Ellis series 2: Episode 3 and 4 guest stars Stephen Tompkinson and Mark Eddy in the cast
It's a rare return to TV for the DCI Banks actor
Ellis series 2 continues with episodes 3 and 4, entitled Elmsly Part 1 and 2, and Stephen Tompkinson makes a surprising guest appearance as DCI Chalmers in the cast.
The actor was easily one of the UK’s most bankable leading men in the noughties, but has made fewer and fewer TV appearances over the past 10 years.
So his fans will be thrilled to see Stephen Tompkinson back on our screens again. He appears in this week’s double bill of Ellis (Tuesday and Wednesday, March 17 and 18, 2026). And, rare bird, he’s playing a detective again!
He’s not the only famous face popping up in the Channel 5 crime drama either. Here’s who plays who in the cast of Ellis series 2 episodes 3 and 4 (aka Elmsly Part 1 and 2).
Mark Addy guest stars as Elliot Quinn
York-born actor Mark Addy joins the cast of Ellis series 2 as Elliot Quinn. This week, the village of Elmsly is shaken when university student Abi Marshall is found crushed beneath fallen scaffolding at a local construction firm. Elliot Quinn, the company owner, calls it a tragic accident, eager to shield his business from bad press – but Ellis is not convinced, especially as the camera that would have recorded the incident was switched off.
They soon discover that Abi had been conducting an investigation of her own, into the building business itself. Did this get her killed?
What TV and films has he been in?
Of course, TV fans will know 62-year-old Mark Addy for his often comedic roles on the small screen, in films, and in theatre. He famously played Dave in the 1992 film The Full Monty, a role he reprised in the 2023 spin-off TV series. Other notable film roles have included Friar Tuck in the Russell Crowe film Robin Hood, Roland in A Knight’s Tale, Mr Bakewell in the 2019 movie Downton Abbey, and Fred Flintstone in The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas.
As for TV, he’s had a varied career since his first appearance in the 1987 series The Ritz where he played Tony. Mark subsequently portrayed DC Gary Boyle in The Thin Blue Line, the lead role of Bill Miller in sitcom Still Standing, and Robert Baratheon in the iconic HBO series Game of Thrones.
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Other notable roles include Alan in The Syndicate, Andy in Trollied, Hercules in Atlantis, and DS Derek Sands in New Blood. More recently, he’s had a run of serious roles in some heavyweight dramas. These include DS Stan Jones in White House Farm, Ross Cassidy in The Salisbury Poisonings, Ron St Clair in Sherwood, and Evgeny Harkonnen in Dune: Prophecy. The Rig fans will have seen him playing David Coake in series 1 and 2 of the Prime Video eerie thriller.
Ellis series 2 episode 3 and 4 cast: Stephen Tompkinson stars as DCI Chalmers
County Durham actor Stephen Tompkinson, 60, plays DCI Chalmers, a man who has a well-documented beef with Elliot Quinn. But he certainly takes a shine to DCI Ellis.
TV fans will know Stephen Tompkinson very well, for his career spanning 40 years. Like his co-star Mark Addy, he’s also known for his mix of comedy and drama, film, TV and theatre. He is arguably most famous for playing Damien Day in political satire Drop the Dead Donkey, a role he played between
Barely out of drama school, Stephen first popped up in the 1987 sitcom All at Number 20, and popped up in several dramas until his big break in Clive Owen drama Chancer. In 1990, he portrayed Markus Warton in the hugely popular TV drama. He went on to play DC Park in Minder, and Father Peter Clifford in Ballykissangel. Between 1998 and 1999, he joined Robson Green as dysfunctional brothers in Grafters.
Stephen subsequently played Garth O’Hanlon in the Nick Berry – remember him? – undercover cop drama In Deep. Now firmly on the map, the actor won the leading role of Danny Trevanion in the family drama Wild at Heart, a role he played between 2006 and 2012.
And, of course, detective fans will know him as DCI Alan Banks in the ITV series that ran for six years, between 2010 and 2016. After the series ended, Stephen went on to play Davey McKenzie in The Split, and Brian in Trollied. And since then, he was only popped up occasionally on our screens.
What is DCI Banks star Stephen doing now?
Since 2018, Stephen has appeared in several episodes of The Other One, played a murder victim in The Bay, Warnock in one episode of Sherwood, and David Gee in the 2023 series The Long Shadow. After two years off screen, he recently played DCI John Thistletwaite in This Is Not a Murder Mystery.
Actually, Stephen is rather partial to the stage. In 2012, he made his musical theatre debut in London’s West End. He played the lead role of King Arthur in Monty Python’s Spamalot.
In 2018, he played Yvan in the UK tour of Art. That Christmas, he portrayed Ebenezer Scrooge in Jack Thorne‘s new adaptation of A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic, London. In 2019 he toured with a production of Willy Russell’s Educating Rita.
Sonny Ashbourne Serkis plays Joshua Quinn
London-born Sonny Ashbourne Serkis portrays Joshua Quinn in the cast of Ellis series 2 Elmsly Part 1 and 2. Eagle-eyed TV and film fans might know him as the son of actors Andy Serkis and Lorraine Ashbourne. His brother Louis is also an actor, and has appeared in Martin Clunes drama Out There, played Sheridan Smith’s son in No Return, and the rather unpleasant Hugo in Wild Cherry.
Meanwhile, older brother Sonny has been on our screens since 2010. He’s perhaps most famous for playing Evans in Masters of the Air. Other notable roles include Prince Edward in The White Queen, Paul Price in The Casual Vacancy, Isak in Young Wallander, and Martin in The Witcher.
Matilda Freeman portrays Mackenzie Quinn
Cheshire-born actress Matilda Freeman, 21, guest stars as Elliot Quinn’s daughter Mackenzie. She started as a child star, having ‘falling into’ acting at the young age of nine. That year, she attended an open call audition through her school for the BBC series Our Zoo in 2013. Having never acted before, she made it down to the final two. Although she didn’t win the role, she subsequently decided to pursue acting professionally.
And it certainly paid off. In 2017, she won the role of Summer Spellman in ITV soap Coronation Street. It was a role she went on to play until a diabetes diagnosis, a battle with bulimia, a teenage pregnancy, and her dreams of going to Oxford University reduced to tatters after being caught cheating in an exam.
In 2024, Matilda portrayed Lilly Wells in the eerie ITV drama Passenger, and Maeve in satirical college soap opera Riverwalk. She’s also popped up in episodes of Dropperz, Doctors, Alma’s Not Normal, and Such Brave Girls.
This year, she played Maria in the Netflix comedy How to Get to Heaven from Belfast. She originally auditioned to play a young Saoirse.
Matilda will soon appear as Sophie Madsen in ITV’s upcoming six-part drama series The Blame, scheduled for release in Autumn 2026.
Ellis 2026 episode 3 and 4 cast: Judy Flynn stars as Wendy Pyke
Blackpool-born actress Judy Flynn, 63, stars as Wendy Pyke in Ellis, but she’s probably best known for her comedic roles in the early 90s.
She’s been on our screens since the 80s, having appeared in First of the Summer Wine, and Soldier Soldier before winning the life-changing role of Madge Althorpe in The House of Eliott. Between
Judy has popped up in soaps including Family Affairs and Hollyoaks, comedies include Dinnerladies, and serious crime dramas like Dalziel and Pascoe. As a jobbing actress of 4o years, Judy has appeared in No Angels, Holby City, Heartbeat, Shameless, Doctors, and Housebound. She also voices several animated characters in Peppa Pig, and Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom.
Ellis series 2 episodes 3 and 4 cast: Sophie Stanton plays Tina Marshall
Cardiff-born Sophie Stanton, 55, stars as Tina Marshall in the cast of this week’s Ellis. She’s been on our screens for more than 30 years but is most famous for portraying DCI Jill Marsden in BBC soap EastEnders. It’s a role she played on and off between 2000 and 2015.
The character made her first appearance investigating the shooting of Phil Mitchell, as part of a huge whodunit storyline. She later returned to track Archie’s killer, Phil’s stalker, and Lucy Beale’s murderer. Yep, she was busy!
Other notable roles include Rose in Dressing for Breakfast, Dilly Wilson in The Wilsons, DI Jill Winstanley in The Killing Kind, Jodie Simone in King Gary, and Hetty in The Full Monty.
She’s also popped up in drama series such as The Bill, Holby City, Silent Witness, Whitechapel, Vera, and Midsomer Murders.
Caroline O’Neill stars as Rosie Watts
Lancashire-born Caroline O’Neill, 64, stars as Rosie Watts. She’s been a jobbing actress since the 80s, and early roles came in Grange Hill, Body & Soul, and Birds of a Feather.
Between 1999 and 2000, Caroline played Janice Maloney in Russell T Davies’ Queer as Folk. She’s probably most famous for playing Andrea Clayton in Coronation Street, a role she portrayed on and off from 1985 to 2001. Andrea Clayton was the daughter of Harry and Connie Clayton and older sister of Sue. The Claytons lived at 11 Coronation Street but disappeared from the area after Andrea got pregnant by Terry Duckworth.
Other notable roles include Pamela Hargreaves in Channel 5 soap Family Affairs, Miss Constance Hardbroom in The New Worst Witch, DC Karen Hutchinson in City Lights, and Pauline in The A Word.
More recently, Caroline O’Neill portrayed Win Thursday in Endeavour. Winifred ‘Win’ Thursday was the wife of Fred Thursday and the mother of their two children, Joan Thursday and Sam Thursday.
Who else appears in the guest cast of Ellis series 2 episodes 3 and 4?
Jack Bandeira (pictured above) portrays Tim Selby in Ellis this week. Happy Valley fans might remember him as villain Matija Jankovic in the final series. But he’s also appeared in Silent Witness, Lockwood & Co., Black Mirror, Andor, and The Gold.
Lisa Ambalavanar is Abi Marshall in the cast of Ellis series 2, episodes Emsley Part 1 and 2. She’s best known for playing Alia Hanif in Doctors between 2018 and 2019. Lisa also portrayed Mia in The A List, a role she played from 2018 to 2021. Other notable roles include Jinx in Titans, and Annabel Binky in Father Brown.
Polish actress Natalia Kostrzewa plays Ludmilla Nowak. She’s known for portraying Izabella Godek in the 2024 Harlan Coben drama Fool Me Once, and Eva Bartosz in Out There.
Florian Rafuna is Christian Kalonas in the cast of Ellis series 2. He played Bogdan in The Capture series 1, Thomas Ajazi in Better, and Darren Guthrie in Tom Hardy thriller Mobland.
Polish actress Julia Krynke portrays Celina Pusch. Her biggest roles to date have been playing Mela in The English Class, Kasia in Line of Duty, and Maya Petrenko in The A Word. More recently, she played Roza Furstenburg in Ridley Road, and Gita in We Were the Lucky Ones.
Full cast list for Ellis series 2 episodes 3 and 4, Elmsley:
Sharon D Clarke leads the cast as DCI Ellis.
Andrew Gower stars as DS Chet Harper.
Charlotte McCurry plays DC Kate Trent.
Allison Harding is ACC Alison Leighton.
Mark Addy guest stars as Elliot Quinn.
Stephen Tompkinson guest stars as DCI Chalmers.
Sonny Ashbourne Serkis plays Joshua Quinn.
Judy Flynn stars as Wendy Pyke.
Matilda Freeman portrays Mackenzie Quinn.
Sophie Stanton stars as Tina Marshall.
Caroline O’Neill stars as Rosie Watts.
Lisa Ambalavanar is Abi Marshall.
Jack Bandeira portrays Tim Selby.
Natalia Kostrzewa plays Ludmilla Nowak.
Florian Rafuna is Christian Kalonas.
Julia Krynke portrays Celina Pusch.
Ukrainian actress and star of Ferry: The Series Karyna Khymchuk plays Katja Vogel.
Dorothea Myer-Bennett – aka Julia Nunn in EastEnders – plays Lucy Quinn.
Read more: Detective drama Ellis is set in ‘north of England’ but filmed in another country altogether!
