It’s been nearly nine years since the spies of MI5 solved their final case on the BBC drama Spooks.
The show was one of the most popular and enduring dramas of the 00s, running for ten series after it debuted in 2002.
Recent months have seen Spooks enjoy a resurgence after all of the series were uploaded to the BBC iPlayer at the start of the UK’s lockdown, introducing it to a whole new generation of viewers, as well as giving its original fanbase the chance to catch it again.
With that in mind, we checked in on all of the fictional MI5 agents to see what the actors behind them have been up to since leaving their undercover lives behind...
Matthew Macfadyen as Tom Quinn (Series 1-3, 10)
Shortly after his role on Spooks came to an end, Matthew made the jump to the big screen, starring as Mr. Darcy in Joe Wright’s Pride & Prejudice in 2005.
From there, he played Daniel in 2007’s Death At A Funeral, portrayed John Birt in 2008 film Frost/Nixon and appeared as Stiva in 2012’s Anna Karenina. Other film roles include The Three Musketeers, Robin Hood and The Current War.
TV wise, Matthew reunited on screen with former Spooks co-star Keeley Hawes in Ashes To Ashes in 2007 – two years after the pair married in real life. They remain together to this day and have two children.
In 2010, he won a TV Bafta for Best Supporting Actor for his role in BBC drama Criminal Justice. After making a cameo appearance in the final episode of Spooks in 2011, Matthew had a lead role in BBC One’s period drama Ripper Street from 2012 to 2016 and appeared in two US TV movies.
Most recently, he played Major Charles Ingram in ITV’s Quiz, a dramatisation of the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? coughing scandal, while he also appears as Tom Wambsgans in the critically acclaimed HBO series Succession.
David Oyelowo as Danny Hunter (Series 1-3)
Since David left his role as Danny at the end of the third series, he’s gone on to have a massive film career.
He won huge critical acclaim for his portrayal of Martin Luther King Jr in 2014’s Selma, which saw him win the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture and Black Reel Award for Best Actor, as well as earning Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice nominations. In the same year, David also gave an acclaimed performance in HBO film Nightingale, for which he picked up a Critics’ Choice Television Award and Black Reel Award for Best Actor.
David also took the lead role in 2016’s A United Kingdom, and starred in Queen of Katwe in the same year.
His other film credits include Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Lincoln (2012), Jack Reacher (2012), The Butler (2013) and Gringo (2018).
David has also continued to make appearances on the small screen too, playing Javert in the BBC’s 2018 adaptation of Les Miserables and Edward in Channel 4’s 2013 drama Complicit, as well as providing the voice of Scar in The Lion Guard animated series and Alexsandr Kallus in Star Wars Rebels.
Keeley Hawes as Zoe Reynolds (Series 1-3)
Keeley has taken on a wide range of roles since her character absconded after being charged with conspiracy to murder.
In one of her first post-Spooks roles, she appeared in a modern reimagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, before having a guest role in two episodes of The Vicar Of Dibley in 2006.
From there, Keeley took the lead role in Life On Mars spin-off Ashes To Ashes as DI Alex Drake, before playing another cop in 2010 ITV drama, Identity.
Four years later, she was the main antagonist in the second series of Line Of Duty, with her character Lindsay Denton also returning for the third season in 2016.
Arguably her most famous role came in another of Jed Mercurio’s series, Bodyguard, where she played home secretary Julia Montague in 2018.
Keeley also had a main role in the second series of BBC drama The Missing, and until 2019, played Louisa Durrell in The Durrells.
Other major roles include Mrs Wilson, Upstairs Downstairs and The Hollow Crown.
Peter Firth as Sir Harry Pearce (Series 1-10)
After Spooks finished on TV in 2011, Peter reprised his role as Harry in the 2015 spin-off film Spooks: The Greater Good, which starred Game Of Thrones’ Kit Harington.
The same year saw him play Jacob Marley in the BBC’s Dickensian, before he then went on to appear as the Duke Of Cumberland in ITV’s Victoria.
Other roles have included military drama Mayday, and ITV’s Undeniable, while Peter most recently appeared on TV in a 2018 episode of Sky One drama Strike Back: Retribution.
Hugh Simon as Malcolm Wynn-Jones (Series 1-10)
Like Peter Frith, Hugh also reprised his role as Malcolm in the Spooks film in 2015, having played Dr Holland in the second series of Channel 4’s period drama The Mill in 2014.
He has also made guest appearances in shows like Doctors, Vera, Endeavour and Last Tango in Halifax, and has starred alongside Rowan Atkinson as Dr Paul in ITV’s Maigret TV films.
Most recently, Hugh popped up in two episodes of Victoria in 2019 as Colonel Sibthrope, as well as Sky One sitcom Brassic and was most recently seen at the start of the 2020 in an episode of The Trial Of Christine Keeler.
Jenny Agutter as Tessa Phillips (Series 1-2)
Jenny was already a celebrated actor when she joined the cast of Spooks, but these days she is arguably best known for playing Sister Julienne in Call The Midwife since 2012.
She’s also appeared in ITV drama series Monday Monday, and the BBC’s The Invisables and The Alan Clark Diaries, as well as making guest appearances in the likes of Agatha Christie’s Marple, New Tricks and Midsomer Murders.
Jenny has also appeared in two Marvel films, playing Councilwoman Hawley in 2012’s The Avengers and 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Rory MacGregor as Colin Wells (Series 1-5)
After wrapping up his role as Colin, Rory has had a number of guest roles in the likes of Casualty, New Tricks, Primeval and Ashes To Ashes.
According to IMDb, his last credited TV role was in 2011, when he appeared in an episode of Doctors.
Lisa Faulkner as Helen Flynn (Series 1)
Lisa’s role in Spooks was short-lived to say the least, with her character Helen memorably killed off via a deep fat fryer 7in the second episode of the first series.
From there, she appeared in two series of Murder In Suburbia as Det. Sgt. Emma Scribbins from 2004 to 2005, before playing Laura Scammell in New Street Law from 2006 to 2007.
But an appearance on Celebrity Masterchef in 2010 changed the course of Lisa’s career and personal life.
After winning the series, Lisa became closely associated with food, hosting Real Food Family Cook Off and What’s Cooking, as well as making frequent appearances in the This Morning kitchen.
She also began a relationship with Masterchef judge John Torode, and the couple are now married, hosting John And Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen on ITV.
Away from the cookery world, Lisa played a central role in Max Branning’s Walford revenge storyline on EastEnders in 2017, playing Fi Browning – the daughter of classic villain James Willmott Brown.
Shauna Macdonald as Sam Buxton (Series 2-3)
Shauna’s first big role after leaving Spooks was in the 2005 horror film The Descent, in which she played Sarah Carter.
Her other film roles include 2013’s Filth and 2016’s The Correspondence, while she also had a minor role as a pilot in Star Wars: The Last Jedi in 2017.
On TV, Shauna has popped up in the likes of Ripper Street and Bonekickers, and had main roles in BBC drama The Cry as Dr Wallace and In Plain Sight as Agnes Muncie. She also played Georgie in BBC sitcom Hold The Sunset, and more recently appeared in an episode of ITV’s Liar as Mary Earlham and BBC drama The Nest as Sheena Galvin.
Since 2015, she has also voiced Professor Squawkencluck in animated series Danger Mouse, while Shauna has also had various theatre roles and acted on many Radio 4 plays.
Nicola Walker as Ruth Evershed (Series 2-5, 8-10)
Nicola has been a main-stay on British TV since her second stint on Spooks came to an end.
These days, she is probably best known for playing Gillian Greenwood on Last Tango In Halifax since 2012, which has seen her nominated for a TV Bafta for Best Supporting Actress.
She also plays DCI Cassie Stuart in ITV crime series Unforgotten, and lawyer Hannah Stern in the BBC’s family drama The Split.
Nicola has also appeared in dramas including 2013’s Prisoners’ Wives and Heading Out, 2014’s Babylon, 2015’s River, and 2018 mini series Collateral, as well as guest roles on shows including New Tricks, Inside No 9 and Scott And Bailey.
Rupert Penry Jones as Adam Carter (Series 3-7)
Rupert’s exit from Spooks came as a shock to many fans when his character was killed off in the seventh series.
From there, Rupert starred in a BBC adaptation of John Buchan novel The 39 Steps, playing Richard Hannay and from 2009 to 2013, he had a lead role as DI Joseph Chandler in Whitechapel, and from 2011 to 2014, he played Clive Reader in Silk. His most recent TV credit came in 2018, when he played Samuel Blake in Sky’s crime series Stan Lee’s Lucky Man.
Rupert also made the leap to the US, appearing as Mr Quinlan in the American horror series The Strain and Lord Thomas Hamilton in historical adventure series Black Sails.
His film credits include 2014’s A Little Chaos, 2017’s Pegasus Bridge and 2020’s Miss Fisher And The Crypt Of Tears.
Olga Sosnovska as Fiona Carter (Series 3-4)
Two years after her time on the show came to an end, Olga had a minor role as a character called Debbie in Ocean’s 13. Also in 2007, she starred in an episode of US drama Criminal Minds.
In 2011, Olga appeared in four episodes of dark US comedy Weeds as Zoya, while her most recent credited screen role was in 2014, when she had a guest role as Roxanna in HBO series The Leftovers.
Raza Jaffrey as Zafar Younis (Series 3-6)
Fans of BBC drama Mistresses may also know Raza for playing Hari during the first two series.
After leaving in 2009, he had a minor role as a butler in Sex And The City 2 the following year, which marked the start of his US career.
From there, he played Dec Sundaram in 2012 US TV series Smash, appeared in three episodes of Once Upon A Time In Wonderland in 2014 and had a recurring role in Sherlock Holmes drama Elementary.
The same year, Raza had a recurring part in Homeland, playing Aasar Khan in seven episodes, before he landed a main role as Neal Hudson on the CBS TV medical drama Code Black.
More recently, he’s starred in the Lost In Space reboot and NBC’s The Enemy Within, as well as starring alongside Blake Lively and Jude Law in 2020 film The Rhythm Section.
In real life, Raza married Spooks co-star Miranda Raison shortly after he left the show in 2007, but they divorced two years later. He is now married to another former Spooks star Lara Pulver, although the couple never worked on the show together.
Miranda Raison as Jo Portman (Series 4-8)
Straight after Spooks, Miranda played Abbey in ITV drama Married Single Other in 2010, and the following year made appearances in Death In Paradise, Merlin and Sugartown.
In 2013, she landed her biggest role in the US to date, when she was cast as Caroline Fowlds in 24: Live Another Day, and has appeared in other American TV series including Nightflyers and Warrior. Back home, she played Sylvie in 2018 ITV drama Dark Heart after appearing in a pilot episode two years earlier.
If you have children, Miranda’s voice is also probably familiar to you, as she has voiced the character of Millie in Thomas The Tank Engine since 2013.
Miranda’s also had a number of stage roles, including productions of Hello/Goodbye, The Winter’s Tale and Harlequinade.
Hermione Norris as Ros Myers (Series 5-8)
Hermione was best known as Karen Marden in Cold Feet prior to joining the cast of Spooks, and reprised the role when the show returned after a 13-year hiatus in 2016 for four more series.
Hermione’s time in ITV drama Kingdom as Beatrice came to an end around the same time as her character was killed off in Spooks in 2009, and she has enjoyed a plethora of other TV roles since.
In 2011, she appeared in BBC drama Outcasts, while she starred in ITV mini-series A Mother’s Son the following year. She played Grace Carter in BBC period drama The Crimson Field in 2014, and the same year saw her star as Roanna in Kay Mellor’s In The Club, before she enjoyed a guest role in an episode of Doctor Who.
More recently, Hermione starred in ITV mini series Innocent opposite Lee Ingleby in 2018, and portrayed antagonist Dr Vivien Lake in the most recent series of Luther in 2019.
Alex Lanipekun as Ben Kaplan (Series 6-7)
Alex’s character was unusual in that Ben was first introduced as a journalist who later became a spy.
After Alex exited the show, he had a guest role in BBC Three series Being Human in 2010, also making appearances in Beautiful People, Death In Paradise and The Missing.
He played Steve in 2012 Comedy Central series Big Bad World, and two years later landed his first US TV role, playing James Harman in 24: Live Another Day, reuniting him with former Spooks co-star Miranda Raison.
The same year, Alex appeared in four episodes of Homeland as Hank Bonham, while more recently he played Pandarus in the BBC and Netflix co-production Troy: Fall Of A City in 2018.
In 2019, Alex starred in Sky Atlantic drama Riviera as Raafi Al-Qadar.
Gemma Jones as Connie James (Series 6-7)
Gemma was well-known to many prior to joining the cast of Spooks thanks to her many film and TV roles, including playing Bridget Jones’ mum in the movie franchise, and Madam Poppy Pomfrey in the Harry Potter films – both roles she reprised after leaving the BBC show.
As well as guest roles in the likes of Merlin, Death In Paradise, Last Tango In Halifax and Doc Martin, she had a regular role in ITV drama Unforgotten in 2015, appearing alongside former Spooks co-star Nicola Walker.
In 2015, Gemma won the TV Bafta for Best Supporting Actress for her role in BBC TV film Marvellous, and in 2019, she played Aunt Anne Lister in Gentleman Jack – a role she’s previously played in a 2010 TV movie, The Secret Diaries Of Miss Anne Lister.
Gemma also played Johnny’s mum Deirdre in God’s Own Country in 2017 and appeared as Ivy in 2019 Elton John biopic Rocketman.
Most recently, Gemma appeared alongside her former Spooks co-star Hermione Norris in Cold Feet, playing her character Karen’s mum, Heather, in 2020.
Richard Armitage as Lucas North (Series 7-9)
In 2010, Richard began appearing in Sky drama Strike Back as John Porter, and the same year saw him play Heinz Kriger in Captain America: The First Avenger.
He starred in all three films of The Hobbit series as Thorin Oakenshield, while his other film credits include Alice Through The Looking Glass, Ocean’s 8 and Pilgrimage.
Richard has also appeared in several US TV dramas, playing Francis Dolarhyde in Hannibal and Daniel Miller in Berlin Station, while he also provided the voice for Trevor Belmont in Castlevania.
Richard’s stage credits also include Remembrance Of Things Past, The Crucible and Uncle Vanya.
Most recently, Richard appeared in the 2020 Netflix series The Stranger, in the lead role of Adam Price.
Shazad Latif as Tariq Masood (Series 8-10)
Around the same time Spooks wrapped up, Shazad had guest roles in Fresh Meat, Black Mirror and BBC drama Silk.
In 2013, he appeared in five episodes of My Mad Fat Diary as Dr. Nick Kassar, before going on to play Clem in Channel 4 sitcom Toast Of London.
From there, Shazad appeared in the 2015 series of BBC drama Ordinary Lies as Rick, before making the jump over to the US a year later, when he landed the role of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in Penny Dreadful.
After the show was cancelled after one season, Shazad began playing Ash Tyler in Star Trek: Discovery, sticking with the series for two years. He appeared in British-Candanian series Departure in 2019, and provided the voice of Kylan in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
Shazad’s big screen credits include The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – where he played Kushal – and 2018’s The Commuter.
Sophia Myles as Beth Bailey (Series 9)
Sophia only stayed with Spooks for one series, but she went on to play the character of Darcy Yyril in the Transformers film Age Of Extinction in 2014, and also appeared in BBC drama Our Zoo as Lady Katherine.
In 2018, she played Rebecca in Sky One’s A Discovery Of Witches, while in 2020, Sophia also reprised the role of Madame de Pompadour – who she’d played in a 2006 episode of Doctor Who – for a special webcast episode.
She has also provided the voice for Operative 19 in a reboot of Gerry Anderson’s anime series Firestorm.
Max Brown as Dimitri Levendis (Series 9-10)
Max was known to soap fans prior to joining Spooks, having appeared in the regular casts of both Hollyoaks and Crossroads, as well as his role as Edward Seymour in The Tudors.
Since the end of Spooks, Max has acted in US cop drama Beauty & The Beast, as well as having guest roles in the likes of Sleepy Hollow, You, Me And The Apocalypse and Agent Carter.
From 2016 to 2018, Max appeared alongside Elizabeth Hurley in outrageous drama The Royals, playing King Robert, while in 2019, he appeared in the Downton Abbey film as Richard Ellis.
Lara Pulver as Erin Watts (Series 10)
Like some of the other cast members, Lara reprised her role as Erin in the 2015 Spooks film.
Prior to that, Laura appeared in two episodes of the Sherlock as Irene Adler between 2012 and 2014, and played Clarice Orisini in the BBC’s Da Vinci’s Demons. She also appeared in a Sky dramatisation of the life of James Bond creator Ian Fleming, playing his love interest Ann O’Neill.
Most recently, Lara appeared in BBC Two’s The City And The City, and in 2020, she played Karen in US period drama The Alienist. Her other TV roles include guest roles in Quantico and Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams.
Lara is also a stage actor, winning the 2016 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical in the West End revival of Gypsy. Her other stage credits include High Society, Chicago and Miss Saigon.
She is also married to former Spooks star Raza Jaffrey, who played Zafar.
Geoffrey Streatfeild as Calum Reed (Series 10)
Geoffrey only appeared in the final series of Spooks, but did reprise his role as Calum in the film four years later.
He appeared in The Thick Of It in 2012 as the “Inbetweener” junior minister in DoSac, and played Edward IV in two episodes of The Hollow Crown in 2016.
His other TV credits include The Miniaturist, Prime Suspect 1973 and Traitors.
Geoffrey also has a number of stage credits, including Ivanov, The Seagull and Cell Mates.