The Hardacres cast: Meet the characters and actors in Channel 5 drama
Here's where you recognise the stars of the series from.
If you're looking for a brand new period drama to see you through the long, cold winter nights, then The Hardacres may be the perfect pick.
The new series comes from the team behind All Creatures Great and Small, so you know it's going to be a fun watch, and is based on CL Skelton’s The Hardacre Family Saga Books 1 & 2.
The series follows the "lives, loves and fortunes" of The Hardacres as they move from their lives working in the grimy fish dock to living a more high society life in a vast country estate in 1890s Yorkshire.
As well as some familiar acting faces like Julie Graham (Time) and Claire Cooper (Hollyoaks), there are plenty of characters to get acquainted with in this new series – and they're all set to go on their own transformations.
Teasing what's to come, Cooper praised costume designer Allison Byrne, saying: "Alison really supported me on the journey. I'm not precious. I liked wearing the rags. I had all these scars on my hands when they did do a few close-ups, so obviously you could see the hard life that Mary has lived, and is living, as her hands have been torn open by using the knives when they’re gutting the herring."
With that, read on for everything you need to know about the cast of The Hardacres on Channel 5.
The Hardacres cast: Full list of characters and actors in Channel 5 drama
The full cast for The Hardacres is as follows but scroll on to find out more about the characters, plus where you may have seen the actors previously.
- Claire Cooper as Mary Hardacre
- Liam McMahon as Sam Hardacre
- Julie Graham as Ma Hardacre
- Adam Little as Joe Hardacre
- Shannon Lavelle as Liza Hardacre
- Zak Ford-Williams as Harry Hardacre
- Holly Sturton as Adella Fitzherbert
- Cathy Belton as Emma Fitzherbert
- Owen Roe as George Fitzherbert
- Ingrid Craigie as Mrs Dryden
- Siobhan O'Kelly as Lena
- Sarah Agha as Betsy
- Taheen Modak as Saunders
Claire Cooper plays Mary Hardacre
Who is Mary Hardacre? The matriarch of the Hardacre family, Mary is determined to turn her family's luck around. She is central to the family dynamic, making sure she's there for everyone and is very forthright in airing her opinions.
Speaking about Mary, Cooper said: "What’s interesting about Mary is she feels deeply for all the family members, all the people around her, and she does connect with them. Even though she finds there is a distance that comes later on, she regroups everyone – she’s the anchor, the pioneer, the entrepreneur. She’s the mother, the wife, the daughter. She’s certainly not a wallflower."
Where have I seen Claire Cooper before? Cooper is best known for her role as Jacqui McQueen in Hollyoaks, playing the character from 2006 to 2013 and then reappearing in a 2023 episode. She has also starred in Strike Back, Knightfall, The Peripheral and John Wick prequel series, The Continental.
Liam McMahon plays Sam Hardacre
Who is Sam Hardacre? The patriarch of the Hardacre clan, Sam is a hard worker and is keen to carry on working no matter what at the fishing docks.
Speaking about his character, McMahon said: "He's loyal. He's dependable. He's reliable. He's affable. He has the qualities that might immediately make him seem like a leader. He takes these assets into all facets of his life which makes me think he is a good husband and good father."
Where have I seen Liam McMahon before? The Northern Irish actor is known for his role in 2008's Hunger, which was directed by Steve McQueen. He has also starred in Warrior Nun, Agatha and the Truth of Murder, The Fall and The Borgias.
Julie Graham plays Ma Hardacre
Who is Ma Hardacre? Mary's mother, Ma is a very outspoken member of the Hardacre family and works just as hard as everyone else to ensure there's a roof over everyone's heads.
Speaking about her character, Graham said: "She’s obviously had a very hard life and has probably had to make very questionable decisions to survive. You get this feeling that she’s gone through a lot in her life and come out the other end."
Where have I seen Julie Graham before? Graham is best known for her roles in The Bill, The Bletchley Circle, Shetland and Benidorm. More recently, she has starred in BBC One's Time, ITV's Maternal and The Serial Killer's Wife.
Adam Little plays Joe Hardacre
Who is Joe Hardacre? Described by Little as "the black sheep of the family", Joe is the eldest child of the Hardacres and often finds himself caught up in situations he shouldn't.
Speaking about his character, Little said: "The reason that he feels out of place in the family, he brings on himself. I think in episode one to three, you see Joe at face value. He comes across a bit cocky. But underneath that, there is something really special about him."
Where have I seen Adam Little before? You may recognise Little for his roles in Coronation Street as Blake Myers, in Ackley Bridge as Kyle Dobson and in Years and Years as Lee Lyons.
Shannon Lavelle plays Liza Hardacre
Who is Liza Hardacre? A bit like Ma's sidekick, Liza is the 18-year-old Hardacre daughter trying to forge her own bold path in society.
Teasing what's to come for Liza, Lavelle says: "As her journey goes on, when her life changes, and they go into the big posh house, that’s really exciting for Liza, but it never changes her in terms of ego or whatever."
Where have I seen Shannon Lavelle before? Lavelle is a newcomer to the world of TV and so, The Hardacres is her debut role.
Zak Ford-Williams plays Harry Hardacre
Who is Harry Hardacre? The baby of the family, 15-year-old Harry is the only one in his family who has been sent to school due to not being able to work at the docks because of his disability, cerebral palsy.
Speaking about the representation of disabled people in the drama, Ford-Williams said: "I think it's important to make sure we don't accidentally rewrite history and erase people by making everyone pretty and clean. I think it's really important to give people a proper look into what these periods were like for all sorts of people."
Where have I seen Zak Ford-Williams before? Ford-Williams has starred in Bridgerton as Lord Remington and in BBC's Better. He has also appeared in Midsomer Murders, Wolfe and A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story.
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
The Hardacres begins on Channel 5 on Monday 7th October at 9pm.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
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.
