New ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office tells the tale of one of Britain’s greatest miscarriages of justice and features a stellar cast.
The star-studded cast line-up is led by BAFTA-winning actor Toby Jones (The Long Shadow) as Alan Bates, the wronged sub-postmaster who took the government to court. The series explores the formation of the Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance, which aimed to expose the Post Office’s failures.
Here is everything you need to know about the Mr Bates vs the Post Office cast.
Toby Jones is Alan Bates, former sub-postmaster and fighter for justice
English actor Toby Jones plays Alan Bates – a former sub-postmaster who helped form the Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance. Alan reported problems with software while still working as a postmaster, but his concerns were ignored.
Toby Jones, 57, needs no introduction. A well-known face in British TV, film and theatre – his credits are long and prestigious.
Most recently, Toby can be found as DCS Dennis Hoban in Yorkshire Ripper drama The Long Shadow (2023). The Detective Chief Superintendent was among the first to link the murders to a serial killer, eventually leading the investigation.
From 2014 to 2017, Toby played the role of Lance in Detectorists – which won him a BAFTA in 2018. He’d previously been nominated for playing Alfred Hitchcock in The Girl (2012) and Neil Baldwin in Marvellous (2015).
Other television roles include Sherlock (2017), The Witness for the Prosecution (2016), The Secret Agent (2016), Wayward Pines (2015-2016), Titanic (2012), Doctor Who (2010), Victoria & Albert (2001), Midsomer Murders (1999-2000) and Out of Hours (1998).
He played Marvel supervillain Arnim Zola in Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). He reprised the role for Agent Carter (2015) and Disney+ anthology series What If…? (2021). His other blockbuster roles include Claudius Smith in The Hunger Games (2012-2013), Mr. Eversoll in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018), and Basil Shaw in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023).
Other acclaimed performances include Truman Capote in Infamous (2006), lawyer Irving “Swifty” Lazar in Frost/Nixon (2008) and Gilderoy in Berberian Sound Studio (2012).
He also played Waddington in The Painted Veil (2006) and Percy in Cold War drama Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011). He portrayed Captain Mainwaring in the Dad’s Army (2016) reboot.
Toby’s also provided his services as a voice actor to some prominent characters. Most notably, he voiced house-elf Dobby in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), as well as sequel Deathly Hallow Part 1 (2010).
He received an OBE in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to drama.
Monica Dolan is Jo Hamilton, the sub-postmaster at South Warnborough
Fellow BAFTA-winner Monica Dolan portrays Jo Hamilton, another subpostmaster who is blamed during the Post Office Scandal.
Monica has something of a habit of popping up in TV dramatisations of scandals. Recently, she starred alongside Eddie Marsan as Anne Darwin in The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe (2022). Anne was the wife of John Darwin, who faked his own death in 2002.
She also starred in A Very English Scandal (2018), for which she was nominated for a BAFTA.
It wasn’t her first BAFTA nod. She’d actually already won the gong in 2011 for her role in Appropriate Adult, in which she played the infamous Rose West.
Her other major television roles include Tracey Pritchard, the Senior Communications Officer in BBC mockumentary W1A (2014-2017).
She also appeared in The Change (2023), Black Mirror (2019-2023), Vanity Fair (2018), Strike (2017), The Witness for the Prosecution (2016) and The Casual Vacancy (2015).
Her film credits include Eye in the Sky (2015), Pride (2014), The Falling (2014) and Sightseers (2012).
Julie Hesmondhalgh is Suzanne Sercombe
Lancashire-born actress Julie Hemondhalgh, 53, portrays Suzanne Sercombe, the partner of Alan Bates.
Coronation Street fans will recognise Julie in a heartbeat. She’s best known for her role as Hayley Cropper on the soap, which she played from 1998 to 2014. Hayley made history as the first transgender character in British soap, and her character’s storylines revolved around her identity and rights, her relationship with partner Roy Cropper, and their desire to have kids. Hayley passed away in 2014 in a heartbreaking “right to die” storyline, which earned Julie a National Television Award as well as three British Soap Awards.
An ally to the LGBTQ+ community, Julie also starred in Russell T. Davies‘ dramas Cucumber and Banana in 2015.
In 2016, Julie appeared in season two of Happy Valley as Amanda Wadsworth, Detective Sergeant John Wadsworth’s estranged wife. In 2017, she played Trish Winterman, the rape survivor at the centre of Broadchurch‘s third season.
She starred in The Trouble with Maggie Cole, alongside Dawn French, in 2020. That same year she also appeared in autism drama The A Word.
2021 saw her portray Nancy in the first season of The Pact. Nancy is one of four women who make a pact to not divulge their information on the death of their boss.
Since 2021, she’s been the voice of the Narrator in the rebooted The Weakest Link, hosted by comedian Romesh Ranganathan.
Lia Williams plays Post Office CEO Paula Vennells
English actress Lia Williams portrays Paula Vennells, who was in charge of the Post Office at the time of the scandal. Brought in by the government to rejuvenate the business, she is a staunch defender of the establishment.
Lia, 59, recently played the role of Wallis Simpson, the American socialite who married former monarch Edward VIII in 1936, in The Crown (2016-2022). Since 2019, she’s played Dr Cooper in His Dark Materials and DSU Gemma Garland in The Capture.
Her other TV roles include Alice Warner in miniseries Kiri (2018), alongside Sarah Lancashire. She also played Liz Tassell in the first season of Strike (2017) and Nadia Herz in The Missing (2016).
She also played Dr. Edith Montgomery, the former girlfriend of Martin Clunes‘ titular character, in season four of Doc Martin (2009).
Her earlier starring roles include romance drama Seaforth (1994) and the titular character in The Russian Bride (2001). She later starred in BBC One drama May 33rd (2004), for which her portrayal of Ella Williams received a BAFTA nomination.
Alex Jennings is James Arbuthnot
Alex Jennings, 66, portrays James Arbuthnot, the Conservative MP who supported the sub-postmasters wronged during the Post Office scandal.
Alex is best known for his role as Prince Charles in the Helen Mirren film The Queen (2006). In fact, he’s had quite a few royal-themed roles. Alex also appeared in The Crown (2016-2022) as David, Duke of Windsor, as well as playing King Leopold in ITV’s Victoria (2016-2019).
Recent TV roles include David Neal in The Undeclared War (2022) and Mr Lockhart in This Is Going to Hurt (2022).
Other roles include Gold Digger (2019), Four Weddings and a Funeral (2019), Unforgotten (2018), A Very English Scandal (2018), Silk (2011-2014), Whitechapel (2009-2010), Cranford (2007-2009), The State Within (2006), Too Much Sun (2000), Liberty! The American Revolution (1997), Ashenden (1991), Alfonso Bonzo (1990) and The Franchise Affair (1988).
His film work includes Your Christmas or Mine 1&
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