Conversations With Friends: Where Have You Seen The Cast Before?

Jemima Kirke, Joe Alywn, Sasha Lane and Alison Oliver lead the cast of the BBC's new adaptation of Sally Rooney's novel.
Jemima Kirke in Sex Education, Joe Alwyn in The Favourite and Sasha Lane in Utopia
Jemima Kirke in Sex Education, Joe Alwyn in The Favourite and Sasha Lane in Utopia
Netflix/Fox Searchlight Pictures/Flim4/Amazon Prime Video

The BBC’s long-awaited adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Conversations With Friends is finally here to fill the Normal People-shaped hole in your life, and no doubt millions of us will be binging all 12 episodes over the coming days and weeks.

Among the cast are some familiar faces from a range of films and TV shows, so if it’s bugging you where you know them all from, allow us to help with that...

Sasha Lane (Bobbi)

BBC/Element Pictures/Enda Bowe

Sasha is best known for her role as Hunter C-20 in the first season of the Marvel series Loki on Disney+ and for appearing in Amazon Prime’s US remake of Channel 4 drama Utopia, playing Jessica Hyde.

Her film roles also include 2016’s American Honey, 2018′s The Miseducation Of Cameron Post and 2019’s Hellboy.

You may also recognise Sasha from appearing in Lewis Capaldi’s video for his hit Before You Go.

Alison Oliver (Frances)

BBC/Element Pictures/Enda Bowe

Conversations With Friends marks Alison’s first major TV role, and looks set to be turned into a household name alongside her co-stars, just like Normal People’s Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal.

After Conversations With Friends, Alison is also set to appear in the forthcoming BBC drama Best Interests alongside Sharon Horgan and Michael Sheen in 2023.

Joe Alwyn (Nick)

BBC/Element Pictures/Enda Bowe

Conversation With Friends is actually only Joe’s second TV credit, having previously appeared in the BBC’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol in 2019, in which he played Bob Cratchit.

He is likely better known for his big screen roles in The Favourite and Mary Queen Of Scots, starring alongside Olivia Colman and Margot Robbie, respectively.

Of course, Joe might also be known to many for his relationship with Taylor Swift, who he has been with since 2016.

He even won a Grammy Award in 2021 for his co-writing work on Taylor’s album Folklore.

Jemima Kirke (Melissa)

BBC/Element Pictures/Enda Bowe

If you’re a Sex Education fan, then you will likely recognise Jemima from the latest series of the hit Netflix show, where she was introduced as Hope, the new headteacher of Moordale Secondary School.

Prior to that, she appeared as Jessa Johansson in all six seasons of Lena Dunham’s Girls and as Adelaide in Netflix’s Maniac, while her film credits include Tiny Furniture and Untogether.

Jemima also appeared in the video for Zayn Malik and Sia’s 2017 hit Dusk Til Dawn.

Justine Mitchell (Paula)

BBC/Element Pictures/Enda Bowe

Justine is best known in her native Ireland, where she starred in 2010 sketch show Your Bad Self and recent sitcom Finding Joy.

She also played a detective in the ITV drama Cheat and starred in Alibi drama Smother, with other guest appearances include Wild At Heart and Doctors.

More recently, Justine popped up in the final season of Derry Girls, playing a grown-up Janette.

Tommy Tiernan (Dennis)

BBC/Element Pictures/Enda Bowe

Irish comic Tommy hosts his own chat show The Tommy Tiernan Show, which has ran since 2017.

Of course, Derry Girls fans will also recognise him for playing Gerry in all three series of the Channel 4 sitcom.

His other TV credits include Small Potatoes and Little Crackers, while he also appeared in Ed Sheeran’s music video for Galway Girl.

Alex Murphy (Philip)

Alex Murphy in Young Offenders
Alex Murphy in Young Offenders
BBC

You may recognise Alex for his breakthrough role as Conor MacSweeney in the 2016 comedy film The Young Offenders – a role he reprised for the BBC Three sitcom of the same name two years later.

Tadhg Murphy (Derek)

Ryan Miller via Getty Images

Tadhg appeared in Sky One comedy Brassic alongside Michelle Keegan, playing the role of Gary.

He had a guest role in Amazon Prime’s Absentia, with his other credits including Canadian drama Vikings.

Sallay Garnett (Evelyn)

Alberto E. Rodriguez via Getty Images

As well as an actor, Salley is also a singer who goes by the stage name of Loah.

Salley also appeared alongside Conversations With Friends co-star Justine Mitchell in Finding Joy, while her other credits include Irish drama Striking Out.

Kerry Fox (Valerie)

BBC/Element Pictures/Enda Bowe

New Zealand actor Kerry has made guest appearances in a plethora of British dramas, including The Split, Last Tango In Halifax, National Treasure, Death In Paradise and Vera.

Conversations With Friends begins on Sunday at 10pm on BBC Three, with all episodes also available as a boxset on BBC iPlayer.

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