Meet the cast of The Virtues
Who’s who in the new Channel 4 drama starring Stephen Graham
The Virtues is a visceral and bold new drama exploring themes of repressed memory and revenge.
Co-written by This is England collaborators Shane Meadows and Jack Thorne, it reunites the pair with Stephen Graham who stars alongside a wealth of stellar Irish acting talent.
Meet The Virtues cast and their characters below…
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Stephen Graham plays Joseph
Who is Joseph? A troubled man with repressed memories, Joseph sets off for the south of Ireland to reconnect with his long-lost sister and confront his past.
"Joseph is trying to piece together what happened to him as a child, and slowly as he's working out what's going on and what did happen, all these images are flying up into his head, all these repressed memories that he had as a child. It's post-traumatic stress disorder, basically, in its purest form," – Stephen Graham
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What else has Stephen Graham been in? Graham is best known for his performance as Combo in Shane Meadows’ This is England film and TV series, and for appearing in Little Boy Blue, Taboo and Boardwalk Empire. He is currently starring in Line of Duty and is nominated for a Bafta for his performance in Save Me, and he has also been seen in the movies Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, Snatch, Pirates of the Caribbean and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Graham is having a very busy year, with roles in the forthcoming films Rocketman, The Irishman and Greyhound.
Helen Behan plays Anna
Who is Anna? Joseph’s sister Anna lives in Ireland with her young family and has long-been separated from her brother.
What else has Helen Behan been in? Like Graham, Behan starred in the This is England TV series. She has also appeared in the Irish drama Take Down and has a role in the forthcoming film Wildfire.
Frank Laverty plays Michael
Who is Michael? Anna’s husband Michael is initially wary of Joseph but then gives him work in his family-owned building company.
What else has Frank Laverty been in? You might have seen Laverty in the 2001 BBC show Rebel heart, or the Irish series On Home Ground and Raw. He also appeared in the 1996 biopic Michael Collins.
Niamh Algar plays Dinah
Who is Dinah? Michael’s fiery sister who becomes entangled with Joseph but has her own dark secrets.
What else has Niamh Algar been in? New talent Algar has popped up in lots of British series recently, including The Bisexual, Pure and MotherFatherSon. She also has a part in Ridley Scott's forthcoming US TV series Raised by Wolves.
Mark O’Halloran plays Craigy
Who is Craigy? A shady figure, Craigy works with Michael and forces Joseph to come face-to-face with the demons of his past.
What else has Mark O’Halloran been in? You might have seen O'Halloran in the films Adam & Paul, Garage and The Guard.
Niamh Cusack plays Janine
Who is Janine? Dinah's adoption social worker.
What else has Niamh Cusack starred in? Cusack is known for her long-running role as Dr Kate Rowan in the series Heartbeat, and she has also appeared in the films In Love with Alma Cogan and Hereafter.
Liam Carney as Damon/Nomad
Who is Damon/Nomad? A man from Joseph's past in Ireland.
What else has Liam Carney starred in? You might have seen Carney in the TV series Red Rock and Outlander or in the movies Braveheart and Gangs of New York.
Vauxhall Jermaine plays David
Who is David? He is the stepfather to Joseph’s son Shea.
What else has Vauxhall Jermaine starred in? Jermaine featured in the This is England TV series alongside Graham and Behan and he appeared in animated comedy film Peter Rabbit. He also has a role in the forthcoming TV series Rig 45.
Juliet Ellis plays Debbie
Who is Debbie? She is the ex-partner of Joseph, and mother of his child Shea.
What else has Juliet Ellis starred in? Ellis is best known for starring in Ken Loach’s awarding winning film Its a Free World.
Tom Davis plays the barman
Who is the barman? A man who works at a pub where Joseph goes on a drinking binge.
What else has Tom Davis been in? Davis is known for starring in Plebs, Action Team and his biggest hit, Murder in Successville. He is also a writer on the latter two series.
The Virtues will air in four parts in May 2019 on Channel 4
