Grace series 5: Peaky Blinders and Black Mirror stars lead game-changing episode 3 guest cast

Grace series 5: Peaky Blinders and Black Mirror stars lead game-changing episode 3 guest cast

Dave Golder | 7:29am Sun 20 Apr | Updated 5:51pm Thu 12 Jun

There's a hellishly bumpy ride in store for the cast of Grace in episode 3 of the latest series.

After last weeks identity theft-themed episode guest starring Holli Dempsey and Mark Noble theres more hi-tech crime this week in a story (titled Need You Dead) involving the murder of the app developer.

Guest stars from Game Of Thrones, Peaky Blinders, Coronation Street and Black Mirror are on board to help out, but its a couple of regular characters who step into the spotlight this time.

And there are plenty of twists and shocks along the way. File under: game changer.

What happens in Grace series 5, episode 3?

With the powers-that-be at East Sussex Police calling for a crackdown on organised crime in Brighton, Team Grace is under pressure to get results in the latest case.

At first the murder of a mental health app entrepreneur doesnt seem connected with the local gangsters. But the case starts connecting with an old, unsolved drive-by shooting (the Amelia Pardoe case) in unsettling ways.

Meanwhile, Roy and Zoe discuss whether to try for another baby, and whether to take on more responsibility for Bruno. And Glenn asks someone unexpected to look into his wifes medical misconduct case.

Heres a rundown of this episodes most where-have-I-seen-them-before? faces

Who guest stars in Grace series 5, episode 3?

Gethin Anthony is Marcus OSullivan

Like his wife Jessica, Dr Marcus OSullivan went to university with Hannah Belling, the woman whose death kicks off this episode. Theyve all remained friends ever since, through thick and thin, including Hannahs recent split from her husband.

Actor Gethin Anthony played the least bloodthirsty contender for the Iron Throne in the first two seasons of Game of Thrones – Renly Baratheon, the homosexual younger brother of the more pointy, stabby Stannis and Robert Baratheon.

As Lord of Storm's End, Renly gave female warrior Brienne of Tarth a place in his Kingsguard, a gesture she never forgot (he also danced with her, and she was a little besotted with him). So when he was killed by the witch Melisandre, Brienne vowed vengeance for him, and kept going on about it for the next few seasons.

He also starred as FBI agent Jack Brennan in all 10 episodes of the second season of the US thriller Manhunt in 2020, and had a memorable stint playing 60s cult leader Charles Manson in the David Duchovny-starring US TV series Aquarius (2015-2016).

Loreece Harrison appears as Lauren Packham

Lauren is a cleaner at the offices of Heal Remedy, the mental health app start-up created by Hannah Belling. She was the last person to lock up on the night of Hannahs murder.

Loreece Harrison, who plays Lauren, made a memorable appearance in Black Mirrors third season in 2016, as a character that didnt even exist. She was the idealised dream girl whom mutant-killing soldier Stripe (Malachi Kirby) fantasised living with in his dream home.

You may have also caught her in four episodes of the final season of the wonderfully bonkers Pennyworth (2022) – the comic book TV series based on the early years of Batmans faithful butler, Alfred. She played Celia, a girl with super-hypnotic eyes who spent most of her time on the show wearing outsized techno-goggles.

Naomi Yang plays Jessica OSullivan

Jessica has known Hannah since university. Hannah took me under her wing Friends for life, says Jessica. But shes not so keen on Hannahs flaky, loser brother, Robbie, a man they nicknamed Houdini because he kept vanishing out of Hannahs life.

You may recognise Grace guest cast member Naomi from a very different kind of role – she played Li, wife of Han, an opium dealer operating out of a cafe in Birmingham's Chinatown, in the final season of Peaky Blinders (2022).

She was also a recurring character in last years second season of ITVs DI Ray, starring Parminder Nagra. Naomi played Hiroka McGregor, Rays police rep.

Naomi has also had one-off guest appearances in New Blood (2016), DCI Banks (2016), Brassic (2019) and Endeavour (2020).

Andrew Knott guest stars as Corin Belling

IT consultant Corin Belling is the former husband of murder victim Hannah. They only split six months ago and hes not handling it well. Could he be spiralling back into old ways?

Corin is played by Andrew Knott, who was very recently seen as a woodworker with a short fuse in The Marlow Murder Club.

Previously, he was possibly best known for a recurring role on one of the BBCs most successful ever comedies, Gavin & Stacey, up until the final Christmas special. Andrew played the short-fused Dirtbox, one of Gavin and Smithys Billericay crew.

Earlier in his career he had a stint on the popular Yorkshire small town-based drama Where The Heart Is (from 1997 to 2001), playing Henry Green as he grew from a self-conscious schoolboy to unlucky-in-love supermarket manager.

Earlier this year Andrew played DI Richard Bewley in all six episodes of the Siobhan Finneran-starring ITV crime mini-series, Protection.

He has also had guest roles in Ackley Bridge, Silent Witness, Casualty (as multiple different characters) and Father Brown. On the big screen, he was one of the core characters in The History Boys (alongside Gavin & Staceys James Corden again).

Kiran Landa appears as Sara Joshi

Sara Joshi is a local journalist – for the Argus – whos had dealings with Team Grace before, but shes moved on from that. Thankfully, crime scenes are no longer my department, she tells Glenn.

She now concentrates on public health, medicine, that sort of thing (as Glenn tells Ari later on) and is only dragged back into the world of crime when her latest interviewee, Hannah Belling, is murdered shortly after their meeting.

Glenn also uses the opportunity to ask Sara for some help with his wifes malpractice hearing.

Joshi is played by Kiran Landa, who will be familiar to Coronation Street fans. Between 2021 and 2023 she played Marrium Nazir, second wife of Speed Daal-founder, Zeedan Nazir. She was the one with the psycho dad who was none too happy when Zeedan had an affair.

Cue a storyline full of beatings, threats, money laundering, the Speed Daal burning down and Marriums dad dying of a heart attack.

Kiran Landa has also had one-off appearances in Wire In The Blood (2005), Doctors (2011), Hollyoaks (2012), Line Of Duty (2016) and Ackley Bridge (2017).

Lisa Diveney appears as Hannah Belling

Hannah is this episodes first murder victim, found in her flat in Lewiston Mansions the night after cutting short an interview with Sara Joshi.

Shes 35, a former psychiatrist whos just launched an award-winning mental health app designed to help lower stress levels. Shes recently split from husband Corin, but does that have any bearing on her death?

Although Lisa Diveney, who plays Hannah, hasnt been on our screens much in recent years (a guest spot on Whitstable Pearl in 2022 and another in a Harlots in 2017 with a few short films in between), back in the noughties she starred in one of the BBCs biggest sitcoms.

She played Beth in the first three seasons of the Only Fools And Horses spin-off The Green, Green Grass. Beth was the Welsh girlfriend of Boycie and Marlenes son Tyler – a militant vegetarian and green campaigner who never won the Boyces over to her way of thinking.

Nimmy March plays Margaret Packham

Margaret is Laurens mother, and she suspects her daughter has something to hide but is having no luck getting Lauren to open up.

Nimmy March has had a long TV career with guest star roles in everything from barbershop sitcom Desmonds in 1989 to Vera in 2024, with such prestige comedies and dramas as A Touch of Frost (1995), Goodnight Sweetheart (1995-1996), Londons Burning (2000), Waking The Dead (2008), Wallander (2015) and Death in Paradise (2016) in between.

But for those with very long memories she was a regular in The Lenny Henry Show from 1997-1998. No, not his sketch show but the sitcom it evolved into, centring on Henrys DJ character Delbert Wilkins. Nimmy played Delberts girlie Claudette.