Netflix's Black Doves Cast: Meet the British Spy Show’s Characters
Written by Louisa Mellor | December 5, 2024 |
In London during the holiday season, Helen Webb (played by Keira Knightley), the wife of a politician, is juggling her children’s nativity play outfits, managing festive drink gatherings, and organizing advent calendars. But that’s not all—she's also on a mission to track down her adversaries using her hidden skills and a secret stash of weapons. This is the premise of Netflix’s six-part series, "Black Doves," a spy thriller set in London, featuring Knightley alongside Ben Whishaw, who portrays a charismatic yet heartbroken assassin.
Developed by Joe Barton, known for works like The Lazarus Project, Half Bad: The Bastard Son and the Devil Himself, and Giri/Haji, Black Doves is poised to make a significant impact this Christmas. It was recently revealed at the Edinburgh Television Festival that the show has already been picked up for a second season. Check out our review here, and get to know the characters and cast further down.
Keira Knightley Takes On The Role Of Helen Webb
Keira Knightley, known for her roles in iconic works like Pride and Prejudice, Anna Karenina, Atonement, Love Actually, the Pirates of the Caribbean series, and Bend it Like Beckham, is a household name. In her latest film, Black Doves, she portrays Helen Webb (whose real name is Daisy Bradshaw), a daring individual who escaped the UK for ten years after experiencing a family tragedy. Upon her return, she joins the Black Doves, a covert spy agency that breaches government secrecy and sells confidential information to the highest bidder. Helen is also a mother of twins and married to Wallace Webb, the UK’s defense minister.
Ben Whishaw Takes On Sam Young Role
The character played by Ben Whishaw, who is known for his role in the Bond movies, takes on a significant role in Black Doves. In the film, he portrays Sam, a skilled marksman who escaped the UK after a mission went awry. Now back in London, he is on a mission to safeguard his longtime friend Helen. In addition to his work in the Bond franchise, Whishaw has a rich stage career and is famously the voice of Paddington Bear in three films. Recently, he received acclaim for his performances in A Very English Scandal, This Is Going to Hurt, The Personal History of David Copperfield, and several other projects.
Sarah Lancashire Takes On Mrs. Reed Role
Sarah Lancashire, known for her roles in Happy Valley, Last Tango in Halifax, and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, takes on the enigmatic character of Mrs. Reed in Black Doves. As the founder of the organization with the same name, she played a key role in bringing Helen and Sam on board. But can they really rely on her?
Andrew Buchan Stars As Wallace Webb
If you're a fan of The Crown or Broadchurch, you'll easily recognize Andrew Buchan, who portrays Wallace Webb, the Secretary of State for Defence, in Black Doves. Buchan is not only an actor but also a screenwriter; his first TV show, Passenger, premiered earlier this year on ITV. In the story, Webb is married to Helen (Knightley) and has no idea about her secret life or the classified information she reveals about his administration. Or does he?
Gabrielle Creevy And Ella Lily Hyland Shine!
Eleanor, the assassin, is portrayed by Gabrielle Creevy, who is best known for her lead role in In My Skin and has also appeared in Operation Mincemeat and the Welsh crime thriller The Pact. She is joined by Ella Lily Hyland, who plays her fellow killer, Williams. Hyland made a memorable debut alongside Aidan Turner in the Prime Video drama Fifteen Love, which tackles the issue of abuse in tennis coaching. She will also be featured in the upcoming series A Thousand Blows, created by the same person behind Peaky Blinders.
Kathryn Hunter Portrays Lenny Lines
Lenny Lines is a Cockney crime lord who occasionally hires Sam as a hitman. Kathryn Hunter delivers a standout performance as this character, and many will always remember her as Arabella Figg from the Harry Potter movies. However, she boasts an impressive career in both film and theater, with roles in projects like Poor Things, Megalopolis, and the Star Wars series Andor, in addition to being a renowned stage director.
Omari Douglas Takes On The Role Of Michael
Michael is Sam’s former partner, and they haven't crossed paths since their tumultuous separation seven years ago. Portraying Michael is actor Omari Douglas, who delivered an outstanding performance as Roscoe in Russell T Davies' acclaimed AIDS drama, It's a Sin. He has also recently appeared alongside James Norton in the highly regarded stage adaptation of A Little Life, as well as in the TV series I Hate Suzie and Nolly, and the film Rye Lane.
Luther Ford Takes On Hector Newman Role
Hector, the heir to a crime family, is portrayed by Luther Ford, who is best known for his significant role as Prince Harry in the Netflix series The Crown, which focuses on the royal family.
Andrew Koji Takes On Jason Davies Role
Jason Davies, a civil servant, is portrayed by Andrew Koji, who has appeared in a variety of roles before. He played the heroin dealer Brilliant Chang in Peaky Blinders and featured as Ah Sahm in the historical drama Warrior. Koji has also acted in the Brad Pitt film Bullet Train, had a role in the Starz fantasy series American Gods, and will soon be seen in the third season of Gangs of London.
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Paapa Essiedu Stars As Elmore Fitch
Elmore Fitch, the assassin, is portrayed by Paapa Essiedu, who previously starred in Joe Barton's earlier series, the science fiction drama The Lazarus Project. Essiedu has also featured in the British crime thriller Gangs of London, the second season of the BBC's cyber thriller The Capture, and Michaela Coel's acclaimed series I May Destroy You.
Adeel Akhtar Takes On Prime Minister Richard Eaves
The talented Adeel Akhtar, known for his roles in Showtrial, Fool Me Once, Sherwood, Ali & Ava, Les Misérables, and Utopia, joins the cast of Black Doves in the later episodes. He takes on the role of the UK prime minister, who is also the superior of Wallace Webb, navigating the complexities of diplomatic relations between China and the United States after the loss of an ambassador.
In 1899 and The Crow, actress Isabella Wei portrays Kai-Ming Chen, the lively daughter of the Chinese ambassador in London.
In this blog section, we discuss Litvinenko, the Chernobyl disaster, The Lazarus Project, and stage performer Sam Troughton, who portrays UK government Commissioner Stephen Yarrick.
In "Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light," and in "Ridley Road," Agnes O'Casey portrays Dani, a political assistant working in Wallace Webb's office.
Tracey Ullman, a well-known comedian and versatile entertainer, takes on the role of the enigmatic mother figure, Alex Clark.
Thomas Coombes, known for his roles in Save Me, Boiling Point, and Moonflower Murders, portrays the character of tabloid journalist Philip Bray in Living.
In the upcoming series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Finn Bennett portrays Cole Atwood, who is Kai-Ming's American boyfriend and is set to become a Targaryen prince. Bennett has also appeared in True Detective and Domina recently.
You can now watch all the episodes of the first season of Black Doves on Netflix.
