Meet the cast of ITV drama Payback
Morven Christie and Peter Mullan are among the familiar faces in Jed Mercurio's latest production.
The dark world of economic crime is explored in ITV's new thriller Payback, which follows an accountant in a dangerous race for answers after her husband's sudden death.
Morven Christie leads the cast as Lexie Noble, who is shocked to discover that her late partner Jared – with whom she founded an accountancy firm – had been keeping enormous secrets from her.
Chief among them was his professional relationship with crime boss Cal Morris (Peter Mullan), who was in the midst of a major transaction when Jared was brutally murdered in a seemingly random attack.
Now, the responsibility falls to Lexie to put their affairs in order or Cal could come for everything she has left. Read on to find out more about the cast and characters in ITV's Payback.
Morven Christie plays Lexie Noble
Who is Lexie Noble? Lexie Noble is an accountant who runs a firm with her husband, Jared. She stepped back from the profession when their daughter was born to focus instead on raising her.
Little did she know this would give Jared the perfect opportunity to take on some dangerous new clients. When he is brutally murdered in a street attack, she'll have no choice but to clean up the mess he's left her with.
What else has Morven Christie been in? Viewers may recognise Christie as Amanda Hopkins in Grantchester seasons 1-3, Ellen Rooney in The Replacement, Alison Hughes in The A Word, and DS Lisa Armstrong in The Bay seasons 1 and 2. Earlier this year, she took a recurring role in young adult Netflix series Lockwood & Co.
Peter Mullan plays Cal Morris
Who is Cal Morris? Cal Morris is an ultra-rich criminal, whose ill-gotten fortune is laundered by crooked accountant Jared Noble, who dies in the midst of an enormous transaction. That leaves a large sum of money at risk of being lost forever, driving Cal to pile the pressure on his widow, Lexie, to come up with a solution – and fast.
What else has Peter Mullan been in? Mullan has taken on numerous high-profile roles since his career began in the late 1980s. He broke out with 1998's My Name is Joe, where he played the titular role, while other notable film projects include Braveheart, Trainspotting, Children of Men, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
On the small screen, he's known for playing Michael in BBC sitcom Mum, Jacob in Netflix's Ozark, James in HBO's Westworld, and Durin III in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Prasanna Puwanarajah plays DC Jibran Khan
Who is DC Jibran Khan? DC Jibran Khan is a financial investigator who has been looking into the illegal activity of Cal Morris for some time, with the crime boss evading justice thus far. When a link to the Nobles is uncovered, he sees an opportunity to put an end to his reign of terror.
What else has Prasanna Puwanarajah been in? Puwanarajah's recent roles include journalist Martin Bashir in The Crown season 5 and talent agent Dan Bala in Ten Percent (an English-language remake of Call My Agent!).
He previously collaborated with Jed Mercurio on Line of Duty's sixth season, where he played news producer Haran Nadaraja. You might also have seen him in World on Fire, Defending the Guilty and Doctor Foster.
Derek Riddell plays DCI Adam Guthrie
Who is DCI Adam Guthrie? Adam is Jibran's superior in the economic crimes unit, with the two of them having an uneasy relationship. Adam is also determined to put Cal behind bars, but doubts his constable's ability to make that happen.
What else has Derek Riddell been in? Riddell is coming off the acclaimed final season of Happy Valley, where he played the ex-husband of Sarah Lancashire's Catherine Cawood. He also worked with Sally Wainwright on Gentleman Jack, while his other television credits include Irvine Welsh's Crime, Industry and A Confession.
Steven Mackintosh plays Malky Roberts
Who is Malky Roberts? Malky is Cal Morris's right-hand man, who will go to great lengths to ensure his boss's demands are met in a timely fashion.
What else has Steven Mackintosh been in? Last year, Mackintosh played the villainous John Langton in ITVX period drama The Confessions of Frannie Langton. Previously, he had taken roles in BBC One's The Pact, Channel 5's Dalgliesh, and Sky's Lucky Man.
Eileen Duffy plays Doris Szabo
Who is Doris Szabo? Doris is the Noble family's au pair, who originates from eastern Europe and is responsible for looking after their young children. However, the job gets more complicated than she could have imagined when Jared is killed.
What else has Eileen Duffy been in? This is Duffy's first major screen role.
Jack Greenlees plays Aaron Morris
Who is Aaron Morris? Aaron is Cal's nephew, who he entrusts with a senior role in his criminal enterprise.
What else has Jack Greenlees been in? Greenlees plays Sam Barclay in hit BBC One detective drama Strike. He has also appeared in Channel 4's Deadwater Fell, historical drama The Trial of Christine Keeler, and ITV's cult favourite Harlots.
Andi Osho plays DI Jean Royce
Who is DI Jean Royce? DI Jean Royce is a detective investigating the shocking murder of Jared Noble, who is initially unaware of the parallel case into the late accountant's business dealings.
What else has Andi Osho been in? Last month, Osho appeared in the final season of Sex Education as the concerned mother of non-binary student Cal Bowman (Dua Saleh).
She is also known for playing Susie in Sky's Breeders, Sitis in Prime Video's Good Omens, Miranda Walker in Netflix's The Sandman and Sandra Cliff in Blue Lights. She previously collaborated with Jed Mercurio on Line of Duty season 6, where she played assassinated journalist Gail Vella.
Steven Miller plays DS Rob Livingston
Who is DS Rob Livingston? DS Rob Livingston is DI Jean Royce's partner, who is helping her with the investigation into Jared's death.
What else has Steven Miller been in? Miller played Lenny Lyons in more than 100 episodes of the BBC's medical drama Casualty, with later roles including Traces and The Walk-In.
Henry Pettigrew plays Rufus Hayes
Who is Rufus Hayes? Rufus is a friend of Jared's, who also serves as Lexie's lawyer when she lands in hot water.
What else has Henry Pettigrew been in? Pettigrew played William in The Confessions of Frannie Langton and Stevie Malone in Scottish comedy-drama Guilt. His other credits include The Crown, Taboo and Death in Paradise.
Julie Graham plays Connie Morris
Who is Connie Morris? Connie is the wife of Cal Morris, who is aware that his wealth is linked to criminal activity, although he doesn't tell her many specifics about what he's up to. Nevertheless, she shows herself to be just as proud and tough as him.
What else has Julie Graham been in? Graham recently played Dr Susan Fisher on ITV medical drama Maternal, while she starred opposite Line of Duty's Adrian Dunbar in Ridley. She is also known for recurring roles in Shetland and Benidorm.
Grace Chilton plays DC Alice Hardy
Who is DC Alice Hardy? DC Alice Hardy is friends with DC Jibran Khan. They work together in the economic crimes unit.
What else has Grace Chilton been in? Chilton appeared in the second season of war drama World on Fire, where she played Joyce (see above).
Payback premieres on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm on Wednesday 4th October 2023. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10, PLUS a £10 John Lewis and Partners voucher delivered to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
