Paapa Essiedu and Siobhán Cullen in Babies
TV

Babies cast has an EastEnders legend and the wife of an iconic British movie star

One star is about to play a major Harry Potter character, too

Babies has a stacked cast – from rising stars to familiar TV faces – and yes, that includes Harry Potter’s next Severus Snape.

If you’ve seen anything from Stefan Golaszewski (like Him & Her and Marriage), you’ll know performances are the main event.

Babies is no different, with its central duo doing heavy emotional lifting while a strong supporting cast fills out the world.

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Here’s a quick breakdown of who’s who in the cast.

Babies cast: The main stars of the BBC drama

Paapa Essiedu in Babies
Paapa Essiedu is incredible in Babies (Credit: BBC/Snowed-In/Sam Taylor)

Paapa Essiedu plays Stephen

Paapa Essiedu leads the series as Stephen, one half of the central couple.

He’s well-meaning, supportive, and relentlessly positive – sometimes to a fault. As Lisa deals with repeated pregnancy loss, Stephen struggles to properly process his own grief, often defaulting to forced optimism.

It works… until it doesn’t.

What movies and TV shows has Paapa Essiedu been in?

Essiedu’s TV résumé is stacked.

He broke out in Utopia, before roles in Gangs of London, I May Destroy You, Black Mirror, and The Lazarus Project. He also played Isaac Turner in The Capture.

And next up: Severus Snape in HBO’s Harry Potter reboot.

Siobhán Cullen in Babies
Siobhán Cullen won a Rising Star award in 2024 (Credit: BBC/Snowed-In/Sam Taylor)

Siobhán Cullen portrays Lisa

Siobhán Cullen plays Lisa, Stephen’s wife.

She’s sharp, funny, and emotionally direct – especially when Stephen’s attempts to rationalise everything start to grate.

Where he avoids pain, she confronts it.

Where you’ve seen Siobhán Cullen before Babies

Cullen has appeared in The Split, The Long Call, Dalgliesh, and The Dry.

In 2024, she starred in Bodkin and picked up a Rising Star award at the Irish Film & Television Awards.

Jack Bannon in Babies
Jack Bannon’s character in Babies is hard to love (Credit: BBC/Snowed-In/Sam Taylor)

Jack Bannon stars as Dave

Jack Bannon plays Dave, Stephen’s best mate – and arguably the messiest character in the show.

He avoids responsibility, leans into laddish humour, and struggles to step up as a dad. His scenes often swing between funny and uncomfortable.

What has Jack Bannon been in?

Bannon is best known for Pennyworth, where he played Alfred.

He’s also appeared in Endeavour, The Loch, and Netflix’s Pulse, with more big projects lined up.

Charlotte Riley in Babies
Charlotte Riley brings complexity to Amanda (Credit: BBC/Snowed-In/Sam Taylor)

Charlotte Riley plays Amanda

Charlotte Riley plays Amanda, Dave’s partner – and one of the show’s most layered characters.

She’s successful, guarded, and clearly not fully invested in the relationship. As the series unfolds, her backstory adds context to her behaviour.

Where you know Charlotte Riley from

Riley has appeared in Peaky Blinders, Edge of Tomorrow, and London Has Fallen.

She also co-starred with Tom Hardy in 2009’s Wuthering Heights and The Take. The latter project is where she met Hardy for the first time… and they ended up getting married!

They have two children together, and Riley is also a stepmother to Hardy’s eldest son from a past relationship.

Gary Beadle and Nadine Marshall in Babies
Familiar faces round out the cast (Credit: BBC/Snowed-In/Sam Taylor)

Who else is in Babies?

Nadine Marshall and Gary Beadle play Stephen’s parents, Patty and Kevin.

Marshall starred alongside Siobhan Finneran in Protection, and she also appeared in Waterloo Road, Save Me, and Time. Trigger Point viewers should also recognise her as DSU Marianne Hamilton, and she had a role in Silent Witness (specifically, the ‘Invisible’ storyline) as DI Sarah Torres.

Beadle has enjoyed a storied career in television, with credits in major dramas like Casualty, The Bill, and Holby City.

He also played Paul Trueman in EastEnders for a whopping 375 episodes. You may have seen him Death in Paradise, Grantchester, and Netflix’s The Gentlemen, too.

Full Babies cast

  • Carla Freeman as Kimberley
  • Elizabeth Rider as Jenny
  • Ryan McKen as Matt
  • Simona Brown as Bella
  • Zion Veerapen-Bernard as Daniel
  • Lewis Hart as Jim
  • Luke Norris as Harry
  • Rosie Raven as Ruth
  • Arabella Smith-James as Maisie
  • Tristan Wright as Charlie

Read more: The best movies to stream on BBC iPlayer right now

Babies is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now. It will air every Monday and Tuesday on BBC One at 9pm.

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Cameron Frew
TV Guides Editor

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