Who's Who in the Cast of 'Department Q'
Netflix's newest crime thriller Dept. Q, also stylized as Department Q, is based on Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen's books of the same name. While the plots loosely aligns, the characters' names have all been Anglicized from the Danish version.
'In a lot of ways, the star of our show is [creator] Scott [Frank], right? There's no question about that.' Matthew Goode tells T&C. 'So he took these books by Jussi Adler-Olsen but he transposed the setting from from Denmark to Edinburgh, which is a really nice fit when you consider the Gothic architecture, the feel of the city, and the beauty of it. But then he also made Carl English, which makes him this outsider, which is super smart. Yes, you lose a lot of stuff, but in adapting the novels, Scott and I were able to have long conversations about who Carl is and what we could do with him. That's part of why if you adapt a book nowadays, you do it for TV because movies really truncate things.'
Here, who's who in Dept. Q (no spoilers, we promise):Goode stars as detective Carl Morck, who gets put in charge of the cold case department. You may recognize the actor from Downton Abbey, A Discovery of Witches, and The Crown, among many other projects.
Read an interview with Matthew GoodeMerrit Lingard is a prosecutor who has been missing for four years. (Her disappearance is Department Q's first case.) She's portrayed by Scottish actress Chloe Pirrie, who previously appeared in The Game, War & Peace, Carnival Row, and The Queen's Gambit, among other TV shows and movies.Akram is a Syrian cop, who was forced to flee his home and ends up in Edinburgh. He starts working as Carl's assistant but ultimately becomes a key part of the investigation. Akram is played by Kurdish-Russian-Swedish actor Alexej Manvelov, who has previously appeared in Swedish projects as well as Chernobyl and Jack Ryan.Rose is a cop who has been assigned to a desk job after dealing with PTSD; she starts working again with Department Q. Rose is played by Leah Byrne, in somewhat of a breakout role for the Scottish actress. She previously appeared in Call the Midwife and Nightsleeper.Moira Jacobson is Carl Morck's commanding officer and the head of the Edinburgh police department. She is portrayed by Scottish actress Kate Dickie, perhaps most recognizable for playing Lysa Arryn in Game of Thrones or her roles in Tinsel Town, Prometheus, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.Dr. Rachel Irving is a police therapist who was assigned to Carl after he was shot. She's played by Kelly Macdonald, who made her debut in Trainspotting back in 1996, and has since appeared in the films No Country for Old Men, Gosford Park, and Operation Mincemeat, among others. She's also been in TV shows such as Boardwalk Empire.Claire Marsh is Merritt's brother William Lingard's caretaker. She's played by Shirley Henderson, a Scottish actress viewers may know as Jude in the Bridget Jones films, Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter films, or Gail in Trainspotting, among many other roles.Scottish actor Jamie Sives plays James Hardy, Carl's partner who was shot and paralyzed. He's been in Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself, Game of Thrones (as Jory Cassel), Fronteir, Chernobyl, and more.Stephen Burns is Merritt's boss in the prosecutor's office. He's played by Scottish actor Mark Bonnar, best known for his work in British television series such as Guilt, Shetland, and Casualty.Merritt's brother, William, is non-verbal following a trauma. He's portrayed by Tom Bulpett, a neurodivergent actor who has previously appeared in For the Emperor and Guard Duty.After Merritt disappears, Dr. Fiona Wallace takes over care of William. She's portrayed by actress Michelle Duncan, who has appeared in films including Atonement and Bohemian Rhapsody, and TV including Doctor Who, Luther, Hanna, and more.It's hard to write too much about Sam Haig without spoiling Dept Q., but just know he plays a big role in the plot. The mysterious man is played by Steven Miller, best known for his role in the medical drama Casualty.The case we see Merritt prosecuting in the first episode is that of Graham Finch, who is accused of murdering his wife. The wealthy businessman is played by actor Douglas Russell, who has appeared in The Batman, Lockerbie, and Peaky Blinders, among other projects.
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