Meet the cast of Litvinenko
David Tennant stars in the drama based on real events, that's now coming to ITV1.
Recently released ITVX drama Litvinenko tells the true story surrounding the poisoning of Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko, and the efforts by both his widow and the Metropolitan Police to bring those responsible to justice.
Although it was made available to stream on ITV's streaming service back in December 2022, the series will now be airing across four consecutive nights from Monday 19th June 2023 for those that missed it the first time round.
The series stars David Tennant as Alexander, while Margarita Levieva plays his wife Marina and Mark Bonnar and Neil Maskell both play police officers crucial to the case.
The cast also includes Sam Troughton, Daniel Ryan and Stephen Campbell Moore amongst others, but who else stars in the series and who do they all play?
Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of Litvinenko, which airs on ITV1 this week.
David Tennant plays Alexander Litvinenko
Who is Alexander 'Sasha' Litvinenko? Alexander Litvinenko, also known as Sasha, was a former Russian Federal Security Service and KGB officer, whose died from polonium-210 poisoning in November 2006.
Where have I seen David Tennant? Tennant is of course best known for his role as the Tenth Doctor in Doctor Who, and earlier this year made his debut as the new Fourteenth Doctor. He is also known for playing Crowley in Amazon's Good Omens and for starring in other series such as Staged, Broadchurch, Deadwater Fell, Netflix's Criminal, Casanova, Jessica Jones, Inside Man, The Sandman and the film Mary Queen of Scots.
Margarita Levieva plays Marina Litvinenko
Who is Marina Litvinenko? Marina Litvinenko is Alexander's widow, who fought tirelessly to persuade the British Government to publicly name her husband’s killers and acknowledge the role of the Russian State in his murder.
Where have I seen Margarita Levieva? Levieva is known for appearing films such as Adventureland and The Lincoln Lawyer, as well as series including The Deuce, The Blacklist and Revenge. It's recently been reported that she will also appear in the coming Daredevil revival series, Daredevil: Born Again.
Mark Bonnar plays DS Clive Timmons
Who is DS Clive Timmons? In 2006, Clive Timmons was a Detective Superintendent who headed up the Litvinenko case for the Met Police.
Where have I seen Mark Bonnar? Bonnar is known for his roles in series such as Casualty, Line of Duty, Shetland, Catastrophe, Humans, Apple Tree Yard, Porridge and Doctor Who, while he is also set to appear in new Amazon Prime series The Rig in January.
Neil Maskell plays DI Brent Hyatt
Who is DI Brent Hyatt? In 2006, Brent Hyatt was one of the first people called to investigate Litvinenko's poisoning, and took his testimony.
Where have I seen Neil Maskell? Maskell is known for his appearances in series such as Utopia, Peaky Blinders, King Gary, Humans, Sex Education and Stuck, as well as in films including Bull and Kill List.
Sam Troughton plays DI Brian Tarpey
Who is DI Brian Tarpey? In 2006, Brian Tarpey was one of the police officers investigating Litvinenko's poisoning.
Where have I seen Sam Troughton? The grandson of Doctor Who's Patrick Troughton, Sam Troughton is known for appearing in films such as Vera Drake, The Ritual, and Mank, as well as series including Robin Hood, Chernobyl, Death in Paradise and The Outlaws.
Barry Sloane plays DS Jim Dawson
Who is DS Jim Dawson? Along with Brent Hyatt, Jim Dawson is one of the first people to investigate Litvinenko's poisoning in the series.
Where have I seen Barry Sloane? Sloane is best known for appearing series such as The Bay, Revenge, DCI Banks and Holby City, as well as films such as Darren Aronofsky's Noah. He also provides the voice and motion capture for Captain Price in the Call of Duty game series.
Daniel Ryan plays DAC Peter Clarke
Who is DAC Peter Clarke? Peter Clarke was head of Counter Terrorism Command in 2006 when Litvinenko was poisoned.
Where have I seen Daniel Ryan? Ryan has recently starred in series such as The Bay, Crossfire and Four Lives, while he previously appeared in Doc Martin, Doctor Who, and Midsomer Murders.
Sam Marks plays DC Oliver Gadney
Who is DC Oliver Gadney? Oliver Gadney is one of the police officers who travels to Russia to investigate leads surrounding Litvinenko's poisoning.
Where have I seen Sam Marks? Marks has previously appeared in series including The Witcher, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan and Doctor Who.
Estella Daniels plays Dr Onome George
Who is Dr Onome George? Onome George is a doctor working with the police as they try to work out how far the polonium has spread and how dangerous it could be.
Where have I seen Estella Daniels? Daniels is known for appearing in the series Chloe, Death in Paradise, Father Brown and Ashes to Ashes.
Mark Ivanir plays Alexander Goldfarb
Who is Alexander Goldfarb? Alexander Goldfarb is a Russian-American microbiologist, activist, and author, who was friends with Litvinenko and acted as his unofficial spokesperson in the last two weeks of his life.
Where have I seen Mark Ivanir? Ivanir has appeared in series including For All Mankind, Babylon Berlin, Blindspot, The New Pope and more, while he has also voiced multiple characters in the Call of Duty game series.
Simon Paisley Day plays Sir John Scarlett
Who is Sir John Scarlett? Sir John Scarlett is a British intelligence officer who was head of MI6 when Litvinenko was poisoned.
Where have I seen Simon Paisley Day? Earlier this year, Paisley Day was seen playing Dominic Cummings in This England, while he previously played General Quinn in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. He has also appeared in series such as Doctor Who, The Crown and Sherlock, and the TV film Brexit: The Uncivil War.
Joanna Kanska plays Nika Privalova
Who is Nika Privalova? In Litvinenko, Nika Privalova is the police's contact in Russia, organising their visit while they are investigating there.
Where have I seen Joanna Kanska? Kanska has previously appeared in series such as The Bill, EastEnders and Material Girl.
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Radoslaw Kaim plays Andrei Lugovoy
Who is Andrei Lugovoy? Andrei Lugovoy is a Russian politician and businessman who worked as a KGB bodyguard and is wanted by British police on suspicion of Litvinenko's murder.
Where have I seen Radoslaw Kaim? Kaim has previously appeared in series such as Wallander, Silent Witness, Waterloo Road and Cleaning Up, while he most recently appeared in another ITVX series, A Spy Among Friends.
Stephen Campbell Moore plays Ben Emmerson
Who is Ben Emmerson? Ben Emmerson is a barrister who represented Marina Litvinenko at the public inquiry into Alexander's murder.
Where have I seen Stephen Campbell Moore? Campbell Moore is known for appearing in the recent War of the Worlds, series, the first Downton Abbey film and other films including The Lady in the Van, Burnt and Goodbye Christopher Robin. He has also appeared in series such as Anne, The One and The Wrong Mans.
Litvinenko airs on ITV1 on Monday 19th June 2023 and then continues across four consecutive nights. The series is also available to stream as a full boxset on ITVX. For more news, interviews and features, visit our Drama hub, or find something to watch now with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
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Authors
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.
