Summary
When its fifth season released in early 2023, the Unforgotten cast was praised for their excellent performances, as they all added layers and complexity to their characters. Unforgotten is a British crime drama TV series that follows a team of London detectives who must work together to solve cold cases of murder and missing persons throughout the city. Each episode of the series is written by Chris Lang, who is also the creator of Unforgotten, and directed by Andy Wilson, allowing the show to maintain a sense of consistency under a deft, singular vision.
Unforgotten season 5 saw a major shake-up to the cast, as main protagonist DCI Cassie Stuart (Nicola Walker) died at the end of season 4. Replacing her as DI Sunny Kahn (Sanjeev Bhaskar) in season 5 was DCI Jessica James (Sinéad Keenan). Keenan had big shoes to fill, as Walker was a beloved star of the series, but she did a spectacular job. In fact, the entire Unforgotten company is full of top-notch actors, and has been nominated for several awards. The Unforgotten cast has also proven their talents in several other films and TV shows.
Sinéad Keenan As DCI Jessica James
Sinéad Keenan plays DCI Jessica “Jessie” James, DI Sunil “Sunny” Khan’s (Sanjeev Bhaskar) new partner after the death of his previous partner, Cassie Stuart (Nicola Walker). Keenan is best known for playing Farrah Phelan in the Irish soap opera Fair City, though she is also recognized for playing the werewolf Nina Pickering in the supernatural drama Being Human and Theresa Ryan in the two-part drama, Three Families. Keenan has also appeared in various films, most notably Trouble with Sex as Kathy, Conspiracy of Silence as Majella, and On the Nose as Sinead Delaney.
Ian McElhinney as Lord Tony Hume
Ian McElhinney plays Lord Anthony “Tony” Hume, a member of the House of Lords. McElhinney is best known for playing Ser Barristan Selmy in HBO’s epic fantasy series Game of Thrones, though he has also made appearances in a wide variety of recognizable, critically acclaimed series such as The Fall as Morgan Monroe, Derry Girls as Granda Joe, and Stephen Merchant’s crime-comedy series The Outlaws as John Halloran Sr. McElhinney has also starred in various movies, the most notable being Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in which he plays General Jan Dodonna of the Rebel Alliance.
Martina Laird As Ebele Falade
Martina Laird plays Ebele Falade, the owner of a successful vegan restaurant who soon finds herself being linked to a crime. Laird’s most recognizable role is Lashana from the live-action Disney remake of The Little Mermaid, though she has also appeared in a wide variety of TV shows that highlight her talents as an actress such as Dreamland as Diane, EastEnders as DC Angie Rice, and the original Shameless as Michelle.
Max Rinehart as Karol Wojski
Max Rinehart plays Karol Wojski, a man trying to navigate his new life in Paris with his girlfriend, but then soon learns that his past life as a social worker in London has now got him involved in a criminal case. Rinehart has had various small roles in a wide variety of TV shows and movies, the biggest ones being Industry as a banker, Miss You Already as Teenage Kit, and The Bad Education Movie as Rory.
Rhys Yates As Jay
Rhys Yates plays Jay, one of the main suspects who lives in a rundown apartment with his girlfriend whom he provides drugs for by any means necessary, even criminal ones. Yates is most recognized for playing Tom “Tom Cat” Hancock in Guy Richie’s action war thriller The Covenant, but he also has starred in various TV shows, most notably Stephen Merchant’s The Outlaws as Smiler, Britannia as Julius, and Silent Witness as Billy Kane.
Hayley Mills As Lady Emma Hume
Hayley Mills plays Lady Emma Hume, the wife of Tony Hume. Mills is a critically acclaimed and celebrated actress who has had an expansive career in theater, film, and TV. In her very first role as Gillie Evans in the 1959 British crime drama, Tiger Bay, she received a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer, and in the year afterward, she received the Academy Juvenile Award for her performance as Pollyanna Whittier in the Disney film, Pollyanna. Her other credits include the title role in Good Morning, Miss Bliss and Caroline Du Plessis in the ITV drama Wild at Heart.
Andrew Lancel As Steve James
Andrew Lancel plays Steve James, DCI Jessie’s husband. Lancel is best known for his role as Dr. Andrew Collin in Cardiac Arrest and has also starred as characters like DI Neil Manson in The Bill and Frank Foster in the long-running soap opera, Coronation Street. Lancel has also had a theater career, with his most recognizable role being former Beatles manager Brian Epstein in the play, Epstein – The Man Who Made the Beatles.
Hebe Beardsall As Cheryl
Hebe Beardsall plays Cheryl. Beardsall has had a pretty successful career in both film and TV as she has appeared in numerous projects ranging from big-budget Hollywood productions to more small-scale indie films. She is best known for playing Ariana Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and Ari Up in John Cameron Mitchell’s sci-fi romantic comedy How to Talk to Girls at Parties. She has also appeared in various TV shows, most notably Andor as Pit #2 and The Witcher: Blood Origin as Catrin.
Mark Frost As Dave Adams
Mark Frost plays Dave Adams, Ebele’s partner and chef of her vegan restaurant. Frost has had roles in several major TV shows such as Doctors as Steve Rawlings, The Bill as Jeffery Simpson, Poldark as Tom Carne, and Coronation Street as Ray Crosby. The actor has also been featured in several films, including Joe Lynch’s action horror film Mayhem as Ewan Niles.
Mark Oosterveen As Graham Saville
Mark Oosterveen plays Graham Saville. Oosterveen is most known for his roles in various TV shows like EastEnders as Mr. Carl Rapley, Casualty as David Bevan, and Django as Sheriff Boone. Oosterveen will also play the role of Air Marshal Hugh Dowding in the upcoming Guy Ritchie film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, an action spy war movie that will star Henry Cavill and Eiza González.
Unforgotten Returning Cast
Sanjeev Bhaskar as DI Sunny Khan – Sanjeev Bhaskar plays DI Sunny Khan, the lead detective who is grieving over the death of his boss and close friend Cassie. A critically acclaimed British actor and comedian, Bhaskar has had an expansive career that has ranged from comedies to dramas in both film and TV. He is best known for playing various characters in the sketch show Goodness Gracious Me, Sanjeev Kumar in The Kumars at No. 42, and Dr. Prem Sharma in The Indian Doctor. Bhaskar’s most recent roles include Cain in Netflix’s The Sandman and David Singh in DC’s The Flash.
Jordan Long as DS Murray Boulting – Jordan Long plays DS Murray Boulting, a member of Sunny’s team who is also grieving Cassie. Long has collaborated with several high-profile British directors like Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn as he played small roles in films like The Gentlemen as a barman, Stardust as a pirate, and Kingsman: The Secret Service as Poodle. He has also appeared in various TV shows, most notably Andor as West-4 and The Sandman as Guard #10.
Carolina Main as DC Fran Lingley – Carolina Main plays DC Fran Lingley, another member of Sunny’s team. Main has starred in various TV shows such as The Alienist as Cecilia Beaux, Blood as Cat Hogan, and Temple as Celine.
Georgia Mackenzie as Dr. Leanne Balcombe – Georgia Mackenzie plays Dr. Leanne Balcombe, a pathologist who is a member of Sunny’s team. Mackenzie has had a long career within the world of TV and film as her most notable performances include Sarah Beckenham in Outlaws, Jennifer Headley in Waterloo Road, and Helen Vora in Demons Never Die. She has also plays Bennas in the video game, Mass Effect: Andromeda.
Pippa Nixon as DC Karen “Kaz” Willets – Pippa Nixon plays DC Karen “Kaz” Willets, another member of Sunny’s team. While Nixon has appeared in various films and TV shows like John Carter as the Lightmaster and Containment as Hazel, she is best known for her work in theater at the Royal Shakespeare Company, having played a number of lead roles in theatrical productions like A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Titania, King John as The Bastard, and Richard III as Lady Anne.
Michelle Bonnard as Sally “Sal” Fields – Rounding out the Unforgotten cast is Michelle Bonnard who plays Sunny’s partner, Sal. Bonnard’s most recent appearance was in HBO’s House of the Dragon in which she plays a brothel madam, though she has also starred in shows like We Hunt Together as Professor Judy Hackwood, The Last Czars as Praskovya, and Strike as Hazel Furley.
