Shetland series 9 cast list: Who plays who in the returning Scottish detective drama

Shetland series 9 cast list: Who plays who in the returning Scottish detective drama

By Helen Fear | Wed Nov 06 2024

Shetland is back on BBC One and iPlayer with series 9 and, like previous years, the new episodes have a pretty amazing cast of faces old and new.

Ashley Jensen returns as DI Ruth Calder, who joined the cast at the beginning of Shetland series 8. The Scottish actress replaced Douglas Henshall as Jimmy Perez.

Fan favourite Alison O'Donnell is also back as Alison 'Tosh' McIntosh and, this time, she's finally been promoted to Detective Inspector!

Here's a rundown of the cast of Shetland series 9, including new faces from Poldark, Mr Bates vs. The Post Office, and Granite Harbour...

Ashley Jensen leads the cast of Shetland series 9 as DI Ruth Calder (Credit: BBC)

Shetland series 9 cast list: Ashley Jensen plays DI Ruth Calder

Scottish actress Ashley Jensen plays former Met police officer DI Ruth Calder. In series 8, she arrived on the island of Shetland in a bid to track down a vulnerable witness.

Viewers soon learnt that icy Ruth was born on the island, but hadn't been back since she was 18. After a pretty explosive return, she is living in Shetland at the beginning of series 9.

Ashley is probably best known for her collaborations with comedian Ricky Gervais. She appeared briefly in The Office, and went on to portray Maggie Jacobs in Extras, and nurse Emma in After Life.

Her career as a jobbing actress began in 1990, and she's appeared in countless TV dramas, including May to December, Roughnecks, and Bad Boys. She played PC Sue Chappell in City Central from 1998 to 2000. That same year, she popped up as Fiona Morris in EastEnders!

Other notable roles include her portrayal of Babs in Clocking Off, Faye Brooks in Sweet Medicine, and Sarah Paradise in Love & Paradise.

After finding success in the UK, Ashley won the coveted role of Christina McKinney in US hit comedy Ugly Betty, opposite Barbie actress America Ferrera. She starred in the show from 2006 to 2010. She subsequently appeared in Catastophe, Trust Me, and the heartbreaking book adaptation Mayflies.

Cosy drama fans will know the 55-year-old as the titular heroine in Agatha Raisin, a role she played from 2014 to 2022.

Alison O'Donnell as newly promoted DS Alison 'Tosh' McIntosh (Credit: BBC)

Alison O'Donnell plays DI Alison 'Tosh' McIntosh

Motherwell-born actress Alison O'Donnell joined Shetland in 2013, and it remains her only other significant TV role. She plays the newly promoted DI Alison 'Tosh' McIntosh, who is the heart of the show.

In 2019, Alison had a small role in the horror film Pet Sematary, based on the Stephen King novel. She's also popped up in one episode of TV series Feel the Force, and Holby City.

Alison's partner is Scottish playwright D.C. Jackson, with whom she has two children. The sixth series of the popular police drama was filmed soon after the arrival of her second child.

Steven Robertson has played Sandy Wilson ever since the first series of Shetland (Credit: BBC)

Shetland series 9 cast list: Steven Robertson plays DC Sandy Wilson

Actor Steven Robertson returns as DC Sandy Wilson in the ninth series of Shetland. The actor, 47, was born and bred in the Shetland Islands and has been acting since he was a teenager.

He portrayed Cuthbert Clare in the 2008 adaptation of Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and Crowley in 2012's Bletchley Circle. Steven played Dominic Rook in Being Human, Terrence in Utopia, Robert Oswald in Harlots, and Pritchard in Doctor Who.

In 2022, he starred as Mark Bradwell in The Bay.

Anne Kid as pathologist Cora McLean in Shetland (Credit: BBC)

Anne Kidd plays Cora McLean

Actress Anne Kidd plays Cora McLean, the one-woman forensic team who works alongside the Shetland police force. She has had a long career across TV and film which started in 1967!

In 1979, she starred in the film The Legend of King Arthur as Igrayne. Anne has also had small roles in Outlander, One of Us, Doctors and Victoria.

She's popped up in Coronation Street, Taggart, Monarch of the Glen, and Doctors.

Actor Ian Hart joins the cast of Shetland series 9 (Credit: BBC)

Shetland series 9 cast list: Ian Hart plays Professor Rossi

Ian Hart will be playing suspect Professor Rossi. The guest star, who looks ridiculously good for 60, joins the cast as experienced Oxford University Professor of Mathematics, Euan Rossi. He arrives on Shetland after discovering his former student, Annie Bett, has gone missing.

On the surface, he comes across as genuinely concerned, but it quickly becomes clear there's more to Professor Rossi than meets the eye...

Of course, Harry Potter fans will know the actor as Professor Quirrell, but his recent TV roles include Bob Rutherford in Mr Bates vs. The Post Office, William Lee in The Mosquito Coast, and drug thug Carl Sweeney in The Responder.

Liverpool-born Ian is also known for playing Michael Ryan in Tin Star, Father Beocca in The Last Kingdom, Thomas Blanky in The Terror, and Callum & Jude's Father in Noughts + Crosses.

Between 2013 and 2015, he portrayed Dr Kester Gill in the hit teen series My Mad Fat Diary. he famously played John Lennon in the 1994 film Backbeat, about the early life of The Beatles.

Actor Vincent Regan as John Harris in Shetland (Credit: BBC)

Vincent Regan stars as John Harris

Welsh actor Vincent Regan also joins the cast of Shetland series 9. He guest stars as old school Shetlander John Harris, an upstanding, moral and stoic recently-widowed mussel farmer.

TV fans will remember Vincent as Ray, the partner of bereaved mum Mariam, in the most recent series of The Bay. More recently, he's played Ser Rickard Thorne in House of the Dragon, and Garp in One Piece.

Vincent, 59, is also known for playing villain Phil MacAfee in Traces, and Billy Murdoch in Before We Die.

He's also played Tony in Flesh and Blood, Ned Despard in Poldark, and King Simon in The Royals.

Vincent has appeared in dozens of films, too, including the fleshy 300, Luther: The Fallen Son, Snow White and the Huntsman, Troy, Clash of the Titans and Resurrection.

Most recently, he appeared as Atlan in the blockbuster sequel Aquaman 2.

Angus Miller as Tosh's partner Donnie in Shetland series 9 (Credit: BBC)

Shetland series 8 cast: Angus Miller plays Donnie

Actor Angus Miller plays Donnie, Tosh's partner and the father of her child. Although not a huge character, he's been in the series ever since series 5 in 2019.

His best-known role before Shetland was on CBeebies Teacup Travels, so a lot of parents might recognise him. Angus also popped up on BBC series Guilt in 2019, opposite former Shetland actor Mark Bonnar.

More recently, he appeared in the 2023 BBC series The Gold as Shuggie, and played Carl in the short film Natural Causes.

Actor Steven Miller as Ruth's brother, Reverend Alan Calder (Credit: BBC)

Steven Miller as Reverend Alan Calder

Scottish actor Steven Miller, 42, portrays DI Ruth Calder's brother Rev Alan Calder in Shetland series 9. Casualty fans will recognise him as Lenny Lyons, a role he played from 2009 to 2016.

His first TV role was as Young Scrooge in the TV movie A Christmas Carol: The Musical in 2004. He's also popped up in The Bill, Holby City, Coming Up, Father Brown, and Silent Witness.

In 2019, he portrayed Andy Jarvis in Traces, and more recently played a young Lenny in The Walk-In. Steven also portrayed DS Rob Livingston in ITV's crime drama Payback!

Nathalie Merchant as Karin Jakobsen, Ines Asserson as Astrid Jackson, and Johannes Lassen as Stefan Jakobson (Credit: BBC)

Who else is in the cast of Shetland series 9?

Scottish actor Ross Anderson portrays Patrick Harris, the son of mussel farmer John. He's perhaps best known for playing Ewan MaClure in Granite Harbour, and Domnal in The Last Kingdom. He also portrayed Douglas Stewart in Des, and played a policeman in Three Girls.

Macleod Stephen portrays Patrick's brother Fergus Harris. This TV role is his second, having previously played Pierce in Granite Harbour (albeit a different series to his onscreen bro Ross).

Most of the regular cast also returns to Shetland. Taggart actor Lewis Howden plays Sergeant Billy McCabe, a reliable and experienced member of the team.

Conor McCarry plays PC Alex Grant, who made his first appearance in series five. Some eagle-eyed viewers might have spotted Conor in the latest series of Time reunited with former Shetland star Julie Graham. He played Julie's estranged son Stephen Harkness. Conor has also portrayed Dessie Toner in The Loch.