Strike - The Ink Black Heart: Who plays who in the cast of Robert Galbraith adaptation
By Helen Fear | Tue Dec 10 2024Strike - The Ink Black Heart is the latest Robert Galbraith book to be adapted for BBC One, with actors Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger leading the cast.
The pair return as private investigators Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott in the sixth series of Strike, based on the bestselling novels by JK Rowling writing under her male pseudonym.
The four-part series - which starts on Monday, December 16, 2024 at 9pm - begins shortly after the previous tale, Troubled Blood, ended. The mystery follows Cormoran and Robin Ellacott as they are drawn into a complex case involving a murdered cartoon co-creator.
And, like series 5, there's a fair faces you'll recognise. So who is in the cast of Strike - The Ink Black Heart on BBC One? Here's everything you need to know.
Strike - The Ink Black Heart cast list: Tom Burke stars as Cormoran Strike
London-born actor Tom Burke, 43, returns as private investigator Tom Burke in the cast of Strike series 6, aka The Ink Black Heart. He's played the former soldier, now an amputee, ever since the first series in 2017.
Tom - the son of fellow actors David Burke and Anna Calder-Marshall - is known for his work across film, theatre, and TV. He's been on our screens since 1999, when he played Gavin Kirkdale in an epsode of Dangerfield. He was just 18 at the time.
In 2003, he won his first huge TV role, playing Syd in the cast of political thriller State of Play, opposite James McAvoy, and David Morrissey. Tom went on to play Paul in All About George, Bentley Drummle in Great Expectations, and Bill Kendall in the brilliant Abi Morgan drama The Hour.
The actor is also famous for playing Dennis Rebrov in The Lazarus Project, Athos in The Musketeers, and Fedya Dolokhov in War & Peace.
Tom has been in multiple films including Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, The Wonder, Living, True Things, Mank, and Only God Forgives.
Holliday Grainger stars as Robin Ellacott
Holliday Grainger returns as private investigator Robin Ellacott, sidekick and love interest for Cormoran.
Manchester-born Holliday, 36 - who has two children with actor partner Harry Treadaway - was probably best known for playing Megan Boothe in Where the Heart Is before winning the role in Strike. In the family drama, she was just 15 when she starred opposite Black Doves actress Sarah Lancashire.
That wasn't her first TV role, however. Holliday was a child star, having first played Harriet in the film The Missing Postman when she was just nine years old.
Other early roles include Kirsty in All Quiet on the Preston Front, Princess Kate Beckett in Roger and the Rottentrolls, and Older Lisa Bolton in Sparkhouse.
She's also popped up as Stacey Appleyard in Waterloo Road, Nicola Bennet in Waking the Dead, and Ruby in Demons.
Between 2011 and 2013, Holliday played Lucrezia Borgia in The Borgias, before playing DCI Rachel Carey in The Capture series 1 and 2. She's also been in dozens of films, including Animals, Tell It to the Bees, My Cousin Rachel, and Lady Chatterley's Lover.
Ruth Sheen stars as Pat Chauncey
Actress Ruth Sheen returns as Pat, Strike's office manager, a role she first played in 2022's series 5 entitled Troubled Blood. The London-born star of TV, movies and theatre is perhaps most famous for her multiple appearances in the films of Mike Leigh.
She played the female lead in 1988's High Hopes, as well as appearing in All or Nothing (2002), Vera Drake (2004), Another Year (2010), and Mr. Turner (2014). Ruth also starred in the 1996 Mike Leigh film Secrets & Lies, opposite Vera legend Brenda Blethyn.
Seventy-three-year-old Ruth has been on our screens for nearly four decades. Notable TV roles include Alice in Holding On, Nanny Simmons in Berkeley Square, Nurse Ethel Carr in Bramwell, and Nan in Our Girl. She's no stranger to comedy, either, having also played Maggie in Misfits, Martin's Mum in The Mimic, and Elizabeth Gadge in Inside No.9.
More recently, Ruth has played Lizzie Wilton in Unforgotten, Renee Bentley in Prime Suspect 1973, Mrs. Beechum in The Nevers, and Kath in Brassic.
Strike - The Ink Black Heart cast list: Jack Greenlees plays Sam Barclay
Another returning cast member is Jack Greenlees, who reprises his role of Sam Barclay. He first appeared in the 2020 series of Strike - Lethal White.
Sam is a former army rifleman from Glasgow who Cormoran hires as a subcontractor...
Scottish actor Jack Greenlees is perhaps best known for playing Craig Cooper in Shetland series 3. He's also famous for portraying Justin Marecroft in Suspects, Norrie Murston in Stonemouth, Lieutenant Harper in My Mother and Other Strangers, and DS McLeod in In Plain Sight.
In 2017, he portrayed Abu Ibrahim Al-Brittani in The State, before going on to play Xavier Kemp in London Kills, and Justice Stuart Knox in Harlots.
Other notable roles include Paul Mann in The Trial of Christine Keeler, opposite Playing Nice actor James Norton, Luke Richmond in Deadwater Fell, Douglas MacKinnon in The Swarm.
More recently, he's starred as Aaron Morris in the ITV thriller Payback, David in The Veil, and Tom in Joan.
Charlotte is played by Natasha O'Keeffe
Brighton-born actress Natasha O'Keeffe reprises her role as Charlotte in the cast of Strike - The Ink Black Heart on BBC One and iPlayer.
Natasha, 38, first played the role of Charlotte Campbell in the first series of Strike in 2017, based on The Cuckoo's Calling. Charlotte was Cormoran Strike's long-term girlfriend, on and "mostly off" for 16 years. Now married to Jago Ross, she's known as Charlotte Ross.
Actress Natasha is best known for playing Tommy Shelby's wife Lizzie Stark in Peaky Blinders, a role she played from 2013 to 2022.
She first came to fame portraying Sadie Anderson in Lip Service in 2010, before she went on to play Abbey Smith in the brilliant comedy Misfits. In 2015, she portrayed Kirsty Wilkinson in drama The Last Panthers.
Other notable roles include Fedora in Jekyll and Hyde, Agnes Moore in Resistance, Chloe Myerscough in Temple, and Emma Grieves in Intergalactic. More recently, she's played Selene in series 2 of fantasy drama Wheel of Time.
James Nelson-Joyce portrays Pez Pierce
Liverpool-born actor James Nelson-Joyce, 35, joins the cast of Strike - The Ink Black Heart as Pez Pierce, a womanising artist.
James is perhaps most famous for playing Liam in Mount Pleasant, and Spider in The Outlaws. However, Time fans may shudder at the recollection of him playing vile bully Johnno in the first series in 2021.
Other notable roles include Degsy in Cilla, James Yates in Little Boy Blue opposite Unforgotten's Sinéad Keenan, Aaron Holmes in Innocent, and Greg Gallagher in The Responder.
More recently, he's played Jamie Henson in Industry, Greg in The Family Pile, Brian Reader in The Gold, and Barney in A Town Called Malice. He'll soon appear as Treacle Goodson in the upcoming Stephen Graham drama A Thousand Blows, from the creator of Peaky Blinders.
James has been in multiple films, including The Nest, The Sound of Philadelphia, The Covenant, The Trap, and Bird.
Strike - The Ink Black Heart cast list: Emma Fielding stars as Katya Upcott
Actress Emma Fielding joins the cast as Katya Upcott, Josh's agent and Edie's former agent.
Yorkshire-born Emma, 54, has a long history of TV, film and theatre roles, and has been on our screens for more than three decades.
From Shakespeare on stage, to playing Ted Murray's daughter Judith Thompson in BBC soap EastEnders, Emma is perhaps best known for playing Julia Dahlman in Van der Valk between 2020 and 2024.
Early roles include Elizabeth in Drovers' Gold, Beatrice Dempsey in Big Bad World, and Carole McKay in The Ghost Squad. More recently, she's voiced Faith in The Archers, Lady Montrose in Sanditon, and Marion Goddard in Death in Paradise.
Other notable roles include Nicolette in Les Misérables, Amy Hollis in Unforgotten, Sally Vaughan in Silent Witness, and Miss Clarkson in Close to the Enemy.
Actor David Westhead is Grant Ledwell
Cambridgeshire-born actor David Westhead, 61, joins the cast of Strike - The Ink Black Heart as Grant Ledwell, Edie Ledwell's uncle.
David will be well known to TV viewers, having been on our screens for nearly 40 years. He is arguably best known for his comedic role as Neil Reid in W1A.
However, David has also played the Prime Minister in Bodyguard, DI Bob Cherry in Silent Witness, and Brian Middleton in Life Begins.
His career as a jobbing actor has seen him appear in the likes of Endeavour, DCI Banks, Lewis, New Tricks, Doctor Who, and Poirot.
Other notable roles include Frank in The Silence, Tony Philips in Murderland, Barry Coulter in Criminal Justice, Dave in The Time of Your Life, and DCI Alan Kendall in McCready and Daughter.
TV viewers might also recognise him as Nick Costello in Grafters, a bittersweet drama about dysfunctional brothers. Another great role was playing Arthur Thwaite in gritty drama The Lakes.
His films roles include playing Bertie, Prince of Wales, in Mrs Brown, Edward Carson in Wilde, and Labour Shadow Minister in The Iron Lady. More recently, he played Henry Lyon in Enola Holmes 2.
Kevin Bishop portrays Wally Cardew
Actor and comedian Kevin Bishop, 44, plays it straight as Wall Cardew in Strike series 6. Best known as a funny man, he made him name with his own sketch show The Kevin Bishop Show between 2008 and 2009, but he'd been around for years before that.
As a child star, Kevin played Sam Spalding in Grange Hill, before playing Jim Hawkins in the film Muppet Treasure Island in 1996. Still as a teenager, he appeared in TV series such as Silent Witness, Pie in the Sky, Dangerfield, Casualty, and The Bill.
In 2001, he played Brian in My Family, before portraying Jon in In Deep, Ollie in Peep Show, and Adam Crisp in Hotel Babylon. More comedic roles followed, and he played various roles in Star Stories, Comedy Lab, and then his own sketch show.
Between 2013 and 2014, he portrayed Richard Royce in Rebel Wilson's Super Fun Night, before popping up in Benidorm, Murder in Successville, and Tracey Ullman's Show.
Other notable roles include Fletch in the film and rebooted TV series of Porridge, Mike Moss in Beyond Paradise, and Jeffrey Tamworthy in Agatha Raisin.
Who plays Midge Greenstreet?
Tupele Dorgu plays Midge Greenstreet in the cast of Strike - The Ink Black Heart on BBC One.
Of course, Coronation Street fans will recognise Tupele as Kelly Crabtree, a role she played for six years from 2004 to 2010.
The Lancashire-born actress, 46, went on to play Dr. Barrington in Hollyoaks between 2015 and 2016. Other notable roles include Natalie Vance in Merseybeat, Keely James in Waterloo Road, Nicole Jones in The Case, and Cheryl in Alma's Not Normal.
More recently, Tupele has portrayed Donna in Ridley, Yaz in The Full Monty, and Bev Dartnall in Doctors.
Actor Christian McKay portrays Inigo Upcott
Meanwhile, Christian McKay, 50, portrays Inigo Upcott in the cast of Strike - The Ink Black Heart.
Lancashire-born Christian is perhaps best known for playing Ascanio Sforza in The Borgias, a role he played from 2011 to 2013.
Christian also portrayed Maxwell Utterson in Jekyll and Hyde, Father James Coffin in Frontier, and Mayor Samuel Blake in Warrior.
More recently, he starred as Maurice de Sevigny in Dangerous Liaisons, Franklin D Roosevelt in FDR, and Chester Arthur in Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War.
The actor also played Nicky Gordon-Lennox in recent Disney hit Rivals. His multiple film roles have included Orson Welles in Me and Orson Welles, Lord Hesketh in Rush, Mackelvore in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and Giles Newcombe in Mrs Harris Goes to Paris.
Who else is in the cast of Strike - The Ink Black Heart?
Caitlin Innes Edwards stars as Isla, a role she first played in 2018's The Silkworm, before returning in Career of Evil. She's also known for playing Hannah in Black Mirror episode Smithereens (one of the best), Grant in Hanna, and Phoebe Wells in Silo.
Stephen Hagan is DCI Richard Murphy. His other roles include playing Ryan Hathaway in The Cut, David Canning in Injustice, Rich Clayton in Lucky Man, and Tom Fisher in The Larkins. He's also portrayed DC Alistair Quinn in Hope Street since 2022.
Luke Norris plays Phillip Ormond. He is most definitely best known for playing Dwight Enys in Poldark between 2015 and 2019.
Pip Carter stars as Jago Ross. He has played Matt Baker in Party Animals, Judge Jeffries in New Worlds, Aubrey Lewis in Industry, and Sir Geoffrey Pole in Wolf Hall.
Newcomer Jacob Abraham stars as Josh Blay.
Ewan Bailey stars as Nils De Jung. He's been acting for 30 years, and is probably best known for playing Donnie in Honest, Andrew Reynolds in Sexy Murder, and DCI Holloway in ITV thriller The Sister.
A Small Light actress Liza Sadovy plays Mariam.
Eloise Thomas portrays Lia. She recently starred as Sheri Gillard in True Detective, Jimmy Savile victim Darien in The Reckoning, Izzy Metcalf in The Bay, and Teenage Becky in Chloe.
Theatre actor Jack Trueman stars as Oliver Peach in his first TV role.
Steve the Intern star Yong Kim is Seo Hyun.
Badria Timimi plays Angela Darwish. She's known for portraying Layla Darwish in Doctors, Dr Sandra Vole in EastEnders, and Sara Mahmoud in Unforgotten. Badria also starred as Dr. Bahil in Our Girls.
Alex Rider actor Joseph Mydell stars as Richard Elgar.
Ben Caplan portrays Allan Yeoman. He's best known for playing copper Peter Noakes in Call the Midwife.
Holby City's Matt Rawle stars as Groomer.
Newcomer Madeleine Akua portrays Legs.
Ellise Chappell portrays Kea Niven. She's perhaps best known for playing Mona in Young Wallander, and Morwenna Chynoweth in Poldark.
Newcomer Kitty Reed stars as Yasmin Weatherhead.
Grantchester's Jack Donoghue portrays Gus Upcott.
There She Goes young actress Maya Kelly is Flavia Upcott.
John Waite stars as Tour Guide.
The Essex Serpent's Rebecca Ineson is an IBH Fan. And, if you think the name sounds familiar, you're right - Rebecca is the daughter of Ludwig actor Ralph.
Lastly, former EastEnders legend Sue Tully returns to direct Strike – The Ink Black Heart. It's her third time working on the series. Vigil writer Tom Edge adapted the novel for TV.
Strike - The Ink Black Heart full cast list:
Tom Burke stars as Cormoran Strike.
Holliday Grainger is Robin Ellacott.
Ruth Sheen stars as Pat Chauncey.
Kevin Bishop portrays Wally Cardew.
Tupele Dorgu plays Midge Greenstreet.
Emma Fielding stars as Katya Upcott.
Jack Greenlees plays Sam Barclay.
James Nelson-Joyce portrays Pez Pierce.
David Westhead is Grant Ledwell.
Stephen Hagan is DCI Richard Murphy.
Luke Norris plays Phillip Ormond.
Jacob Abraham is Josh Blay.
Caitlin Innes Edwards plays Ilsa.
Ewan Bailey stars as Nils De Jung.
Liza Sadovy plays Mariam.
Eloise Thomas portrays Lia.
Jack Trueman stars as Oliver Peach.
Yong Kim is Seo Hyun.
Badria Timimi plays Angela Darwish.
Joseph Mydell stars as Richard Elgar.
Ben Caplan portrays Allan Yeoman.
Matt Rawle stars as Groomer.
Madeleine Akua portrays Legs.
Christian McKay is Inigo Upcott.
Natasha O'Keeffe plays Charlotte Ross.
Ellise Chappell portrays Kea Niven.
Kitty Reed stars as Yasmin Weatherhead.
Jack Donoghue portrays Gus Upcott.
Maya Kelly is Flavia Upcott.
John Waite stars as Tour Guide.
Rebecca Ineson is an IBH Fan.
