Miss Austen on BBC cast: Who stars alongside Keeley Hawes?

Keeley Hawes appears in the series as the older Cassandra, while Scottish-Norweigan actor Synnøve Karlsen stars as her younger self.

Young Jane, meanwhile, is played by Patsy Ferran.

Speaking about what drew her to the role, Hawes recently told Radio Times Magazine that she "wanted a change from police dramas and stories of murdered women".

She added: "That sort of thing has been the fashion, but I have been talking to agents saying I’d love something different. Miss Austen is a love story between sisters, not about men. And it’s just magic."

But who else stars in Miss Austen and where have you seen the actors before? Read on for everything you need to know about the cast.

Miss Austen cast: Full list of characters and actors in BBC drama

The full cast list for Miss Austen is as follows. Scroll on to find out more about the characters, plus where you may have seen the actors previously.

• Keeley Hawes as Cassandra Austen
• Synnøve Karlsen as Young Cassy
• Patsy Ferran as Jane Austen
• Rose Leslie as Isabella Fowle
• Mirren Mack as Dinah
• Phyllis Logan as Mrs Austen
• Kevin McNally as Mr Austen
• Jessica Hynes as Mary Austen
• Alfred Enoch as Mr Lidderdale
• Max Irons as Henry Hobday
• Calam Lynch as Tom Fowle

Keeley Hawes as Cassandra Austen

Who is Cassandra Austen? Despite second chances at love and family, Cassandra lives by herself and seems content. We meet her when she decides to rush to Kintbury to a family friend's home. She's there to help Isabella, but her real motivation is to find and retrieve letters that her beloved sister Jane wrote many years ago.

Where have I seen Keeley Hawes before? Hawes is best known for her roles in Spooks, Ashes to Ashes, Line of Duty and Bodyguard. She has also starred in The Midwich Cuckoos alongside Karlsen, Crossfire, Stonehouse and Orphan Black: Echoes.

Patsy Ferran as Jane Austen

Who is Jane Austen? Described as a "really vibrant, complex and wonderful woman" by Ferran, Austen is of course a revered novelist known for works such as Emma, Pride & Prejudice and Mansfield Park. But here in Miss Austen, we discover the authoress as the funny, complex and often judgemental younger sister of Cassy's.

Speaking about what drew her to the role, Ferran recently told The Telegraph: "I’m always drawn to characters who get to be the smartest person in the room, because that’s not me at all in real life."

"But also because Jane rejects being the romantic lead. She has no interest in playing that role in her own life, and I really leant into that. I loved it, in fact, because I do the same thing."

Where have I seen Patsy Ferran before? Aside from her work in theatre, Ferran has starred in Life After Life, Black Narcissus, Jamestown and is also set to star in Mickey 17.

Synnøve Karlsen as Young Cassy

Who is Young Cassy? Known affectionately as Cassy when she was younger, we explore Cassandra's younger years as a bubbly young girl with the world of possibility and love at her feet – that is until her fiancé doesn't respond from an expedition. Nevertheless, she remains a fierce cheerleader of Jane's and we see how their own lives shape the author's writing.

Where have I seen Synnøve Karlsen before? Karlsen is known for her roles in BBC's Clique, Netflix's Bodies, Last Night in Soho, Medici and The Midwich Cuckoos, in which she starred as Hawes's on-screen daughter.

Rose Leslie as Isabella Fowle

Who is Isabella Fowle? The youngest of her three sisters, Isabella has been caring for her father in his ailing health but sends a letter to Cassandra to notify her. Having nearly married into the Fowle family, Cassandra comes to Kintbury at once, but Isabella is also balancing other personal problems of her own.

Where have I seen Rose Leslie before? Leslie is best known for her roles in Game of Thrones as Ygritte, in Downton Abbey as Gwen Dawson and in The Time Traveler's Wife as Clare. She has also starred in The Good Fight, Vigil and Luther.

Mirren Mack as Dinah

Who is Dinah? An incredibly loyal servant of Isabella's, the pair have formed quite the bond over the years, and so Dinah is quite protective of her. After her father's death, Dinah wants to ensure Isabella's future is what she wants it to be, and so doesn't immediately take too well to Cassandra's arrival.

Where have I seen Mirren Mack before? Mack has starred in The Witcher: Blood Origin, Sex Education and The Nest. She has more recently appeared in Mary & George, as well as Dalgliesh and The Doll Factory.

Phyllis Logan as Mrs Austen

Who is Mrs Austen? Jane and Cassy's mother, Mrs Austen is always incredibly proud of Cassy but not so much Jane, who she worries about often. Even so, she remains supportive of both of her daughters.

Where have I seen Phyllis Logan before? Logan is known for her roles in Downton Abbey as Mrs Hughes, in Lovejoy as Lady Jane Felsham and in Guilt as Maggie Lynch. Among her various performances across TV and film, Logan has also starred in The Good Karma Hospital, Secrets & Lies and Doctor Who.

Kevin McNally as Mr Austen

Who is Mr Austen? Jane and Cassy's father, Mr Austen is supportive of both of his only daughters, even if they don't have success in getting married. However, when the Austen patriarch falls ill, things are thrown into disarray for the rest of his family.

Where have I seen Kevin McNally before? McNally is married to Logan in real life, but in terms of TV and film, he is known for his roles in the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, Stonehouse, The Crown, Unforgotten, The Outpost and TURN: Washington's Spies.

Jessica Hynes as Mary Austen

Who is Mary Austen? Mary is the sister-in-law of Jane and Cassandra, having married their brother James. In the present timeline, Mary is keen to find the letters that Jane sent her sister Eliza, wanting to publish more about the Austen legacy – but Cassandra must find them first.

Where have I seen Jessica Hynes before? Hynes is known for being one of the creators, writers and stars of Spaced, as well as having starred in Years and Years, W1A, There She Goes and Twenty Twelve. She has also starred in The Franchise, Am I Being Unreasonable?, Outsiders and The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin.

Alfred Enoch as Mr Lidderdale

Who is Mr Lidderdale? The local doctor in Kintbury, Mr Lidderdale has some history with the Fowle family that is revealed in the later episodes. Although he has ascended socially due to his profession, he's the mixed race son of a servant, so there's a lot of misjudgement and prejudice put his way in this small village.

Where have I seen Alfred Enoch before? Enoch is best known for his roles in How to Get Away with Murder as Wes Gibbins and in the Harry Potter film franchise as Dean Thomas. He has also starred in Foundation, The Couple Next Door and This Is Christmas.

Max Irons as Henry Hobday

Who is Henry Hobday? A love interest of Cassy's, Henry is incredibly clever on all things from science to philosophy. Although they meet in a chance encounter, it's not long before Henry and Cassy are drawn to one another.

Where have I seen Max Irons before? Irons is known for his roles in Condor, The Wife, The White Queen, The Riot Club and Red Riding Hood.

Calam Lynch as Tom Fowle

Who is Tom Fowle? Cassy's initial love interest and subsequent fiancé, Tom has known the Austens for some time before he eventually proposes to the eldest Austen daughter. But their love story isn't a smooth one as he's whisked away on an important expedition soon after his proposal.

Where have I seen Calam Lynch before? Lynch is known for his roles in Bridgerton, Sweetpea, Mrs Wilson and Archie. He has also starred in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Derry Girls and Benediction.

Miss Austen will air on BBC One and iPlayer from Sunday 2nd February 2025.

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