The Dark on ITV: Belfast actress Laura Donnelly leads the cast, alongside stars of Cold Feet, The Last Kingdom, and The Gold
The serial killer crime drama is packed with famous faces
The Dark is a compelling, at times truly frightening, drama adaptation of GR Halliday’s debut novel From the Shadows and the cast is as good as it gets on primetime ITV.
When the naked body of a teenager is found “eerily staged” in a “seemingly idyllic Highlands wilderness”, DI Monica Kennedy fears the worst. She believes it’s just the beginning of a terrifying campaign that will strike the heart of a rural community.
And, during the course of the six-part drama, she is proved right. A serial killer – wearing a pale mask – is targeting the farming town, and he isn’t done yet.
Set in Scotland, the crime drama The Dark stars a predominantly Scottish cast, with one or two notable exceptions. Not least Laura Donnelly who portrays the lead detective. Here’s everything you need to know about who plays who.
The Dark on ITV cast: Laura Donnelly stars as DI Monica Kennedy
Belfast-born actress Laura Donnelly headlines the cast of The Dark as Detective Monica Kennedy. She’s probably best known for her lead role as Amalia True in HBO’s The Nevers. It’s a role she played between 2021 and 2023.
She’s been on our screens for 20 years, and an early role included playing Fleur Butler in Casualty. Laura is also famous for portraying Violet Heath in Missing, Elvina in Beowulf: Return to the Shieldland, Jenny Fraser in Outlander, and Hella in Britannia. More recently, she’s portrayed Older Helen McConville in Say Nothing, and Charlotte Fischer in Colin Farrell drama Sugar.
Tolkien, in which she played Mabel Tolkien opposite Nicholas Hoult, was arguably her biggest film role to date.
“When I read the first script of The Dark I knew it was going to be something special. I’m so excited to work with Poison Pen, ITV and a fantastic cast to create something unique and thrilling,” the 44-year-old said.
Mark Rowley stars as DC Connor Crawford
Scottish actor Mark Rowley, 36, plays DC Connor Crawford alongside Laura Donnelly’s DI Monica Kennedy. Mark is perhaps best known for playing noble warrior Finan in the Netflix series The Last Kingdom, a role he played between 2017 and 2022.
He reprised his role as Finan for the 2023 spin-off series The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die. More recently, he portrayed Corporal Jock McDiarmid in SAS: Rogue Heroes season 2, and Phil Godalming in One Day.
He’s no stranger to a crime drama, having also appeared in season 2 of Karen Pirie as Mick Prentice Jnr, and Trigger Point series 3 as Rich Manning. Other notable roles include Alexander Stewart The Spanish Princess, and Piers in Young Dracula.
Emun Elliott stars as Barclay Adams
Edinburgh-born actor Emun Elliott, 42, stars as Barclay Adams, father to a missing son.
Those of you who watched The Gold will recognise Emun for playing real life detective Tony Brightwell. His character made it his mission to bring down the culprits of the Brink’s-Mat robbery. He played the copper in both series of the drama from 2023 to 2025.
Before that he was probably most famous for portraying Kenny Burns in Scottish comedy drama Guilt. Emun played the role in all three series opposite Shetland actor Mark Bonnar – now most famous for his explosions on The Traitors!
Earlier roles include PC MacGregor in Feel the Force, John Moray in the period drama The Paradise between 2012 and 2013, and Richie in Threesome. He’s also famous for playing Jay Adams in Lip Service, Marillion in Game of Thrones, and Dr Christian King in Paradox.
Most recently, Emun starred as Don Logan in the TV adaptation of Sexy Beast on Paramount+, and Richard Abbott in Eve Myles thriller The Guest. He’s been in multiple films, too, including Prometheus, Filth, Strawberry Fields, and The King’s Man.
The Dark on ITV cast: Helen Baxendale is Bethany Morgan
Yorkshire-born actress Helen Baxendale, 56, stars as Bethany Morgan in the cast of The Dark on ITV. Of course, she won’t need any introduction to Cold Feet fans. Helen portrayed Rachel Bradley in the British comedy drama between 1997 and 2003, until her very dramatic exit. Her on-screen death remains one of the most shocking and devastating surprises in British TV history.
She went on to portray the unforgettable character of Emily Waltham in the US sitcom Friends from 1998 to 1999. She famously married Ross, when the fandom wanted him to marry Rachel.
Helen made her first TV appearance in 1993, at the age of 23, when she played Miss Lomax in the Nigel Havers comedy The Good Guys. She subsequently portrayed Dr Claire Maitland in Cardiac Arrest, Cordelia Gray in An Unsuitable Job for a Woman, Pandora Braithwaite in Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years, and Angela Beddoes in Kidnap and Ransom.
More recently, she’s portrayed Lorna Thompson in Cuckoo, Meggie McGregor in Noughts + Crosses, and Frances in the the podcast series The Sisters.
Lois Chimimba portrays PC Carol Stewart
Glasgow-born Lois Chimimba, 34, portrays PC Carol Stewart in the cast of The Dark. She is arguably best known for playing Hannah Bailey in the Netflix series The One in 2021, a drama about a DNA researcher who helps discover a way to find the perfect partner and creates a bold new matchmaking service.
Lois has been on our screens ever since 2014, when she portrayed Beth Forbes in several episodes of Holby City. is also famous for playing Tara Kierly in Vigil series 1, Carrie McAndrew in Shetland series 6, and Claire in The Outlaws.
More recently, Lois has played Catriona in Coldwater, and Erin Connolly in Nightsleeper.
She has also lent her voice to the podcast series Doctor Who: Redacted, where she played Abby McPhail, and the children’s animation Piripenguins as Nugget.
Cal MacAninch plays Stephen Wright
Glasgow-born Cal MacAninch, 62, plays Stephen Wright in the crime drama The Dark. Cal is perhaps most famous for playing DI John Keenan in Holby Blue opposite Grantchester‘s Kacey Ainsworth. He starred in the cop drama between 2007 and 2008.
He’s also famous for portraying Rowan Collins in ITV’s Wild at Heart, and Mr. Thackeray in Katherine Kelly drama Mr Selfridge. Other notable roles include Declan in The Riff Raff Element, Ben Craig in Rockface, Henry Lang in Downton Abbey, and Sergeant Timmins in Banished.
Cal has popped up in some hugely popular dramas in the past five years, including Time series 1, where he played P.O. Galbraith. In Vigil series 1, he starred as Ben Oakley and, a year later, he played Inspector Lee Robins in Trigger Point.
More recently, he’s portrayed Michael Seaborne in The Essex Serpent, and Tibbs in the TV adaptation of the book Mayflies. He also guest starred in Silent Witness as David Whitely.
The Dark on ITV cast: Catherine McCormack stars as Gloria MacLennan
Surrey-born Catherine McCormack, 54, stars as Gloria MacLennan in the dark thriller. She made quite the impression in one of her first ever screen roles, playing Murron in the 1985 Mel Gibson film Braveheart. Murron was the childhood friend and secret wife of the Scottish warrior William Wallace, and her character was the heart of the story.
Catherine subsequently made a career for herself in films, and appeared in dramas such as The Land Girls, The Tailor of Panama, and Spy Game. She made very few Tv appearances until 2011, when she portrayed Theresa Leary in Lights Out, about a former heavyweight boxing champion struggling to find his identity after retiring from the ring.
Continuing to appear in both TV and film, Catherine is perhaps most famous for playing Beth Milton in Temple. The series, a UK version of the Norwegian show, follows a surgeon who is determined to save his dying wife to the point of agreeing to treat criminals and others for cash in his highly illegal secret underground clinic. Beth Milton is Daniel’s wife.
Other notable roles include Claire in Women on the Verge, Alex Tropper in Slow Horses, Jane Swire in Lockerbie: A Search for Truth, and Sophie Lyons in A Thousand Blows. This year, she portrayed Josephine Campbell in Prisoner on Sky Atlantic.
Stella Gonet plays Angela Kennedy
Actress Stella Gonet, who plays Angela Kennedy in the cast of ITV crime drama The Dark, was actually born in Greenock where much of the series was filmed.
The 65-year-old made her name playing Beatrice Eliott in the period drama The House of Eliott between 1991 and 1994. If you’re too young to remember the series, it was peak primetime viewing and followed two sisters in 1920s London who worked to build a successful dressmaking business.
She’s also famous for playing former Chief Executive Officer Jayne Grayson in Holby City from 2007 to 2009. More recently, she’s flexed her comedic muscles as Leah in Breeders. Other notable roles include Aileen MacAfee in Traces, Caroline Sturgess in The Salisbury Poisonings, Elizabeth in The Cry, and Mrs Lipsey in Man Down.
She will soon appear in the upcoming series 11 of Shetland, so watch this space.
Who else stars in the cast of The Dark on ITV?
Scot Phil McKee stars as the hunter Don Cameron. A jobbing actor of more than 30 years, he’s best known for playing Major Robert L. Strayer in Band the Brothers, DS Bob Fletcher in Family, Corporal Barrowman in Privates, and Joseph Kowalski in Dracula. He’s also portrayed Hannigan in Jekyll and Hyde, and Jimmy Levin in Traces.
More recently, Phil has portrayed Kenny Holland in Professor T, and Bremner in The Rig.
Scottish-Nigerian actor Tunji Kasim is Michael Bach. He made his first TV appearance playing Joe Bailey in the 2007 series Nearly Famous, before going on to portray Adolphus in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. However, he is most famous for his role of Ned ‘Nick’ Nickerson, a role he played between 2019 and 2023.
Brian Ferguson stars as Kyle Ward. A jobbing actor of 25 years, he’s appeared in dramas such as Line of Duty, The Spanish Princess, The Ipcress Files, and Rebus. More recently, Brian starred as Jonathan Barnes in Dept. Q series 1.
Nicholas Nunn stars as Nichol Morgan. He made his very first TV appearance in the 2018 series Clique playing Callum. He went on to portray William Napier in The Victim, Connor Cairns in Shetland, Peter Mitcham in Rogue Heroes, and Adam Miller in Time series 2. The Scottish actor recently portrayed Freddie McGraw in Sexy Beast, and popped up in Eve Myles crime drama Gone.
Lastly, Michelle Duncan portrays Chief Inspector Hately. She’s known for her roles in Dept. Q, Rebus, and Dalgliesh.
Main cast list of The Dark on ITV1:
Laura Donnelly stars as DI Monica Kennedy.
Mark Rowley stars as DC Connor Crawford.
Stella Gonet plays Angela Kennedy.
Emun Elliott stars as Barclay Adams.
Helen Baxendale is Bethany Morgan.
Cal MacAninch plays Stephen Wright.
Catherine McCormack stars as Gloria MacLennan.
Absentia’s Rona Morison is Philly.
Lois Chimimba portrays PC Carol Stewart.
Phil McKee stars as Don Cameron.
Tunji Kasim is Michael Bach.
Brian Ferguson stars as Kyle Ward.
Dept Q’s Aaron McVeigh stars as Rob Wright.
The Control Room’s Jatinder Singh Randhawa is DC Ewan Dhillon.
Wild Cherry‘s Hayat Kamille portrays Dr Hana Hadid.
Dinosaur’s Jim Kitson plays Muir Maitland.
Cardboard Wars’ Liam King portrays Scott Mackay.
Traces’ Ciaran Stewart stars as Mr Armitage.
Karen Pirie’s Jack Hesketh is Owen MacLennan.
Newcomer Tamsin Jordan plays Lucy Kennedy.
Newcomer Emily Mac plays Tammy Ward.
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