Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge's genre-bending new comedy drama has finally arrived in the UK. The BBC drama stars Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer as an MI5 agent and a psychopathic assassin who launch a game of cat-and-mouse across the globe.

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With big-name actors like Oh and Comer, as well as Fiona Shaw, it's a pretty impressive cast – but equally as impressive are some of the newcomers.

Here are the characters you need to meet – and the actors who play them:


Sandra Oh plays Eve Polastri

Sandra Oh in Killing Eve

Who is Eve Polastri? A frustrated, desk-based MI5 officer who becomes convinced that a string of murders around the world is the work of a talented psychopathic female assassin.

Where have I seen Sandra Oh before? The Golden Globe-winning actress is best known for her role as Cristina Yang in the American medical drama Grey's Anatomy, which she played from 2005 to 2014. Her other screen credits include The Princess Diaries, Sideways, Sorry, Haters, Shitty Boyfriends, and Hard Candy.


Jodie Comer plays Villanelle

Jodie Comer plays Villanelle in Killing Eve

Who is Villanelle? A talented assassin with a flair for the dramatic. She is a psychopath and becomes obsessed with Eve Polastri, the agent tasked with tracking her down.

Where have I seen Jodie Comer before? You may recognise her as Kate from Doctor Foster. She's also starred as Elizabeth of York in The White Princess, and played Ivy Moxam in TV mini-series Thirteen. In My Fat Diary she was Chloe Gemell, and in Remember Me she played Hannah Ward.


Darren Boyd plays Frank Haleton

Darren Boyd plays Frank Haleton in Killing Eve

Who is Frank Haleton? Eve's boss at MI5.

Where have I seen Darren Boyd before? Back in the nineties and early noughties, Darren Boyd was one of the stars of sketch comedy show Smack the Pony. Since then, his credits have included Imagine Me & You, Watching Ellie, Green Wing, Dirk Gently, Spy, and Stan Lee's Lucky Man – where he plays DI Steve Orwell.


Fiona Shaw plays Carolyn Martens

Fiona Shaw plays Carolyn Martens in Killing Eve

Who is Carolyn Martens? Head of the Russia Section at MI6.

Where have I seen Fiona Shaw before? It's hard not to recognise Fiona Shaw as the awful Petunia Dursley from the Harry Potter films. She has also starred as Marnie Stonebrook in True Blood and won a couple of Olivier Awards for her stage work.


Owen McDonnell plays Niko Polastri

Owen McDonnell plays Niko Polastri in Killing Eve

Who is Niko Polastri? Eve's husband, who runs a Bridge club.

Where have I seen Owen McDonnell before? The actor appeared (without his moustache) as Sergeant Jack Driscoll in Irish TV series Single-Handed. He's also been Michael Coyne in My Mother and Other Strangers, McArthur in Paula, and Tom in An Klondike.


Billy Matthews plays Dominik Wolanski

Billy Matthews plays Dominik in Killing Eve

Who is Dominik Wolanski? A Polish-speaking boy who attends Niko's Bridge club. He is drawn into the action when Eve asks for his help as a translator.

Where have I seen Billy Matthews before? You may have recently seen him as Cornelius in the Doctor Who episode The Eaters of Light. He's also popped up in The Hooligan Factory, New Tricks, and The Hollow Crown.


Kim Bodnia plays Konstantin

Kim Bodnia plays Villanelle's boss Konstantin in Killing Eve

Who is Konstantin? Villanelle's handler, who gives her instructions via postcards and pays her for successfully-completed killings.

Where have I seen Kim Bodnia before? The Danish actor is perhaps best known for his role as Martin in The Bridge. He's also appeared in Hostages, The Killing, and The Inspector and the Sea.


David Haig plays Bill Pargrave

David Haig plays Bill Pargrave in Killing Eve

Who is Bill Pargrave? Eve's supervisor at MI5. He becomes part of her team when she's recruited to MI6.

Where have I seen David Haig before? The Olivier Award-winning actor is perhaps best known for his stage performances. On screen, he's been Inspector Grim in Thin Blue Line, and played Bernard the Groom in Four Weddings and A Funeral. Haig starred alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Carey Mulligan in My Boy Jack, which was actually based on his own play, and has appeared in Penny Dreadful, The Wright Way, Florence Foster Jenkins, Yes Prime Minister, and The Thick of It.


Kirby Howell-Baptiste plays Elena Felton

Kirby Howell-Baptiste plays Elena Felton in Killing Eve

Who is Elena Felton? Eve's determined and trusted assistant, who follows her to her new job.

Where have I seen Kirby Howell-Baptiste before? The actress plays Sasha in Barry, and Beth in Love. Her other credits include Downward Dog, Pappy, and Alone Together.


Sean Delaney plays Kenny Stowton

Sean Delaney plays Kenny Stowton in Killing Eve

Who is Kenny Stowton? An ex-hacker who has been recruited by Carolyn Martens to collect evidence about this female assassin.

Where have I seen Sean Delaney before? The young actor has made one previous TV appearance in Midsomer Murders, but Killing Eve is his breakout role.


Remo Girone plays Cesare Greco

Remo Girone plays Cesare Greco in Killing Eve

Who is Cesare Greco? A crime boss whose party at his villa in Tuscany is rudely interrupted by the arrival of Villanelle.

Where have I seen Remo Girone before? The Italian film and stage actor is known in his native country for the role of Mafia leader Tano Cariddi in La Piovra, among other credits. He starred alongside Emilia Clarke in the 2017 movie Voice from the Stone.


Charlie Hamblett plays Sebastian

Charlie Hamblett plays Sebastian in Killing Eve

Who is Sebastian? A keen and charming young Frenchman who lives in Villanelle's block.

Where have I seen Charlie Hamblett before? The actor has made a handful of on-screen appearances, including as Stevie in The Secret Agent and Malcolm in Macbeth.

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Killing Eve starts on BBC1 on Saturday 15th September at 9.15pm and will then be available as a box set on BBC3 iPlayer


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Authors

Eleanor Bley GriffithsDrama Editor, RadioTimes.com
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