Who is Andrew Scott playing in His Dark Materials?

It’s actually the second time Scott has been seen on the show so far– he previously appeared briefly in a still seen by Lord Boreal in episode three, introduced as John Parry.

Of course fans of the books will know only too well what this all means, but for those who have gone into the series with no previous knowledge of Pullman’s novels, it may need a little explanation...

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Who is John Parry?

Without wanting to give too much away that may spoil further episodes, John Parry is the father of Will and is an explorer from our own world, who also goes by the names Jopari and Stanislaus Grumman.

Vitally, he has also travelled to Lyra’s world - ensuring that he’s the subject of much discussion amongst Lord Boreal and his associates, which explains the aforementioned scene in episode three.

Although he’s been restricted to only very brief appearances so far, John Parry will become a key character as Lyra and Will’s stories progress.

Will Andrew Scott appear again this series?

Well, it’s difficult to answer this for sure, given that in the books John doesn’t appear at all until the second novel – as is the case with Will, Father McPhail and numerous other characters who have already entered the fray in the TV series.

With the creators of the show already proving they’re happy to introduce characters slightly earlier than in the novels, it would therefore be difficult to rule out a further appearance in this series – although that’s certainly not a guarantee.

What seems most likely though, is that Andrew Scott will join the show properly during the second series – which has already finished filming. You can see a picture of him on set below…

His Dark Materials returns to BBC One at the later time of 9pm on Sunday 15th December