Meet the cast of The Good Karma Hospital series two
Everything you need to know about the cast and characters in series two of ITV's tropical drama
Set a year after Ruby Walker first arrived in sunny Kerala to escape heartbreak, the new second series of The Good Karma Hospital sees the young doctor “deepen her understanding of India” – while moving even closer to Dr Gabriel Varma. But will Walker be ready for new romance?
Here’s everything you need to know about the cast and characters:
- Meet The Good Karma Hospital writer who gave up surgery for screenwriting
- The Good Karma Hospital star James Krishna Floyd teases future of Ruby and Gabriel's "rollercoaster" relationship
Amanda Redman plays Doctor Lydia Fonseca
Lydia is the eccentric Englishwoman at the heart of the Good Karma Hospital.
Where have I seen her before?
Redman’s most recognisable from New Tricks, where she played DS Sandra Pullman for 10 series. You might also know her from her role as Mrs Merdle in Little Dorrit, and as Karine Bassett, wife of Ricky Tomlinson’s England football coach character in Mike Bassett: England Manager. The veteran actress has also played Alison Braithwaite in At Home with the Braithwaites and Lindsay Carter in 2008’s Honest TV series.
Amrita Acharia plays Ruby Walker
Ruby is the junior doctor who had a major culture shock after moving to India to escape a break-up at her London home last series. This time around she's looking to deepen her understanding of India – and her relationship with Gabriel Varma.
Where have I seen her before?
Game of Thrones season one and two: she played Irri, the handmaiden who teaches Daenerys (Emila Clarke) the Dothraki language and customs. Although swearing an oath to the mother of dragons (spoilers ahoy!), Irri is soon murdered during the theft of the dragons in Qarth. It’s probably not a big consolation to Acharia that her character survives much longer in the books.
The Nepalese actress also played Amina Sahir in last year’s Scandi TV drama Acquitted and a school girl in the biopic of Saddam Hussein's son, The Devil’s Double.
James Floyd plays Gabriel Varma
Varma is the impossibly stubborn doctor who's developed a friendly rivalry with Ruby.
Where have I seen him before?
As well as playing Miguel Lopez in fantasy football drama Dream Team (2006-7), Floyd has also starred in David Baddiel’s The Infidel and as Rashid in My Brother the Devil.
Neil Morrissey plays Greg McConnell
Greg is Lydia's happy-go-lucky partner.
Where have I seen him before?
The actor and comedian is most well known for his roles as Tony in Men Behaving Badly, Eddie Lawson in Waterloo Road and Nigel Morton in Line of Duty. However, there’s a good chance that you’ll recognise his voice as the Bob the Builder – Lofty, Skip and Farmer Pickles too. And just in case you forgot, it was a role that scored Morrissey a Christmas number one for the single Can We Fix It?
Philip Jackson plays Paul Smart
Paul is the widower of series one's Maggie. He returns to India six months after her death, where he struggles to acknowledge or deal with his grief.
Where have I seen him before?
Jackson's acting CV is lengthy, with highlights including Chief Inspector Japp in Agatha Christie’s Poirot since 1989, the granddad in Caitlin Moran sitcom Raised by Wolves, and Abbot Hugo, one of the recurring adversaries in the cult 80s series Robin of Sherwood.
