The BBC's new drama, The Bombing of Pan Am 103, tells the true story of the Lockerbie bombing in 1988, which led to a decades-long investigation looking for justice, following the deaths of 270 people.

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The series is a sweeping look at the aftermath of the bombing, and as such features a vast cast, including the likes of Connor Swindells, Patrick J Adams and Merritt Wever.

Also starring are Peter Mullan, Tony Curran and Eddie Marsan, but who else is in the cast of the six-part series with them and who do they all play?

Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of The Bombing of Pan Am 103.

Who's in the cast of The Bombing of Pan Am 103? Full list of characters in the BBC drama

The main cast for The Bombing of Pan Am 103 is as follows. Scroll on to find out more about the characters, plus where you may have seen the actors previously.

  • Connor Swindells as DS Ed McCusker
  • Patrick J Adams as Dick Marquise
  • Merritt Wever as Kathryn Turman
  • Peter Mullan as DCS John Orr
  • Tony Curran as DCI Harry Bell
  • Eddie Marsan as Tom Thurman
  • Nicholas Gleaves as Allen Feraday
  • Lauren Lyle as June McCusker
  • Phyllis Logan as Moira Shearer
  • James Harkness as DS Sandy Gay
  • Douglas Hodge as DS Stuart Henderson
  • Alastair Mackenzie as Alastair P Campbell QC
  • Kevin McKidd as DCS Tom McCulloch

Connor Swindells plays DS Ed McCusker

Connor Swindells as DS Ed McCusker in The Bombing of Pan Am 103 in a suit with hands in pockets
Connor Swindells as DS Ed McCusker in The Bombing of Pan Am 103. BBC/World Productions

Who is DS Ed McCusker? Ed is a former police officer who worked in Glasgow at the time of the Lockerbie bombing, and became a key figure working on the investigation.

Where have I seen Connor Swindells before? Swindells is best known for playing Adam Groff in Sex Education and David Stirling in SAS Rogue Heroes, but has also had roles in the series Vigil, Jamestown and The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, as well as the films Emma, Barbarians, Barbie, Scoop and William Tell.

Patrick J Adams plays Dick Marquise

Patrick J Adams as Dick Marquise in The Bombing of Pan Am 103 stood in a brown coat
Patrick J Adams as Dick Marquise in The Bombing of Pan Am 103. BBC/World Productions

Who is Dick Marquise? Dick is a former FBI agent who worked on the Lockerbie bombing case during his career.

Where have I seen Patrick J Adams before? Adams is best known for playing Mike in Suits, while he has also had roles in series including Orphan Black, Legends of Tomorrow, Sneaky Pete, The Right Stuff, A League of Their Own and Plan B, as well as the films The Swearing Jar and He Went That Way.

Merritt Wever plays Kathryn Turman

Merritt Wever as Kathryn Turman in The Bombing of Pan Am 103 in a grey suit
Merritt Wever as Kathryn Turman in The Bombing of Pan Am 103. BBC/World Productions

Who is Kathryn Turman? Kathryn is a real-life figure who worked as a political aide, and later for the FBI, to enhance support for victims and families of victims following tragedies, starting with the Lockerbie bombing.

Where have I seen Merritt Wever before? Wever has had roles in series including The Wire, New Girl, Nurse Jackie, The Walking Dead, Godless, Unbelievable, Run, Tiny Beautiful Things and Severance, as well as films such as Signs, Michael Clayton, Birdman (or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and Marriage Story.

Peter Mullan plays DCS John Orr

Peter Mullan as DCS John Orr in The Bombing of Pan Am 103 stood by a car
Peter Mullan as DCS John Orr in The Bombing of Pan Am 103. BBC/World Productions

Who is DCS John Orr? John was a senior officer with Strathclyde Police who led the investigation into the Lockerbie bombing in its early years.

Where have I seen Peter Mullan before? Mullan is best known for his roles in the Ken Loach film My Name Is Joe and Paddy Considine's film Tyrannosaur, as well as in series including The Fixer, Top of the Lake, Mum, Ozark, Westworld, Cursed, Payback, The Rings of Power and After the Party.

Tony Curran plays DCI Harry Bell

Eddie Marsan as Tom Thurman and Tony Curran as DCI Harry Bell in The Bombing of Pan Am 103 stood by a lorry
Eddie Marsan as Tom Thurman and Tony Curran as DCI Harry Bell in The Bombing of Pan Am 103. BBC

Who is DCI Harry Bell? Harry was a detective chief inspector for the Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary at the time of the Lockerbie bombing, who worked on the case.

Where have I seen Tony Curran before? Curran has starred in films including Gladiator, Pearl Harbour, Outlaw King, X-Men: First Class, Thor: The Dark World and Mary Queen of Scots, as well as series such as Defiance, Daredevil, The Flash, Your Honour, Mayflies, Secret Invasion, Mary & George and Doctor Who, in which he played Vincent van Gogh.

Eddie Marsan plays Tom Thurman

Eddie Marsan as Tom Thurman in The Bombing of Pan Am 103 in a brown suit
Eddie Marsan as Tom Thurman in The Bombing of Pan Am 103. BBC/World Productions

Who is Tom Thurman? Tom is a US explosives expert who travelled to Scotland to help work on the Lockerbie bombing case.

Where have I seen Eddie Marsan before? Marsan is known for his roles in series including Little Dorrit, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, River, Ray Donovan, The Pact, The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, The Power, The Winter King, Franklin, Inside No. 9, Supacell, Heartstopper and Reunion, as well as films such as Vera Drake, V for Vendetta, Mission: Impossible III, Hancock, Sherlock Holmes, Tyrannosaur, War Horse, The World's End, Their Finest, Deadpool 2, Vice, The Gentlemen and Back to Black.

Nicholas Gleaves plays Allen Feraday

Nicholas Gleaves in a dark suit
Nicholas Gleaves. Jo Hale/Getty Images

Who is Allen Feraday? Allen was a UK explosives expert who worked on the Lockerbie bombing case.

Where have I seen Nicholas Gleaves before? Gleaves has had roles in series including Playing the Field, Waterloo Road, Scott & Bailey, Death in Paradise, Bodyguard, Coronation Street, The Demon Headmaster, The Rising, The Crown, Silent Witness and After the Flood, as well as films such as Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Lauren Lyle plays June McCusker

Connor Swindells as DS Ed McCusker and Lauren Lyle as June McCusker in The Bombing of Pan Am 103 at a funeral
Connor Swindells as DS Ed McCusker and Lauren Lyle as June McCusker in The Bombing of Pan Am 103. BBC

Who is June McCusker? June was the wife of Ed McCusker and a former police officer herself.

Where have I seen Lauren Lyle before? Lyle is known for her roles in series including Vigil, Outlander, Karen Pirie and Toxic Town, while she has also appeared in the film The Outrun.

Phyllis Logan plays Moira Shearer

Phyllis Logan as Moira in The Bombing of Pan Am 103 stood in glasses looking sad
Phyllis Logan as Moira in The Bombing of Pan Am 103. BBC/World Productions

Who is Moira Shearer? Moira was a local figure in Lockerbie who helped with the clear-up following the bombing.

Where have I seen Phyllis Logan before? Logan is perhaps best known for playing Mrs Hughes in Downton Abbey, while she has also had roles in series including Lovejoy, Silent Witness, The Good Karma Hospital, Doctor Who, Guilt, Shetland and Miss Austen, as well as films such as Nativity! and Misbehaviour.

James Harkness plays DS Sandy Gay

Connor Swindells as DS Ed McCusker and James Harkness as Sandy Gay in The Bombing of Pan Am 103, wearing black suits and stood in a graveyard together
Connor Swindells as DS Ed McCusker and James Harkness as Sandy Gay in The Bombing of Pan Am 103. BBC/World Productions

Who is DS Sandy Gay? Sandy is a Scottish police officer seen working on the Lockerbie bombing case in the series.

Where have I seen James Harkness before? Harkness has had roles in series including Silent Witness, The English Game, The Nest, Gangs of London, Raised by Wolves, The Sixth Commandment and A Thousand Blows, as well as films such as Rogue One.

Douglas Hodge plays DS Stuart Henderson

Douglas Hodge in a dark suit
Douglas Hodge. Joe Maher/Getty Images

Who is DS Stuart Henderson? Stuart is a detective who had a pivotal role on the Lockerbie bombing case, particularly in its later years.

Where have I seen Douglas Hodge before? Hodge has had roles in series including Capital City, Red Cap, Outnumbered, The Night Manager, Penny Dreadful, Unforgotten, Black Mirror, Catastrophe, The Undoing, Lost in Space, I Hate Suzie, Extrapolations and The Great, as well as films such as Robin Hood, Red Sparrow, Joker, The Devil All the Time and We Live in Time.

Alastair Mackenzie plays Alastair P Campbell QC

Alastair Mackenzie in a suit
Alastair Mackenzie. Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage

Who is Alastair P Campbell QC? Alatair is a retired judge who previously worked as a solicitor, and was senior counsel for the Crown prosecutor in the trial over the Lockerbie bombing at the Scottish Court in the Netherlands.

Where have I seen Alastair Mackenzie before? Mackenzie has had roles in series including Monarch of the Glen, Black Mirror, Borgen, Wolf Hall, The Loch, Cold Feet, Deep Water, Unforgotten, Professor T, The Crown, Vigil and Andor, as well as films such as Peterloo and Outlaw/King.

Kevin McKidd plays DCS Tom McCulloch

Kevin McKidd in Six Four in a suit and brown jacket
Kevin McKidd in Six Four. ITV

Who is DCS Tom McCulloch? Tom was the senior investigating officer in the later stages of the Lockerbie bombing case.

Where have I seen Kevin McKidd before? McKidd has had roles in series such as Rome, Journeyman, Star Wars: Rebels, Station 19, Six Four and Grey's Anatomy, as well as films such as Trainspotting, Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief, Brave and It Ends with Us.

The Bombing of Pan Am 103 premieres on BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday 18th May, with new episodes premiering at 9pm every Sunday and Monday for three weeks.

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Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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