DI Ray season 2 cast: Meet the new and returning characters
Bend It Like Beckham's Parminder Nagra leads the cast.
ITV crime drama DI Ray returns for its second season tonight on ITV1 and ITVX – and that's a reason to celebrate.
Parminder Nagra leads the series, which is produced by Line of Duty's Jed Mercurio, whose company Hat Trick has also brought suspenseful crime thrillers Trigger Point and Payback to the small screen.
That should give you some idea of what to expect from the style and tone of DI Ray season 2, which sees the title character investigate the murder of a high-profile criminal.
The official synopsis reads: "Sensitive ethnic issues relating to the case ignite racial tensions, causing a personal conflict for Rachita, both as a British Asian woman and as a police officer, which she must fight to prevent a turf war erupting on the streets of Birmingham."
The Tower and Game of Thrones star Gemma Whelan returns alongside Nagra, playing the role of DI Ray's supervisor DCI Kerry Henderson, whom she has butted heads with in the past.
Read on for an overview of who else appears in the DI Ray cast, including familiar faces from Doctor Who, Showtrial and Noughts + Crosses.
DI Ray season 2 cast
- Parminder Nagra as DI Rachita Ray
- Gemma Whelan as DCI Kerry Henderson
- Steve Oram as DS Clive Bottomley
- Sam Baker-Jones as DC Liam Payne
- Peter Bankolé as DS Kwesi Edmund
- Witney White as DC Charlene Ellis
- Lauren Drummond as Suzie Chapman
- Michael Socha as Dave Chapman
- Patrick Baladi as DI Patrick Holden
- Dinita Gohil as Amara Choudhry
- Heather Forster as Amy Chapman
- Ian Puleston-Davies as Supt Ross Beardsmore
- Tony Van Silva as Frank Chapman
- Phoebe Marshall as Megan Parks
- Taha Rahim as Ravinder 'Rav' Mochani
- Naomi Yang as Hiroka McGregor
- Syreeta Kumar as Sharan Mochani
- Priyasasha Kumari as Priya Mochani
- Tamla Kari as Lucy Chapman
- Cian Barry as Ethan Henderson
- Ella Dunlop as Dawn Hughes
- Shobu Kapoor as Debo Ray
For more information about the main characters in DI Ray season 2 and where you've seen the actors who play them before, read on.
Parminder Nagra plays DI Rachita Ray
Who is DI Rachita Ray? A Birmingham-based police detective. She was suspended following the events of season 1, which saw her fiancé exposed as a corrupt detective.
Parminder Nagra has said that her on-screen character is "like a female Columbo in a green coat".
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"She's conflicted about her own identity and the piece raises a lot of questions about what happens in the workplace, and whether she's hired for a case that's culturally specific or if she’s hired because of her ability, that's a constant question in her mind," she explained.
"But as a detective, she’s just persistent and hard-working, she doesn't stop. She's like a dog with a bone, and she'll keep asking questions to get to where she needs to be – she's like a female Columbo in a green coat!"
Where have I seen Parminder Nagra before? She first rose to fame as the football-playing Jess in Bend It Like Beckham, before going on to star in the likes of ER, Intergalactic, Black-ish, Agents of SHIELD, Fortitude, 13 Reasons Why , The Blacklist and more.
Gemma Whelan plays DCI Kerry Henderson
Who is DCI Kerry Henderson? Rachita's colleague, who initially acts coolly towards her.
Gemma Whelan said of her character: "When we first meet her, Kerry really feels that Rachita has been given a bump up before she's ready.
"In Kerry’s view, everyone else has worked their way up through the ranks and earned their place in the team, whereas Rachita has had a 'have a go hero' moment, as Kerry sees it, and hasn’t earned her job title. And so, for Kerry, Rachita has got to prove herself, she's got no time for her initially and gives her a hard time."
Where have I seen Gemma Whelan before? You might know her from The Tower, Game of Thrones, Gentleman Jack, Upstart Crow, Killing Eve, The End of the F***ing World and White House Farm.
Steve Oram plays DS Clive Bottomley
Who is DS Clive Bottomley? A colleague of Ray's. Clive is loyal and steady.
What else has Steve Oram been in? His credits include Doctor Who, The End of the F**king World, Code 404, Sightseers and Sally4Ever.
Sam Baker-Jones plays DC Liam Payne
Who is DC Liam Payne? A trusted member of Ray's team.
What else has Sam Baker-Jones been in? His credits include The Walk-In and Noughts + Crosses.
Peter Bankolé plays DS Kwesi Edmund
Who is DS Kwesi Edmund? Another member of Ray's team.
What else has Peter Bankolé been in? He has appeared in Bodkin, The Chelsea Detective and Clique.
Witney White plays DC Charlene Ellis
Who is DC Charlene Ellis? The newest addition to Ray's squad. The DI is asked to mentor Charlene by Henderson.
What else has Witney White been in? She's appeared in episodes of Doctors, Father Brown, Holby City and Cleaning Up.
Lauren Drummond plays Suzie Chapman
Who is Suzie Chapman? Frank's daughter. She's out for blood following her dad's death.
What else has Lauren Drummond been in? She's best known for Waterloo Road ands Holby City.
Michael Socha plays Dave Chapman
Who is Dave Chapman? Frank's son.
What else has Michael Socha been in? Showtrial, This Is England, The Gallows Pole, Once Upon a Time and Being Human, to name just a few.
Patrick Baladi plays DI Patrick Holden
Who is DI Patrick Holden? He's been brought in to assist DI Ray's investigation.
What else has Patrick Baladi been in? You might know him from The Office, Breeders, Bodies, Stella and Marcella.
Dinita Gohil plays Amara Choudhry
Who is Amara Choudhry? A counsellor who is running for mayor.
What else has Dinita Gohil been in? Her credits include Clink, Treason, The Last Train and Our House.
Heather Forster plays Amy Chapman
Who is Amy Chapman? Frank's granddaughter. She has a quiet demeanour.
What else has Heather Forster been in? You might recognise her from The Colour Room.
Ian Puleston-Davies plays Supt Ross Beardsmore
Who is Supt Ross Beardsmore? The boss. Ray has clashed with him on numerous occasions due to his problematic behaviour.
Where have I seen Ian Puleston-Davies before? You might know him from Pennyworth, Tin Star, Marcella, Viewpoint, Hatton Garden, A Confession, The Responder, The Bay and Coronation Street, among other projects.
Additional cast includes:
- Tony Van Silva as Frank Chapman - the head of an organised crime family, who is shot dead in the opening episode.
- Phoebe Marshall (The Royal Mob) as Megan Parks - a nurse who is shot dead alongside Frank.
- Taha Rahim plays Ravinder 'Rav' Mochani - a member of a rival crime family. He's suspected of shooting Frank.
- Naomi Yang (Nightsleeper) as Hiroka McGregor - Ray's police rep.
- Syreeta Kumar (Coronation Street) as Sharan Mochani - Rav's mother.
- Priyasasha Kumari as Priya Mochani - Rav's sister.
- Tamla Kari (The Musketeers) as Lucy Chapman - Dave's wife.
- Cian Barry (The A List) as Ethan Henderson - he's in a casual relationship with Ray.
- Ella Dunlop (Joan) as Dawn Hughes - she was in a relationship with Rav.
- Shobu Kapoor (Citizen Khan) as Debo Ray - Ray's mum.
Plus, Jamie Bamber also returns as Martyn Hunter, Ray's ex and a former detective who is now in prison after his corruption was unmasked.
DI Ray season 2 will begin on ITV1 on Sunday 20th October at 9pm, with subsequent episodes following across the week.
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