House of Guinness cast: Anthony Boyle and Louis Partridge star
James Norton and Jack Gleeson also play key characters in Steven Knight's new historical drama.
Steven Knight's new historical drama, House of Guinness, tells the story of the titular family following the death of their patriarch, Sir Benjamin Guinness.
Leading the cast as the four central Guinness siblings are Anthony Boyle, Louis Partridge, Emily Fairn and Fionn O’Shea, while other key roles are played by Happy Valley's James Norton and Game of Thrones's Jack Gleeson.
But who else stars in the 19th century-set series, who do they all play, and what have some of the show's leads said about their characters when speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com?
Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of House of Guinness.
House of Guinness cast: Who stars in Steven Knight's Netflix drama?
Below is the main line-up for House of Guinness. Read on to find out more about the cast and characters.
- Anthony Boyle as Arthur Guinness
- Louis Partridge as Edward Guinness
- Emily Fairn as Anne Plunket
- Fionn O’Shea as Benjamin Guinness
- James Norton as Sean Rafferty
- Niamh McCormack as Ellen Cochrane
- Danielle Galligan as Lady Olivia Hedges
- Jack Gleeson as Byron Hedges
- Dervla Kirwan as Aunt Agnes Guinness
- Ann Skelly as Adelaide Guinness
- Seamus O’Hara as Patrick Cochrane
- Michael McElhatton as John Potter
- Jessica Reynolds as Lady Christine O’Madden
- Elizabeth Dulau as Lady Henrietta St Lawrence
- Michael Colgan as Reverend Henry Gratton
- David Wilmot as Bonnie Champion
- Hilda Fay as Sultan
Anthony Boyle plays Arthur Guinness
Who is Arthur Guinness? Arthur is the eldest brother of the Guinness family, who was educated at Eton and spent most of his 20s in London.
Speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com, Anthony Boyle said of his character: "Arthur's a bit of a renaissance man. Loves drinking, having the crack, s****ing. And he has to come back to Ireland.
"He's in England, living his best life, and he has to come back and run the brewery with his little brother [Edward]. And they couldn't be more opposite, chalk and cheese, bit of an odd-couple story. And then they have to sort of form a bond, and drama ensues."
What else has Anthony Boyle been in? Boyle has had previous roles in series including Game of Thrones, Derry Girls, Ordeal by Innocence, Patrick Melrose, Masters of the Air, Manhunt, Shardlake and Say Nothing, as well as films such as The Lost City of Z, Tolkien and Tetris.
Louis Partridge plays Edward Guinness
Who is Edward Guinness? Edward is the ambitious youngest Guinness sibling, who learnt the ropes of the family business in his teens and is at home in the brewery.
Louis Partridge said of his character when speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com: "Edwards feels very prideful that he's kind of been in the brewery, hands on for most of his life. He really cares about it, to the exclusion of possibly everything else that's healthy.
"And then his older bro comes in, and he's a bit, like, 'Alright, don't just think you can swan in here and change things', while also being kind of miffed that he's got to now deal with him.
"And Edward is kind of white knuckling it, perhaps a bit, but I think he thinks that if he doesn't deal with people, his mad siblings, then the Guinness brand is just going to fall apart, because it's a PR disaster.
"And so he's constantly covering up and stressing, and at the end, sort of towards the end, he kind of realises that he can relax a bit, and maybe they're not so different than he thought."
What else has Louis Partridge been in? Partridge has had roles in films including Paddington 2, Enola Holmes and its sequel, Argyle and Jay Kelly, as well as series such as Medici, Pistol and Disclaimer.
Emily Fairn plays Anne Plunket
Who is Anne Plunket? Anne is one of the Guinness siblings, who was married off to a minor aristocrat 11 years older than her.
Speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com alongside Benjamin star Fionn O'Shea, Emily Fairn said of their characters: "We're like the Forgotten two, aren't we? I'm the eldest but I'm a woman, and then you're the drunk one. So we get nothing in our Father's will. So how do we navigate that and still feel part of the family when we're not allowed to work on the business."
What else has Emily Fairn been in? Fairn has had roles in series including Rain Dogs, Black Mirror, COBRA, Mary & George and The Responder, as well as films such as Saturday Night and Joy.
Fionn O’Shea plays Benjamin Guinness
Who is Benjamin Guinness? Benjamin is considered the black sheep of the Guinness family, due to his gambling addiction and substance abuse problem.
Speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com, Fionn O'Shea revealed a real-life personal family connection he has with the Guinnesses, and how he used it in his audition to get the role of Benjamin.
He said: "Actually, weirdly, in one of the auditions, I think it was the final audition, and my Hail Mary pass was like, as I was going out the door, I was like, 'My great grandfather made the bridles for the horses!'
"I was like, I don't know, trying to do some kind of emotional blackmail, that the ghost of my great grandfather would haunt [director] Tom Shankland if I didn't get it. That is true though, my great grandfather did work for, not quite this family, but the next one."
What else has Fionn O'Shea been in? O'Shea has had roles in series including Roy, Hang Ups, Normal People and Masters of the Air, as well as films such as The Aftermath and Cherry.
James Norton plays Sean Rafferty
Who is Sean Rafferty? Rafferty is the foreman of the Guinness factory and a fixer to the family.
Speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com, James Norton said playing Rafferty is "probably the most fun I've ever had".
"He's a complete badass, and it was a delight to play," he said. "He's full of contradictions, which is always what you want from a role. He's kind of this unsolvable puzzle – you can kind of keep going into each of the corners. He's obviously terrifying, and uses violence when he needs to.
"He's the foreman of the brewery, so he runs the show, but he's also like a fixer, a bit of a gangster, and he uses violence when needed to kind of keep that grip of control. But he also has this amazing integrity and respect from other people, and humanity, and also has this amazing playfulness and swagger.
"You know, [director] Tom Shankland, who’s our first director, he really pushed me into enjoying it. I think Rafferty loves being Rafferty and so it's a complete pleasure when you get to play that kind of role. And as I say, he sort of is the continually giving gift, because I still haven't quite worked him out. It's a mystery."
What else has James Norton been in? Norton is known for his roles in series including Doctor Who, War & Peace, Black Mirror, McMafia, Grantchester, The Trial of Christine Keeler, Happy Valley, The Nevers, Playing Nice and King & Conqueror, as well as films such as Rush, Belle, Mr Turner, Hampstead, Little Women, Bob Marley: One Love and Joy.
Niamh McCormack plays Ellen Cochrane
Who is Ellen Cochrane? Ellen is a passionate Irish Republican, twin sister to Patrick and enemy of the Guinness family and their agenda in Ireland.
On Ellen's relationship with the Guinness family, Niamh McCormack told RadioTimes.com exclusively: "She's right smack in the middle of the political chaos going on, and she goes head-to-head with them.
"I think that she really sees an opportunity, and she really puts her money where her mouth is, takes it on. And there's such a great scene in episode 3 between Edward and Ellen.
"There's so much power play going on, and they're both really standing the ground. She's so strong and modern. Steven Knight's incredible work is that every character just feels so modern and like there's breathing life through them."
What else has Niamh McCormack been in? McCormack has had roles in series including The Witcher, Witness Number 3, Willow, Everything Now and Small Town, Big Story, as well as films such as Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves.
Danielle Galligan plays Lady Olivia Hedges
Who is Lady Olivia Hedges? Lady Olivia is a young woman from an impoverished aristocratic family, who ends up marrying Arthur.
Speaking with RadioTimes.com, Danielle Galligan said of Olivia: "She has this kind of unshakable sense of self worth, and she's very brash and tenacious. And I can't relate to that, really. So it was nice to live vicariously through her, and I think play a woman in a time when they were so restricted and constrained, to play someone very unconventional.
"And also, as people watch the series, Olivia makes a journey that a lot of Irish women have had to make over the years. So to try and take as good care as possible of that story was really important to me."
What else has Danielle Galligan been in? Galligan has had roles in series including Game of Thrones, Krypton, The Great, Shadow and Bone, Kin and Obituary.
Jack Gleeson plays Byron Hedges
Who is Byron Hedges? Byron is a relative of Lady Olivia, who works for Edward and goes on a journey to New York for the company.
Speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com, Jack Gleeson said of that journey: "Byron gets to go to New York, aka Northern Quarter in Manchester. He goes on his own little side quest and comes back with extra swagger and extra fur coats. But yeah, there was a full kind of three days, I think, where we were filming this amazing chase sequence through the streets of New York.
"It just felt fully like I wasn't in 2025, I was in 1870 or whatever. It was feeling like I was there, the amazing set dressing and everything, all of these amazing departments coming together to create this landscape and world, and it was just a joy to be a part of."
What else has Jack Gleeson been in? Gleeson is best-known for playing Joffrey in Game of Thrones, while he has also had roles in series such as Sex Education, The Famous Five, Safe Harbor and The Sandman, as well as films including Batman Begins.
Dervla Kirwan plays Aunt Agnes Guinness
Who is Aunt Agnes Guinness? Agnes is a matriarch of the Guinness family, and the aunt of the siblings.
What else has Dervla Kirwan been in? Kirwan has had roles in series including Goodnight Sweetheart, The Vicar of Dibley, Ballykissangel, Doctor Who, Strangers, Silent Witness, The Stranger, The Reunion and True Detective.
Ann Skelly plays Adelaide Guinness
Who is Adelaide Guinness? Adelaide is a Guinness cousin with progressive sensibilities.
What else has Ann Skelly been in? Skelly has had roles in series including Playground, Red Rock, Vikings, The Nevers and The Sandman.
Seamus O’Hara plays Patrick Cochrane
Who is Patrick Cochrane? Patrick is Ellen's twin, an Irish Republican activist with a quick temper.
What else has Seamus O'Hara been in? O'Hara has had roles in series including Line of Duty, Game of Thrones, Shadow and Bone, Blue Lights and Say Nothing, as well as films such as The Northman and Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves.
Michael McElhatton plays John Potter
Who is John Potter? John is a loyal servant of the Guinness family.
What else has Michael McElhatton been in? McElhatton has had roles in series including Ripper Street, The Fall, Game of Thrones, Genius, Chernobyl, Dangerous Liaisons, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, The Wheel of Time, The Long Shadow and The Dry.
Jessica Reynolds plays Lady Christine O’Madden
Who is Lady Christine O'Madden? Lady Christine is the daughter of an aristocratic Irish family, who is attracted to Benjamin.
What else has Jessica Reynolds been in? Reynolds has had roles in series including Derry Girls and Outlander, as well as films such as Kneecap.
Elizabeth Dulau plays Lady Henrietta St Lawrence
Who is Lady Henrietta St Lawrence? Lady Henrietta is the daughter of an aristocratic Irish family who is also attracted to Benjamin.
What else has Elizabeth Dulau been in? Dulau is best-known for playing Kleya in Andor, while she has also had roles in the series Gentleman Jack, The Outlaws, Maternal and All the Light We Cannot See, as well as the film Wicked.
Michael Colgan plays Reverend Henry Gratton
Who is Reverend Henry Gratton? Henry is a preacher who is attempting to claim as much of Sir Benjamin’s inheritance as he can for his charitable works.
What else has Michael Colgan been in? Colgan has had roles in series including Silent Witness, The Thick of It, The Fall, Happy Valley, Marcella, The Crown, This England, The Regime and Say Nothing.
David Wilmot plays Bonnie Champion
Who is Bonnie Champion? Bonnie is a racketeer who runs the distribution of Guinness barrels.
What else has David Wilmot been in? Wilmot has had roles in series including The Clinic, The Tudors, Ripper Street, The Alienist, The Crown, Station Eleven, Bodkin and Small Town, Big Story, as well as films such as Anna Karenina, Calvary, '71, Breathe, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Little Joe, Calm with Horses, The Wonder and the upcoming movie Hamnet.
Hilda Fay plays Sultan
Who is Sultan? Sultan is a mysterious woman from the Irish countryside.
What else has Hilda Fay been in? Fay has had roles in series including Fair City and The Woman in the Wall.
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Authors
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.
