The Night Manager season 2 cast: New and returning stars in BBC thriller

It was a long wait for fans between the first and second seasons of BBC spy thriller The Night Manager - a full 10 years, in fact.

However, it's fair to say the wait has been worth it, as fans have been loving the returns of Tom Hiddleston as Jonathan Pine and Olivia Colman as Angela Burr, as well as a very surprising name which was kept tightly under wraps.

This season has also introduced us to some big new characters, including Indira Varma's Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, Diego Calva's Teddy Dos Santos and Camila Morrone's Roxana Bolaños.

Now, we've reached the final episode, which is sure to see an epic showdown leading up to the show's already announced third season.

Here's your complete guide to the new and returning members of The Night Manager season 2 cast, as the acclaimed spy thriller continues on BBC One and iPlayer.

The Night Manager season 2 cast: New and returning stars

The Night Manager season 2 cast members are as follows – read on for more details on each character and the actor playing them, including where you might have seen them before.

• Tom Hiddleston as Jonathan Pine aka Alex Goodwin
• Hugh Laurie as Richard Roper
• Olivia Colman as Angela Burr
• Camila Morrone as Roxana Bolaños
• Diego Calva as Teddy Dos Santos
• Alistair Petrie as Lord Alexander 'Sandy' Langbourne
• Douglas Hodge as Rex Mayhew
• Michael Nardone as Frisky
• Noah Jupe as Daniel Roper
• Indira Varma as Mayra Cavendish
• Paul Chahidi as Basil
• Hayley Squires as Sally
• Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Dr Kim Saunders

Tom Hiddleston plays Jonathan Pine aka Alex Goodwin

Who is Jonathan Pine aka Alex Goodwin? When we met him in season 1, Jonathan was a former soldier turned hotel night manager, who became an informant to British intelligence over some of his less reputable guests. Eventually, he was tapped by Angela Burr to go undercover deep inside the inner circle of arms dealer and 'worst man in the world' Richard Roper (played by Hugh Laurie).

In season 2, almost a decade has passed since that successful – but high risk – operation, with Pine now living under the name Alex Goodwin and leading an intelligence-gathering team for MI6, known as the Night Owls. But when a familiar name comes up, he'll be dragged behind enemy lines once more for another nail-biting mission. This time, he'll be playing the role of a reckless financier named Matthew Ellis.

Addressing Jonathan's disarming knack for assuming new identities on his missions, Hiddleston mused: "Each persona expresses different dimensions of Pine’s inner life. Somewhere, underneath all the masks, is his true character."

What else has Tom Hiddleston been in? Hiddleston is best known for his role as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's God of Mischief, having appeared in the Thor trilogy, The Avengers as well as the Disney Plus series Loki. He'll next reprise the role in epic crossover flick Avengers: Doomsday.

The star has also had major roles in Crimson Peak, Kong: Skull Island and High-Rise. Meanwhile, TV credits include The Hollow Crown, Kenneth Branagh's Wallander and The Essex Serpent.

Olivia Colman plays Angela Burr

Who is Angela Burr? In season 1, Burr was the head of a modestly budgeted and always underestimated team in the UK's Foreign Office, known as the International Enforcement Agency. She made it her life's work to take down Richard Roper, out of sheer horror and disgust at his profiteering from the murder and suffering of innocent people.

Having been pregnant at the time of season 1's events, Burr has now stepped back from her perilous intelligence work, presumably to focus on her family – but Colman is confirmed to be reprising the character for season 2.

On the dynamic between Angela and Jonathan, Colman explained: "They look after each other. They're friends who have each other's backs. Angela is protective of him as she's the one who got him into this, so to her, she feels responsible for the situation."

What else has Olivia Colman been in? Legendary actress Colman started her career in comedy, before turning to dramatic work in the likes of Broadchurch and The Crown. Film credits include Yorgos Lanthimos films The Lobster and The Favourite, plus more awards fare in The Father and The Lost Daughter. More recently, she had a voice role in family comedy The Mitchells vs The Machines and joined the MCU in Disney Plus miniseries Secret Invasion.

Diego Calva plays Teddy Dos Santos

Who is Teddy Dos Santos? An illegal arms dealer, who has modelled himself and his business on Richard Roper – later revealed to be his father.

Calva teased of the new episodes: "This season has a lot of spirit and soul. It's not just an espionage thriller with suspense; it's a story about betrayal and family. In Teddy's case, it's also a story about faith and hope, which I think people will be able to relate to."

What else has Diego Calva been in? Fans may recognise Calva from his previous roles in Netflix thriller Narcos: Mexico and Babylon, a star-studded film about the early days of Hollywood.

Hugh Laurie plays Richard Roper

Who is Richard Roper? Roper is a notoriously cruel arms dealer, whose illicit dealings have caused untold misery around the world. He was thought to be dead after the events of season 1, in which Jonathan Pine and Angela Burr worked together to infiltrate his inner circle and sabotage a major sale.

That landed him in seriously hot water with the buyers who lost money on the botched deal, but ever the survivor, Roper was able to worm his way out of what seemed like a grisly fate. Now, he's seeking to restore his former status and settle his debts, in a high-stakes plot concocted with secret son Teddy Dos Santos (Diego Calva).

Revenge on Jonathan Pine is also on the agenda, we suspect.

Of his sinister role, Laurie said: "I'll be honest, I love Richard Roper. I probably shouldn't, but I do.

"Though maybe the responsibility of every actor is, at some level, to love the character they play," he continued. "If you ever take on a character and you look down on them, you sell the character short, you undermine the energy that they present to the rest of the story. "So no, I'm not going to apologise for loving the worst man in the world.

Laurie concluded: "I'm repulsed, but sneakily, I love him too."

What else has Hugh Laurie been in? Laurie has been a major player on British television for decades, starting out in the comedy genre with credits in Blackadder, A Bit of Fry & Laurie, and Jeeves and Wooster – starring opposite Stephen Fry in all three. He found further success on the small screen as the title character in medical drama House, which was one of the most popular shows in the world circa 2008.

Later TV work included Veep, Avenue 5, Roadkill and Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, while Stuart Little, Tomorrowland and The Personal History of David Copperfield are among Laurie's best known films.

Noah Jupe plays Danny Roper

Who is Danny Roper? The son of arms dealer Richard Roper. In season 1, British intelligence staged an attack on the Roper family, in which Jonathan "saved" Danny's life, giving him an entry point into Richard's secretive inner circle. During his time undercover, Jonathan seemed to take a shine to Danny – but of course, his deception would prove disastrous for his father.

All these years later, we'll revisit Danny as the dark legacy of his father rears its ugly head once more.

Jupe explained: "He’s gone through dramatic changes. He left his home in Spain and returned to London and never saw his dad again. He has this constant question looming over him and a shadow of grief that has taken its toll.

"He's negative and cynical and he's having a tough time growing up and trying to work out who he is, due to the absence of his father."

What else has Noah Jupe been in? Since the first season of The Night Manager, Jupe has starred in major films such as Ford v Ferrari and A Quiet Place. He has also previously appeared in Sky Atlantic’s The Undoing. Coming up, he has major awards contender Hamnet, which co-stars Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley.

Alistair Petrie plays Alexander 'Sandy' Langbourne

Who is Alexander 'Sandy' Langbourne? In the first season, he was one of Roper's most trusted allies. It's not yet clear how the arms dealer's downfall might have impacted him.

Quizzed on season 2, Petrie said: "There's a danger to it, which is incredibly seductive. With this drama and genre you are going to be entering into a world that is glamorous, dangerous, exciting, and morally compromised. And we will excite and confuse you."

What else has Alistair Petrie? Sex Education fans will recognise Petrie from his role in the drama as one-time headmaster Michael Groff. His other TV work includes Funny Woman, Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, Deep State and Sherlock. The actor has also appeared in films such as Rush and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, reprising his role in the latter (as a member of the Rebel Alliance) in recent spin-off series Andor.

Camila Morrone plays Roxana Bolaños

Who is Roxana Bolaños? Roxana runs a shipping company, through which she becomes entangled with both Jonathan and Teddy – but to whom is she most loyal?

Morone said of her character: "Roxana is interesting, because on paper, one would expect her to be a certain way, but she's unpredictable, resilient and brave. She's only focused on self-preservation and her family.

"It's very easy to put her in a femme fatale category, but what's interesting about Roxana, and what I love about David Farr's writing, is that she's not anybody's toy. She's the smartest person in the room."

What else has Camila Morrone been in? Morrone has starred in a number of films including Bukowski, Death Wish, Never Goin' Back and Valley Girl. She also led the cast of Prime Video's musical drama Daisy Jones & The Six, taking the role of Camila Dunne.

Douglas Hodge plays Rex Mayhew

Who is Rex Mayhew? A bureaucrat in Whitehall, who was an ally to Angela Burr's underfunded operation – even when facing serious pressure from individuals within the British state, who were harbouring ulterior motives. He continues to work with Jonathan when we meet him again in season 2.

What else has Douglas Hodge been in? Previous TV credits include Penny Dreadful, ITV's The Town and acclaimed comedy-drama The Great. The actor also starred as Sir Robert Loxley opposite Russell Crowe’s Robin Hood in 2010.

Michael Nardone plays Frisky

Who is Frisky? A brutal henchman of Richard Roper, who was prepared to do virtually anything to protect the boss. Suffice to say, a reunion with Jonathan wouldn't be the warmest of occasions.

What else has Michael Nardone been in? The star has appeared in a number of TV series including Silent Witness, River City, Rome, Merlin, Doctors, Line of Duty, Shetland, This is England '90 and Guilt. Meanwhile, film credits include Rogue One, Dune and Napoleon.

Indira Varma plays Mayra Cavendish

Who is Mayra Cavendish? A senior official in British intelligence. Essentially Jonathan's boss, she is responsible for deciding whether his Night Owls team is allowed to continue their operations.

What else has Indira Varma been in? Varma has previously appeared in TV series including Luther, Game of Thrones, Rome, Patrick Melrose, Carnival Row, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Capture and Extrapolations, as well as in the films Exodus: Gods and Kings and Official Secrets.

Hayley Squires as Sally

Who is Sally? Sally is a member of Jonathan's covert 'Night Owls' team, which primarily works on intelligence-gathering – and not high-stakes undercover work.

What else has Hayley Squires been in? Squires previously starred in Steven Knight's reimagining of Great Expectations and TV drama The Essex Serpent. On the big screen, she is known for indie movies I, Daniel Blake, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain and Beau Is Afraid.

Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Dr Kim Saunders

Who is Dr Saunders? She is a psychiatrist responsible for assessing the mental health of British intelligence agents – and whether they are fit to continue working in the field. Despite his cool composure, Dr Saunders has her reservations about Jonathan.

What else has Kirby Howell-Baptiste been in? Howell-Baptiste recently played Death in Netflix fantasy shows The Sandman and Dead Boy Detectives. Other noteworthy credits of hers include Cruella, The Good Place and Killing Eve, plus Apple TV's Sugar and HBO's Barry.

Paul Chahidi plays Basil

Who is Basil? Basil is another official in the British intelligence community.

What else has Paul Chahidi been in? Fans will recognise Chahidi from his recent appearances in Wicked Little Letters, The Serpent Queen and This Country, where he played a local vicar who looked out for the sitcom's wayward youths.

The Night Manager season 1 is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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