Line of Duty, Harry Potter stars to lead Channel 5's The Winter Child
Shirley Henderson and Craig Parkinson take on key roles in the upcoming drama.
Harry Potter star Shirley Henderson and Line of Duty's Craig Parkinson will lead the cast of Channel 5's upcoming drama The Winter Child, the broadcaster has confirmed.
Henderson – who played Moaning Myrtle in the Potter films and has also appeared in films including Bridget Jones’ Diary and Trainspotting – will star as Claudia, a lonely single mother, and school nurse, longing for connection.
Parkinson, meanwhile, will play an "affable English tutor" called George, while the cast also includes Ian Lloyd Anderson (Game of Thrones, Derek) and Lisa Dwyer Hogg (Silent Witness, The Irregulars) as the parents of missing child Emily Winter, and Sara Powell (Doctor Who, Ghosts, Death in Paradise) as a supportive yet suspicious neighbour.
The four-parter follows Claudia, as she tries to become a hero when Emily Winter – a young child in her community – goes missing.
According to the synopsis, she becomes embroiled in the case and fixated on uncovering the truth, but the fascination quickly begins to turn to obsession, not only with Emily, but also with the Winter family at the heart of the case.
Also starring are Ronan Leahy (Batman Begins), Luke Griffin (1983), and newcomers Myah Mason, Calum Jess, and Caleb Wilson.
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Discussing the casting news, the show's creator, writer, and executive producer Giula Sandler said: "It is a dream come true to have The Winter Child made with such passionate and creatively inspiring collaborators.
"Channel 5, Clapperboard and Chapter One have brought together a phenomenal cast and I’m so excited to see how they bring this world, and the twisted workings of our main character, Claudia, to life.”
Filming on the series will begin on location in the coming months, with a release expected on Channel 5 later this year.
Read more: Line of Duty actor Craig Parkinson addresses Doctor Who rumours
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
