She has also claimed several awards over the years including an Oscar, BAFTAs, Golden Globes.
Pierce Brosnan plays Ron Ritchie
Who is Ron Ritchie? Ron is a former union activist and member of the Thursday Murder Club.
Where else have I seen Pierce Brosnan? Brosnan is known for being at the forefront of four Bond films in his tenure as the British secret agent.
Sir Ben Kingsley plays Ibrahim Arif
Who is Ibrahim Arif? An ex-psychiatrist and another member of the Thursday Murder Club.
What else has Sir Ben Kingsley been in? The actor has previously appeared in a handful of movies including Jules, Shutter Island, Iron Man 3 and Sexy Beast.
Celia Imrie as Joyce Meadowcroft
Who is Joyce Meadowcroft? An ex-nurse and the newest member of the Thursday Murder Club.
Where else have I seen Celia Imrie before? Imrie is known for starring in a number of movies including Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, Bridget Jones's Diary, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, St Trinian's, Nanny McPhee and Calendar Girls. The star has also appeared in a handful of TV series including After You've Gone, Patrick Melrose, Keeping Faith, Better Things and The Diplomat.
Naomi Ackie plays Donna de Freitas
Who is Donna de Freitas? In Osman's novel, Donna is a policewoman.
Where have I seen Naomi Ackie before? Ackie has previously appeared in Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker, BBC One's Small Axe and Netflix black comedy drama The End of the F***ing World, for which she won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress. Ackie also led the cast of the Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
Jonathan Pryce plays Stephen Best
Who is Stephen Best? Elisabeth's husband.
Where else have you seen Jonathan Pryce before? The veteran Welsh actor has appeared in countless iconic films including Brazil, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Evita, Tomorrow Never Dies, The Age of Innocence, and The Two Popes, to name a few. The star has also had numerous television roles, and starred as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in the final two seasons of The Crown.
David Tennant plays TBC
Where have I seen David Tennant before? The actor is best-known for his role as The Tenth (and now Fourteenth) Doctor in Doctor Who. Tennant has previously starred in numerous projects including Amazon's Good Omens, Broadchurch, Deadwater Fell, Netflix's Criminal, Casanova, Jessica Jones (as Kilgrave), the film Mary Queen of Scots, Inside Man, The Sandman, Litvinenko and There She Goes.
Daniel Mays plays TBC
Where have I seen Daniel Mays before? The actor rose to fame as Kat Slater’s boyfriend Kevin in EastEnders in 2000. Since then he’s racked up an impressive acting career and has appeared in projects including Line of Duty, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Ashes to Ashes and White Lines.
Henry Lloyd-Hughes plays TBC
Where else have I seen Henry Lloyd-Hughes before? The Inbetweeners fans will recognise the actor from his role as the shaven-headed school bully Mark Donovan in the series. The actor has also appeared in Parade's End and ITV drama The Long Shadow.
Richard E Grant plays TBC
Where else have I seen Richard E Grant before? Grant is known for his roles in films such as Withnail & I, Gosford Park, The Iron Lady, Jackie, Logan, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Everybody's Talking About Jamie, The Lesson, Saltburn and Argylle, and series such as Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Loki, Suspect and The Outlaws.
Tom Ellis plays TBC
Where else have I seen Tom Ellis before? Ellis is known for playing the titular role in Lucifer and Gary in Miranda, while he has also appeared in series and films including Vera Drake, EastEnders, Doctor Who, Merlin, Players and Exploding Kittens.
Geoff Bell plays TBC
Where else have I seen Geoff Bell before? Bell has previously had roles in Stardust, RocknRolla, Top Boy, War Horse, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Suffragette, Rogue One, His Dark Materials, The Curse and Death in Paradise.
Paul Freeman plays TBC
Where else have I seen Paul Freeman before? Freeman is known for his roles in films such as Raider of the Lost Ark, Hot Fuzz and The Long Good Friday, while he has also appeared in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, Monarch of the Glen, A Very English Scandal, Absentia and The Man Who Fell to Earth.
Sarah Niles plays TBC
Where else have I seen Sarah Niles before? Niles is perhaps best known for her role as Dr Sharon in Ted Lasso, while she has also appeared in Peep Show, Doctor Who, Death in Paradise, Catastrophe, Dracula, Trying, I May Destroy You, The Sandman and Riches.
Ingrid Oliver plays TBC
Where else have I seen Ingrid Oliver before? Richard Osman's wife, Oliver plays Osgood in Doctor Who, and is also known for her collaboration with Lorna Watson in Watson & Oliver. She has also had roles in Peep Show, Silent Witness, The Hustle, Last Christmas, Beyond Paradise and Father Brown.
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The Thursday Murder Club is yet to confirm a release date.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
