Black Doves is undoubtedly the TV show that has got us all talking right now.
The Netflix spy thriller has already won unanimous praise from critics thanks to its impressive cast and sparked comparisons with award-winning shows like Slow Horses and Happy Valley – and the fact the whole thing is set over Christmas just makes it even more ideal viewing for this December.
If you’ve already started Black Doves – or, indeed, you quickly binged the whole thing – the chances are you have been left pondering where you’ve seen at least one or two members of the cast before.
And for that, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a quick guide to the stars of Black Doves’ most notable credits to date…
Keira Knightley
Yeah, OK, you probably already know where you’ve seen Keira Knightley before. She is, after all, Keira Knightley. But just in case.
After her big break in Bend It Like Beckham, Keira joined the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise as Elizabeth Swann, and went on to portray Elizabeth Bennett in a popular adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. She was later nominated for Oscars for her performances in Atonement and The Imitation Game.
Of course, Black Doves probably won’t be the only time you’re seeing Keira this festive season, as she’s also among the sprawling ensemble cast of the Christmas rom-com Love Actually.
Ben Whishaw
Among Ben Whishaw’s biggest on-screen roles are Q in the most recent James Bond movies, a grown-up Michael Banks in the Disney sequel Mary Poppins Returns and the period drama Brideshead Revisited.
He’s also a two-time Emmy winner thanks to his performances in Criminal Justice and A Very English Scandal, and you may have also seen him in This Is Going To Hurt, Fargo or London Spy.
And even if you don’t think you’re familiar with Ben’s work, it’s highly probable you’ve at least heard him, because he’s the current voice of Paddington Bear.
Sarah Lancashire
A true legend of British telly, we’re hoping that Black Doves can be yet another big step on the way to global recognition for Sarah Lancashire.
Sarah got her start in the long-running serials Coronation Street and Where The Heart Is, before becoming a staple of British dramas like Rose And Maloney, Last Tango In Halifax and Happy Valley, for which she won two Baftas.
In the last few years, she’s dipped her two into big-screen acting, appearing in Danny Boyle’s Yesterday and the movie adaptation of the musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, as well as the series Kiri, MotherFatherSon and Julia, an HBO production in which she took the lead as the chef Julia Child.
Andrew Koji
An accomplished martial artist as well as an actor, Andrew played the lead in all three seasons of the TV series Warrior.
You might have also seen him in the James Corden production The Wrong Mans, the supernatural series The Innocents or the action comedy Bullet Train, in which he shared the screen with Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Joey King.
Andrew Buchan
Like Sarah Lancashire, Andrew is perhaps most well-known for his work in British TV dramas, playing Mark Latimer in Broadchurch.
He also has a history of playing real-life figures including Andrew Parker-Bowles in The Crown, Thomas More in The Spanish Princess, Henri Matisse in Genius, William Garrow in Garrow’s Law and former health secretary Matt Hancock in This England.
He also played Felim Bichan in Industry, and acted in films like Nowhere Boy and All The Money In The World.
Omari Douglas
Omari Douglas’ screen debut came in 2021 when he landed the scene-stealing role of Roscoe in the much-loved drama It’s A Sin, earning him a Bafta nomination.
Since then, his credits have included season two of I Hate Suzie, the TV drama Nolly and the romantic comedy Rye Lane – but it’s in the theatre where Omari has really thrived.
After originating the role of Clifford Bradshaw in the current West End revival of Cabaret, Omari has been treading the boards with Russell Tovey in Constellations, and joined the cast of the hard-hitting novel A Little Life’s stage adaptation.
Adeel Akhtar
A two-time Bafta winner, thanks to Murdered By My Father and Sherwood, Adeel Akhtar recently played police officer Sami Kierce in another Netflix production, Fool Me Once.
His other credits include the crime drama The Tunnel, the Channel 4 thriller Utopia (in which he played a survivalist conspiracy theorist Wilson Wilson, earning himself yet another TV Bafta nod), the surreal sitcom Ghosted and the second and fourth seasons of Killing Eve.
Kathryn Hunter
Harry Potter fans might remember Kathryn for her role as Arabella Figg in The Order Of The Phoenix, while Star Wars devotees will recognise her from the TV spin-off Andor, released in 2022.
Kathryn has been especially booked and busy in the last few years, appearing in everything from the Oscar-winning Poor Things and the divisive Megalopolis to the Eggers Brothers horror The Front Room and Ryan Murphy’s Grotesquerie.
Ella Lily Hyland
Although Black Doves is Ella Lily Hyland’s biggest project to date, you still might have seen her acting before
Last year, the Irish actor took the lead in Amazon Prime’s tennis drama Fifteen-Love, co-starring Aidan Turner, also appeared in the mysterious big-screen drama Silent Roar.
Sam Troughton
Some of Sam’s most recent credits include A Very Royal Scandal, the Amazon drama based on Prince Andrew’s infamous Newsnight interview, the hard-hitting true crime dramas Litvinenko and Stephen and Ridley Scott’s historical epic Napoleon.
You may have previously seen him in Chernobyl, Alien vs. Predator, Vera Drake or Mank.
Interestingly, Sam also has a connection to Doctor Who’s early years, as his grandfather was Patrick Troughton, the second actor to play the Time Lord.
Black Doves is streaming now on Netflix.