Meet the cast of Passenger on ITV
The ITV drama is led by Wunmi Mosaku.
Looking for a supernatural thriller that's also filled with dark comedy? Look no further than Passenger, created and written by actor Andrew Buchan (of Broadchurch fame).
Centring on the close-knit community in the small fictional town of Chadder Vale, the new ITV series is gloriously hard to define - bringing everything from shocking disappearances to unexpected gags.
Led by BAFTA award-winning Wunmi Mosaku as DI Riya Ajunwa, we follow the detective as she grows increasingly bored of solving petty crimes - but soon starts to suspect something larger is afoot in the quiet northern village.
Known for her roles in Loki, Luther and We Own This City, Mosaku stars in the cast alongside other recognisable faces including David Threlfall (Shameless), Daniel Ryan (The Bay), Jo Hartley (This is England) and Synnøve Karlsen (The Midwich Cuckoos), to name a few.
This creepy show sees Riya kicked into gear following the disappearance of local girl Katie Wells (Rowan Robinson)
But the only problem is, Katie turns up 24 hours later – is there a connection to the fracking site, the talked-about tree or even Katie's dad Eddie (Barry Sloane), who has just been released from prison?
With a small town setting, there are plenty of characters to get acquainted with in the new series. But who else stars in Passenger? Read on to find out more about the cast of the ITV thriller.
Passenger cast: Full list of characters and actors in ITV drama
The full cast for Passenger is below but scroll on to find out more about the characters and where you may have seen the actors before.
- Wunmi Mosaku as DI Riya Ajunwa
- David Threlfall as Jim Bracknell
- Daniel Ryan as Derek Jackson
- Jo Hartley as Chief Constable Linda Markel
- Rowan Robinson as Katie Wells
- Barry Sloane as Eddie Wells
- Natalie Gavin as Joanne Wells
- Hubert Hanowicz as Jakub
- Arian Nik as Nish Chowdry
- Ella Bruccoleri as Ali Day
- Matilda Freeman as Lilly Wells
- Nico Mirallegro as Kane Jackson
- Jack James Ryan as John Trowbridge
- Shervin Alenabi as Mehmet Shah
- Sean Gilder as Tony
- Debby Rush as Terry
- Richard Mciver as Jordan
- Clare Burt as Sue
- Tom Lister as Nick
- Synnøve Karlsen as Nina Karlsson
Wunmi Mosaku plays DI Riya Ajunwa
Who is Riya Ajunwa? Riya is originally from Manchester but has lived in Chadder Vale for the past few years, originally moving to be closer to her husband's mother Sue, whose health took a turn for the worse. She's worked for the Met but in Chadder, is forced to deal with the not so exciting cases that plague the small town – until she starts to suspect something more sinister is afoot.
Where have I seen Wunmi Mosaku before? The BAFTA award-winning actress is known for her roles in Damilola, Our Loved Boy, Loki, Luther season 5 and Lovecraft Country. She has also starred in Black Mirror, We Own This City, Kiri and films like Call Jane and Alice, Darling.
David Threlfall plays Jim Bracknell
Who is Jim Bracknell? Jim is a fracking site manager who is plagued by flashbacks and pain from an attack five years ago. He is nervy and often turns to Riya for help as his site is often overrun with protestors.
Where have I seen David Threlfall before? Best known for playing Frank Gallagher in Shameless but has also starred in Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This, Ripper Street, Dodger and Funny Woman. He was also most recently seen in Apple TV+'s The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin.
Daniel Ryan plays Derek Jackson
Who is Derek Jackson? Derek is the owner of the local bread factory, which is the main source of employment for many in Chadder Vale. He's trying to get back with his wife Terry (Debbie Rush) but is also hiding a secret of his own.
Where have I seen Daniel Ryan before? Ryan is best known for his roles in Mount Pleasant and The Bay, as well as Home Fires. He has also starred in Litvinenko, Four Lives, Crossfire and Innocent.
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Jo Hartley plays Chief Constable Linda Markel
Who is Linda Markel? Linda is the head of the local police station, often proving to be a bit of a thorn in Riya's side. Really, Linda is fiercely protective of Chadder Vale and wants nothing but the best for its inhabitants.
Where have I seen Jo Hartley before? Hartley has starred in numerous productions, most notably the multiple This Is England TV series and its resulting film, as well as In My Skin, After Life and Torvill & Dean. She has recently starred in Bank of Dave and Death in Paradise.
Rowan Robinson plays Katie Wells
Who is Katie Wells? Katie is part of the Wells family, who is at the centre of a lot of the drama in the series. She works as an accountant at the bread factory, but dreams of more and starting a life in Manchester. She has a complicated relationship with her father Eddie and also, her boyfriend John.
Where have I seen Rowan Robinson before? As a child, Robinson starred in CBBC's So Awkward, but Passenger marks a major return to the world of TV for the actress. She also made her film debut in A Haunting in Venice.
Barry Sloane plays Eddie Wells
Who is Eddie Wells? Eddie is the patriarch of the Wells family and has just been released from prison, having spent five years in prison for attacking Jim. Because of that, the village thinks he's a monster and his relationship with his family is understandably very strained.
Where have I seen Barry Sloane before? Sloane is best known for his roles in ABC's Revenge, Hollyoaks and Brookside. Fans of The Bay will also recognise him as Chris Fischer, but he has also starred in numerous US shows like LA's Finest, The Company You Keep and Six.
Natalie Gavin plays Joanne Wells
Who is Joanne Wells? Joanne is the mother of Katie and Lilly, struggling to make ends meet but remains determined in her multiple jobs in the factory, carvery and doing some sewing on the side. It's safe to say she's rocked when her husband is released early from prison.
Where have I seen Natalie Gavin before? Making her professional acting debut in Shameless, Gavin has starred in Prisoners' Wives, Casualty, Time, Ackley Bridge and Red Rose. Most recently, she has starred in Netflix's Bodies.
Hubert Hanowicz plays Jakub
Who is Jakub? Jakub is a mechanic at the local garage after having left his hometown of Gdańsk in northern Poland five years ago. Along with Riya, the pair feel like outsiders in Chadder Vale and have a bond.
Where have I seen Hubert Hanowicz before? Hanowicz has starred in Viewpoint and has also featured in Brassic, Silent Witness, Andor, Unforgotten and Grantchester.
Arian Nik plays Nish Chowdry
Who is Nish Chowdry? Nish is one of the trainee officers at the police station but lacks a lot of inspiration and wants nothing more than to just coast and game. But a small fire starts within him when Riya starts investigating something going on in the village.
Where have I seen Arian Nik before? Nik is perhaps best known as the leading character in Count Abdulla and as Josh in Still Awkward. He has also featured in series like Killing Eve, The Bay and The Beekeeper.
Ella Bruccoleri plays Ali Day
Who is Ali Day? Ali is the other trainee officer in Chadder Vale but is also committed to improving the planet, often chatting about her veganism and world-saving habits with her less than inspired colleagues.
Where have I seen Ella Bruccoleri before? Bruccoleri is best known for her role as Sister Frances in Call the Midwife but has also featured in Extraordinary, The Chelsea Detective and Alice & Jack.
Nico Mirallegro plays Kane Jackson
Who is Kane Jackson? Kane is Derek's half-brother, with the pair having had a rocky relationship through the years. Now, he works in the bread factory but is a bit of burden to his older brother even though he helps him out a lot.
Where have I seen Nico Mirallegro before? Mirallegro is known for his roles in Hollyoaks as Barry 'Newt' Newton, in My Mad Fat Diary as Finn Nelson and in The Village as Joe Middleton. He has also starred in We Hunt Together, ITV's Ridley and Our Girl.
Jack James Ryan plays John Trowbridge
Who is John Trowbridge? John is Katie's boyfriend and also works in the bread factory but is harbouring his own demons, often resulting in excessive drinking and making mistakes.
Where have I seen Jack James Ryan before? Ryan is best known for playing character Jacob Hay in Coronation Street from 2021 through to 2023 but has also featured in Military Wives, Vera and Doctors.
Matilda Freeman plays Lilly Wells
Who is Lilly Wells? Lilly is Katie's younger sister and like any younger sibling, often tries to hang out with Katie and her friends, especially Mehmet, who she has a bit of a crush on.
Where have I seen Matilda Freeman before? Freeman is best known for her role as Summer Spellman in Coronation Street but has also featured in Alma's Not Normal.
Shervin Alenabi plays Mehmet Shah
Who is Mehmet Shah? Mehmet works with his mum at the local fish and chip shop but is also John's best friend. He's got a close bond with Katie, which sparks some jealousy from John.
Where have I seen Shervin Alenabi before? Alenabi is known for his roles in Baghdad in My Shadow, Tehran and The Bureau. He has also featured in Gangs of London.
Synnøve Karlsen plays Nina Karlsson
Who is Nina Karlsson? A Swedish tourist whose disappearance proves a mystery to DI Riya Ajunwa.
Where have I seen Synnøve Karlsen before? Karlsen is a Norwegian Scottish actress who has featured in hit shows including Netflix's Bodies and major movies including Last Night in Soho.
Passenger continues at 9pm on Mondays on ITV1, and is available in full on ITVX. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight.
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
George White is a Sub-Editor for Radio Times. He was previously a reporter for the Derby Telegraph and was the editor of LeftLion magazine. As well as receiving an MA in Magazine Journalism, he completed a BA in Politics and International Relations.
