Brand new to Apple TV+ is Surface – a thriller starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a woman trying to work out what happened to her before an apparent suicide attempt.

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The Loki star plays Sophie, who wakes up with extreme memory loss after suffering a traumatic head injury and tries to work out why she would have wanted to end her picture-perfect life.

The actress recently spoke to Radio Times magazine about what drew her to produce and star in the drama.

"The quality of the writing was amazing and every episode is a roller-coaster, packed with twists and turns," she said. "So I came on board as executive producer and we pitched to Apple. I haven’t taken on that role before, but it gives you authorship of a project and I just grew into it as we went along.”

With the likes of Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Ari Graynor and Stephan James rounding out the cast of this tense series, here's everything you need to know about the cast of Surface on Apple TV+.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays Sophie

Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Surface
Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Sophie in Surface Apple TV+

Who is Sophie? Sophie is a woman who is suffering from extreme memory loss following a head trauma. This is believed to have come from a suicide attempt, but she begins to question whether this is the case or whether she is being lied to.

Where have I seen Gugu Mbatha-Raw before? Mbatha-Raw has had major TV roles in series including Doctor Who, The Girl Before, Black Mirror, The Morning Show and Loki. Meanwhile, her major film roles have included appearances in Beauty and The Beast, Belle, A Wrinkle in Time and The Cloverfield Paradox.

Oliver Jackson-Cohen plays James

Oliver Jackson-Cohen as James in Surface.
Oliver Jackson-Cohen as James in Surface Apple TV+

Who is James? James is Sophie's husband who she begins to believe is lying to her about her life before the accident.

Where have I seen Oliver Jackson-Cohen before? Jackson-Cohen is a English actor, probably best known for playing Adrian in The Invisible Man, while he has also had roles in The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor and Mr Selfridge

Stephan James plays Baden

Stephan James as Baden in Surface.
Stephan James as Baden in Surface Apple TV+

Who is Baden? Baden is a man who seems to hold the key to Sophie's past.

Where have I seen Stephan James before? James is best known for his starring role in If Beale Street Could Talk, while he has also appeared in Selma, 21 Bridges and the series Homecoming.

Ari Graynor plays Caroline

Ari Graynor as Caroline in Surface.
Ari Graynor as Caroline in Surface Apple TV+

Who is Caroline? Caroline is Sophie's best friend.

Where have I seen Ari Graynor before? Graynor is an American actress known for series including Mrs America, Bad Teacher and Fringe, while she has appeared in films such as The Disaster Artist.

Marianne Jean-Baptiste plays Hannah

Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Hannah in Surface.
Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Hannah in Surface Apple TV+

Who is Hannah? Hannah is Sophie's therapist.

Where have I seen Marianne Jean-Baptiste before? Jean-Baptiste is an English actor who recently appeared in Master of None, while she has previously had roles in Blindspot, Broadchurch and Homecoming.

François Arnaud plays Harrison

François Arnaud as Harrison in Surface.
François Arnaud as Harrison in Surface Apple TV+

Who is Harrison? Harrison is James's colleague and friend.

Where have I seen François Arnaud before? Arnaud is a Canadian actor known for The Moodys, Blindspot and UnREAL amongst other series and films.

The first three episodes of Surface will stream on Apple TV+ from Friday 29th July 2022, with further episodes being released weekly. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

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Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

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.

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