The cast of Strike return for Troubled Blood on Sunday (December 11), but who is back for the new season and who are all the guest stars in the fifth series of the show?
Series 4, Lethal White, aired back in 2020 and we finally have a new series starring Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger.
So, who is returning to the cast for series 5 and who guest stars in the new series of Strike?
Here’s everything you need to know about the cast for Strike: Troubled Blood…
Tom Burke leads the cast as Cormoran Strike
Tom Burke, 41, returns to his role as Detective Cormoran Blue Strike in the fifth series of Strike.
The actor has had quite a few great roles since taking on the lead role in Strike.
He recently starred in Sky’s sci-fi series The Lazarus Project as rogue agent Rebrov.
In 2020, he played Orson Welles in the Oscar-nominated film Mank.
Another one of his best-known roles is Athos in The Musketeers, starring in all three series of the show as one of the Musketeers.
You might also recognise him from the 2016 mini-series adaptation of War and Peace, he played the fearless Fedya Dolokhov alongside Lily James.
He’s also guest starred in The Crown and Amazon anthology series Modern Love.
Tom recently starred in the Netflix film The Wonder playing journalist Will Byrne alongside Florence Pugh.
Holliday Grainger returns as Robin Ellacott
The wonderful Holliday Grainger once again returns as Cormoran’s partner Robin Ellacott.
The 34-year-old actress has been acting since she was five years old and has had quite a few impressive roles in her career since.
Her early roles include Kirsty in the BBC series All Quiet on the Preston Front and Kate in the children’s series Roger and the Rottentrolls.
She later starred in the cosy drama Where the Heart Is as Megan Boothe.
She starred in some big films including Jane Eyre, Bel Ami and Anna Karenina.
One of her best known roles came in 2012, as she starred in Great Expectations alongside Helena Bonham Carter.
Holliday then starred in the period drama The Borgias, playing Lucrezia Borgia for three series of the Emmy-winning series.
And before Netflix’s adaptation of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Holliday starred in the 2015 version by BBC with Richard Madden.
In recent years, she acted in the films My Cousin Rachel, Tell It To The Bees and Animals.
You might also recognise her as DCI Rachel Carey from BBC’s The Capture.
Strike: Troubled Blood cast – Kerr Logan plays Matthew Cunliffe
Kerr Logan once again returns as Robin’s absolutely hated ex-husband Matthew Cunliffe.
You might recognise the 34-year-old actor from the Netflix period drama Alias Grace, he played James McDermott in the series.
He’s also known for his roles in Game of Thrones as Matthos Seaworth, the son of knight Davos Seaworth.
He played The Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey in the 2012 film Good Vibrations.
Kerr starred in the shortlived Lisa McGee comedy series London Irish as Conor.
Kerr recently starred as James Thornley in the BBC crime drama Showtrial.
He also starred as Aidan in the viaplay original series North Sea Connection earlier this year.
Ian Redford returns as Uncle Ted Nancarrow
Ian Redford returns as Cormoran’s Uncle Ted.
The 71-year-old actor is probably best known for playing Keith Appleyard in Coronation Street, the grandfather of Craig Harris.
He’s also known for starring in the 1970s series Rooms, a weekly drama about lodgers in a house.
In recent years, he’s guest-starred in Emmerdale and Casualty.
Samuel Oatley returns as DI George Layborn
Samuel Oatley previously appeared at the end of Lethal Strike as DI George Layborn and returns with a connection to Strike’s new case.
You might recognise him as Ian from the BBC sitcom Witless.
And if you remember Stenza warrior Tzim-Sha from Doctor Who, it was Samuel Oatley playing the big blue alien!
He played PC Cooper in the Red, White and Blue episode of Small Axe.
He’s also appeared in several filmed Shakespeare Globe performances.
Abigail Lawrie stars as Margot Bamborough in Strike: Troubled Blood cast
Abigal Lawrie, 25, plays Margot Bamborough in Strike: Troubled Blood.
The fifth series of Strike follows the cold case disapperance of Margot, as her daughter enlists Cormoran’s help 40 years after her mother went missing.
Abigail appears in flashbacks as the victim Margot.
Abigail is probably best recognised for playing Anna Worth in Sky’s original drama Tin Star.
She’s also known for playing Sophie Lancaster in the true story drama Murdered for Being Different.
She starred alongside Nico Mirallegro in the BBC documentary film which told the story of twenty-year-old Sophie Lancaster who was attacked and murdered for being goth.
You might also recognise her as Fionnula in the 2019 coming-of-age film Our Ladies, starring alongside Rona Morison.
Sophie Ward as Anna Phipps
Sophie Ward plays Anna Phipps, Margot’s daughter who is desperate to find out what really happened to her mother.
The 57-year-old actress has been acting since she was 10, with her first big role being Elizabeth Hardy, the female lead in Barry Levinson’s Young Sherlock Holmes.
Another one of her later best known roles is Dr Helen Trent in Heartbeat.
You might recognise from the 2011 adaptation of Jane Eyre as Blanche Ingram.
She starred in WWII drama Land Girls as Lady Ellen Hoxley.
Sophie recently starred as Janet Kidd in Prime Original A Very British Scandal.
She recently starred in the fourth series of Agatha Raisin.
Sutara Gayle plays Kim Sullivan
Sutara Gayle plays Anna’s partner Kim.
You might recognise her from the BritBox original series Magpie Murders, she played Gemma Whiteley in the murder-mystery series.
She played Linda in the Red, White and Blue episode of the Steve McQueen anthology series Small Axe.
In 2011, she featured in the Anne Hathaway film One Day as Mrs Major (the film is about to get a Netflix remake!)
She’s had guest roles in Ghosts, Doctors and EastEnders.
She also recently featured in Silent Witness as Gloria Mason-Walker.
Linda Bassett as Joan Nancarrow
Actress Linda Bassett plays Joan Nancarrow, Strike’s aunt who, along with Uncle Ted, looked after Cormoran as a child.
You’ll probably recognise her as no-nonsense Nurse Phyllis Crane from Call the Midwife.
The actress also received a BAFTA nomination for her role in the 1999 film East is East. She received a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her role as Ella Khan.
She also appeared in movie musicals Calender Girls and Kinky Boots.
She’s also known for starring in Lark Rise to Candleford, she played village matriarch Queenie in the BBC period drama.
Other well-known roles include Mrs Jennings in the 2008 Sense and Sensibility miniseries and Mrs Smike in The Adventures of Nicolas Nickleby.
Fionnula Flanagan plays Oonagh Kennedy in Strike: Troubled Blood
Fionnula Flanagan plays Oonagh Kennedy in Strike: Troubled Blood, an old friend of Margot.
The 80-year-old actress is probably best known for her role in the horror film The Others, she played Mrs Mills, one of the servants.
The Irish actress is also known as Annie O’Shea from the 1998 film Waking Ned.
You might recognise her as Agnes Byrne from Kat & Alfie: Redwater, the Irish-set EastEnders spin-off.
She also played Eloise Hawking in Lost, the mother of main character Daniel Faraday.
She’s soon set to star in The Hunger Games prequel film The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes as Coriolanus Snow’s Grandmother.
Jonas Armstrong plays Saul Morris
Jonas Armstrong, 41, plays Saul Morris in Strike: Troubled Blood.
You might recognise the actor as Robin Hood from the BBC series of the same name – he played the character from 2006 until 2009.
He also starred in the 2014 film Edge of Tomorrow as the soldier Skinner.
Other film roles you might recognise include Simon McNeal in Book of Blood and Elek in Walking with the Enemy.
He’s also known for playing Nathaniel in BBC’s Ripperstreet.
He played The Bay suspect Sean Meredith and recently starred in Channel 5 miniseries The Drowning as Jason.
He also recently starred in the ITV drama Hollington Drive as Gareth.
Ruth Sheen as Pat Chauncey
Actress Ruth Sheen, 72, plays Pat Chauncey, Strike’s new (often grumpy!) office manager.
You might recognise her as Lizzie Wilton from the first series of Unforgotten.
She played Renee Bentley in Prime Suspect 1973 and Kath in the Sky comedy series Brassic.
She’s guest starred in It’s A Sin, The Nevers and Moving On.
Film fans will recognise the actress from High Hopes, Vera Drake, Another Year and the 2021 film Cyrano.
Madhav Sharma as Dr Dinesh Gupta
Actor Madhav Sharma, 83, plays Dr Dinesh Gupta.
You might know him best as Arshad Ahmed from EastEnders, Masood’s uncle who is known for fostering children with his wife Miriam.
He’s also known for playing Mr Shah in East is East.
In 2008, he joined the cast of Coronation Street as Prem Mandel, a friend of Dev Alahan who started an affair with his wife.
He was recently featured in the Channel 4 comedy series We Are Lady Parts as Tariq.
He has guest starred in Endeavour, Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators and Casualty.
Anna Calder-Marshall plays Janice Beattie
Anna Calder-Marshall plays Janice Beattie, a retired nurse who worked with Margot.
The 75-year-old actress is probably best known for playing Catherine Earnshaw in the 1970s film adaptation of Wuthering Heights alongside Timothy Dalton.
Another one of her best-known film roles is the 1969 film Male of the Species, in which she starred alongside Michael Caine and Sean Connery.
She played Dora in the 2019 film Last Christmas alongside Emma Thompson and Emilia Clarke.
She recently starred as Boris Johnson’s mother Charlotte Johnson Wahl in This England.
Cherie Lunghi as Gloria Conti
Cherie Lunghi, 70, plays Gloria Conti, a receptionist at Margot’s medical practice.
You might recognise Cherie as Shirley Cross from Unforgotten, the wife of Sir Phillip Cross.
She’s also known for playing Stephanie in The Secret Diary of a Call Girl, the Billie Piper comedy-drama series.
Film fans will recognise her from Excalibur, The Mission and Frankenstein.
Strike: Troubled Blood cast – Michael Byrne as Roy Phipps
Michael Byrne plays the modern-day Roy Phipps, Margot’s widowed husband.
The 79-year-old actor has had a lot of roles in some huge films over the years.
He played baddie Vogel in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, and that wasn’t the last time he played a villain.
He played English officer Smythe in Braveheart.
In 2002, he starred in the Oscar-nominated film Gangs of New York as newspaper editor Horace Greenley.
In the same year, he starred in the action thriller The Sum of All Fears alongside Morgan Freeman.
He’s also known for playing Ted Page in Coronation Street from 2008 until 2010, the father of Gail Platt.
Strike: Troubled Blood cast – Robin Askwith plays Steve Douthwaite
Robin Askwith plays Steve Douthwaite, a former patient of Margot’s.
You’re bound to recognise the 72-year-old actor for quite a few roles.
Robin is best known for playing Timothy Lea in the Confessions film series.
He’s also known for playing Larry Prodworthy in Carry On Girls, Mr Prodworthy’s shy son.
You might also recognise him as Mike Abbott from the 1972 film Bless This House, a spin-off film from the original sitcom.
He recently starred in the Sky film Last Train to Christmas.
You might also recognise his recent role in cosy crime The Madame Blanc Mysteries, in which he plays the well-off Jeremy Lloyd-James.
He’s also had television roles in Coronation Street, Benidorm and Casualty.
Kierston Wareing plays Leda Strike
Kierston Wareing, 44, plays Leda Strike in flashbacks to Cormoran’s childhood.
She previously appeared as Leda in Career of Evil.
You might recognise the actress as Kirsty Branning from EastEnders.
She first appeared as the tough Kirsty on Christmas Day in 2012 and left the soap in 2014.
Kierston is also known for playing Joanne in the 2009 award-winning film Fish Tank, the mother of the film’s heroine Mia.
She was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Actress for her role as Angie in the 2007 film It’s A Free World.
You might also recognise her for her stint in Hollyoaks as Ashley Davidson. She appeared as drug dealer Ashley back in 2015.
Kierston’s other TV roles include The Shadow Line, Luther, Inside Men and The End of the [BLEEP]ing World.
Charlotte Eaton as Ruby Elliot
Charlotte Eaton plays Ruby Elliot, a witness who spots a struggle between two women the night Margot went missing.
You might recognise Charlotte from the sitcom Witless, she played neighbour Jackie.
She’s also known for starring as Terri Dawson in the seventh series of Benidorm, as Clive’s sister.
Charlotte is also known for her role as Nurse Fitt in the women’s prison series Bad Girls.
She’s guest starred in Doctor Who, Call the Midwife and In the Long Run.
Who else stars in the Strike: Troubled Blood cast?
Giles Matthey, best known for playing Gideon in Once Upon A Time, stars as Paul Satchwells in the 1970s in flashbacks.
Andy de la Tour, who’s appeared as Star Wars baddie Hurst Romodi in Rogue One and the journalist in the infamous end scene of Notting Hill, plays nightclub owner Nico Mucky Ricci.
Jacob James Beswick plays the 1970s version of Luca Ricci. You might recognise him as Lance Corporal Duff from WWI film 1917. He’s also starring as Giovanni in A Spy Among Friends.
Sam Woolf, who recently starred in the new series of The Crown, plays Roy Phipps in the 1970s flashbacks.
James Corrigan plays Cormoran’s brother Al Rokeby. Al was previously played by Joey Batey. James recently played political strategist Isaac Levido in This England.
Charlie Price plays a young Cormoran Strike. The young actor previously starred in the period drama The Great.
Carol MacReady, who’s known for the 1970s series Couples and The Darling Buds of May, plays Irene Hickson.
Read more: Strike series 5 Troubled Blood: Start date confirmed for Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger drama
Who else guest stars in Troubled Blood?
Daniel Peacock, who is best known for playing Bull in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, plays Luca Ricci in the present day.
Jonny Green plays Jonathan Ellacott, Robin’s brother. He’s best known for playing young David in White Lines.
Maia Tamraker who is best known for playing Muna in the children’s series The Sparticle Mystery plays Robin’s friend Courtney.
Mollie Holder plays Louise Tucker, the daughter of Brain Tucker. She’s best known for playing Phillida Beaufort in Sanditon.
Billy Boyle, who’s best known for playing Seamus Feeny in the film Barry Lyndon, plays Brian Tucker.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch actress Suzanne Burden also returns as Robin’s mother Linda Ellacott.
Strike series 5 Troubled Blood will air on Sunday December 11 at 9pm on BBC One.
So, what do you think of this cast? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think.