Under the Banner of Heaven cast: Meet the characters
The series dramatises a horrifying true crime.
Note: contains discussion of subjects including murder that some readers may find upsetting.
True crime series Under the Banner of Heaven has landed on ITVX after debuting on Disney Plus in 2022, introducing the dark tale to a brand new audience.
Based on Jon Krakauer's book of the same name, Under the Banner of Heaven follows the true story of Brenda Lafferty and her infant daughter Erica, who were brutally murdered in their Utah home in 1984 by Brenda's brothers-in-law, Ron and Dan Lafferty.
The pair were Mormon Fundamentalists who believed that they were commanded by God to carry out the heinous acts, which took place while their brother Allen was at work.
Fortunately, the series has employed a stellar cast to tackle the grave subject matter, with Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones leading the way.
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They're joined by the likes of Sam Worthington, Billy Howle and Wyatt Russell. But who else features in the cast and where might you have seen them before?
Read on for your complete guide to the cast and characters of Under the Banner of Heaven.
Under the Banner of Heaven cast
The full cast list is as follows:
- Andrew Garfield as Detective Jeb Pyre
- Daisy Edgar-Jones as Brenda Lafferty
- Sam Worthington as Ron Lafferty
- Wyatt Russell as Dan Lafferty
- Billy Howle as Allen Lafferty
- Denise Gough as Dianna Lafferty
- Gil Birmingham as Bill Taba
- Adelaide Clemens as Rebecca Pyre
- Rory Culkin as Samuel Lafferty
- Seth Numrich as Robin Lafferty
- Chloe Pirrie as Matilda Lafferty
- Sandra Seacat as Josie Pyre
Read on for everything you need to know about the actors and who they play.
Andrew Garfield plays Detective Jeb Pyre
Who is Detective Jeb Pyre? Detective Jeb Pyre is an elder in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who heads up the investigation into the murder of Brenda and her daughter Erica. His faith is rocked following the harrowing ordeal.
"He's very understated, a solid centre of the story that is the audience's eyes," Garfield told Variety. "Not flashy, a very solid dude and internal. I wanted to play with that – be as internal as possible – and less expressive than I've been in recent projects."
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What else has Andrew Garfield been in? You'll recognise Andrew Garfield from the Spider-Man franchise, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Tick, Tick... Boom, Under the Silver Lake, Hacksaw Ridge, The Social Network and Never Let Me Go.
Daisy Edgar-Jones plays Brenda Lafferty
Who is Brenda Lafferty? Brenda Lafferty (24) was studying broadcast journalism at university and she also enjoyed performing arts. She was beaten and stabbed to death by her husband's brothers, Ron and Dan Lafferty, in her home. Her 15-month-old daughter Erica was also killed.
Brenda encouraged Ron's wife Dianna to walk away from their marriage when he announced that he wanted to take a second wife, a practice that Ron and other hardline Mormons consider integral to the faith, despite the church turning its back on ''plural marriage'' in 1890. Men who engage in multiple marriages have one lawful wife and several spiritual wives to circumnavigate bigamy.
What else has Daisy Edgar Jones been in? Daisy Edgar Jones' CV includes Normal People, Fresh, War of the Worlds and Where the Crawdads Sing, while she will this year star in Twisters.
Wyatt Russell plays Dan Lafferty
Who is Dan Lafferty? Dan was working as a chiropractor at the family business and was a husband and a father. Like Ron, his finances were also reportedly in disarray and he had previously been excommunicated from the church for his radical views, one of which was allegedly a desire to marry his step-daughter, who was 14.
Dan claimed that he had killed both Brenda and Erica, as reported by The Salt Lake Tribune, but a witness claimed that Ron had killed Brenda, with Dan murdering Erica. Dan also didn't express any remorse for the murders.
What else has Wyatt Russell been in? The son of Kurt, Wyatt Russell has featured in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Lodge 49, The Woman in the Window, Black Mirror, 22 Jump Street and many other series and films. He was most recently seen in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
Billy Howle plays Allen Lafferty
Who is Allen Lafferty? Allen Lafferty was the youngest member of the eight Lafferty children. He was married to Brenda and was Erica's father.
During a court appearance, Allen said that Ron had told him a number of months prior to the killings that God had commanded that Brenda and Erica be "removed".
What else has Billy Howle been in? Billy Howle has appeared in Chloe, The Beast Must Die and The Serpent.
Sam Worthington plays Ron Lafferty
Who was Ron Lafferty? Ron Lafferty was the eldest of the Lafferty sons and was responsible for Brenda's murder. Ron believed that the church had lost its way by abandoning the practice of multiple marriages – Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, is believed to have had as many as 33 wives, with some putting that number at 50.
According to reports, Ron's family had a history of violence – his father was an authoritarian presence – and Ron was described as having a temper. He was excommunicated from the church for his extreme views, which prompted him to establish his own sect in 1984 called the School of the Prophets, which his brothers joined. It was also reported that he was dealing with financial troubles at the time of Brenda's murder.
Richard Stowe and Chloe Low, who were both part of the church, also gave support to Dianna after she left Ron. Following Brenda and Erica's murders, Ron and Dan travelled to the Low house, where they planned to kill Chloe, but she wasn't there. They then drove to Stowe's house, where they planned to do the same, but they missed the turning and did not return.
Ron didn't express any remorse for the murders.
What else has Sam Worthington been in? Sam Worthington has appeared in Avatar and it's sequel The Way of Water, Terminator: Salvation, Clash of the Titans, Wrath of the Titans and Hacksaw Ridge, among others, and was most recently seen in Lift.
Denise Gough plays Dianna Lafferty
Who is Dianna Lafferty? Dianna Lafferty was Ron's wife. She would seek advice from Brenda regarding her husband's changing nature as he leaned into the more extreme aspects of his religion. She eventually divorced him and moved to Florida with their children.
What else has Denise Gough been in? Denise Gough is best known for her stage work, but she also starred alongside Emily Watson in ITV's Too Close, and recently in Andor and Who is Erin Carter?.
Gil Birmingham plays Bill Taba
Who is Bill Taba? Gil Birmingham plays Bill Taba, a long-serving detective who worked in Las Vegas before heading to Salt Lake Valley.
What else has Gil Birmingham been in? Gil Birmingham's CV includes Pieces of Her, Yellowstone, the Twilight franchise, Wind River and House of Cards, along with many other series and films.
Adelaide Clemens plays Rebecca Pyre
Who is Rebecca Pyre? Adelaide Clemens plays Rebecca Pyre, Jeb's wife and the mother of their two children. She is described as "strong and caring".
What else has Adelaide Clemens been in? You can watch Adelaide Clemens in Tommy and Rectify as well as in other series and films, while she recently starred in Justified: City Primeval.
Rory Culkin plays Samuel Lafferty
Who is Samuel Lafferty? Samuel Lafferty was the middle Lafferty sibling. He was extremely loyal to his brothers and also had a fiery temperament.
What else has Rory Culkin been in? The brother of Macaulay and Kieran, Rory Culkin has appeared in Halston, City on a Hill, Castle Rock, Scream 4, Signs and more. He has recently made appearances in Swarm, Black Mirror and The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy.
Seth Numrich plays Robin Lafferty
Who is Robin Lafferty? Robin was another of the Lafferty sons and was extremely close with Dan. He's forced to choose between the mainstream church and his radical views.
What else has Seth Numrich been in? Seth Numrich has appeared in The Blacklist, Madame Secretary and Homeland.
Chloe Pirrie plays Matilda Lafferty
Who is Matilda Lafferty? Matilda Lafferty was married to Dan Lafferty. Like Dianna, she also looked to Brenda for words of wisdom as her husband's worldview became a cause for concern.
What else has Chloe Pirrie been in? Chloe Pirrie's CV includes Hanna, The Queen's Gambit, Temple, Troy: Fall of a City, The Crown, Black Mirror, Death in Paradise, Emma., Carnival Row and many more films and series.
Sandra Seacat plays Josie Pyre
Who is Josie Pyre? Josie Pyre is Jeb Pyre's mother. She is a dedicated Mormon and is suffering from dementia.
What else has Sandra Seacat been in? Sandra Seacat is predominantly known for her acting coaching. Her most recent film appearances include Buster's Mal Heart, Alex of Venice and Palo Alto.
Additional cast includes Christopher Heyerdahl, who plays Ammon, another member of the Lafferty family. He has appeared in Peacemaker, Chapelwaite, Van Helsing and Them.
Under the Banner of Heaven is available to stream in full in the UK on both ITVX and Disney Plus – sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year now.
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