By James Hibbs

Published: Sunday, 14 August 2022 at 12:00 am


New BBC drama Marriage starts airing this week, and it has two major stars of British film and TV front and centre.

Sean Bean and Nicola Walker star as married couple Ian and Emma, with the series charting a matter of days in their lives together as we gain an understanding the intricacies of their relationship and their decades together.

The four-part series also stars James Bolam as Emma’s father and Henry Lloyd-Hughes as her boss, but which others actors appear and who do they play?

Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of Marriage on BBC One.

Sean Bean plays Ian

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Sean Bean as Ian in Marriage.
BBC / The Forge / Rory Mulvey

Who is IanIan has been married to Emma for almost 30 years but now finds himself somewhat astray, without a job and having recently lost his mother. He and Emma return from a holiday in Spain, and he spends his days going to occasional job interviews and trying to find a new purpose.

Where have I seen Sean Bean before? Bean has appeared in many big franchises over the years, including playing Boromir in The Lord of the Rings and Ned Stark in Game of Thrones. Other film roles of Bean’s include Bond film GoldenEye and Ridley Scott’s The Martian, while he also recently starred in BBC series Time and Netflix’s Snowpiercer.

Nicola Walker plays Emma

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Nicola Walker as Emma in Marriage.
BBC / The Forge / Rory Mulvey

Who is EmmaEmma has been married to Ian for almost 30 years and is successful at the firm of solicitors where she works. She has a strong relationship with her husband, but sees he is starting to struggle without the purpose of work. She also has to contend with her demanding father and sleazy younger boss Jamie.

Where have I seen Nicola Walker before? Walker has had many high profile roles over the years which have brought no small amount of acclaim, including in series Unforgotten, The Split, Last Tango in Halifax, Annika, Spooks, Inside No 9 and many more.

James Bolam plays Gerry

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James Bolam as Gerry in Marriage.
BBC / The Forge / Rory Mulvey

Who is GerryGerry is Emma’s father who she visits regularly.

Where have I seen James Bolam before? Bolam has had a long and successful career, but is perhaps best known to younger audiences for his role as Jack Halford in New Tricks. He is also known for The Likely Lads, When The Boat Comes In and Born and Bred, while his other recent roles include Grandpa in Grandpa in My Pocket and Harry Matthews in Cold Feet.

Henry Lloyd-Hughes plays Jamie

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Henry Lloyd-Hughes as Jamie in Marriage.
BBC / The Forge / Rory Mulvey

Who is JamieJamie is Emma’s boss at the firm of solicitors where she works. He inherited the firm from his father and presents himself as a high-flyer.

Where have I seen Henry Lloyd-Hughes before? Lloyd-Hughes is perhaps best known for his role as Mark Donovan in The Inbetweeners, but has also appeared in Killing Eve, The English Game, The Irregulars and Ragdoll amongst other series and films.

Chantelle Alle plays Jessica

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Chantelle Alle as Jessica in Marriage.
BBC / The Forge / Rory Mulvey

Who is JessicaJessica is Ian and Emma’s 22-year-old adopted daughter who is trying to make it as a singer-songwriter. She has a strong relationship with Emma but at times struggles to connect with Ian.

Where have I seen Chantelle Alle before? Alle has so far had roles in the series Mood, We Are Lady Parts and Vera.

Jack Holden plays Adam

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Jack Holden as Adam with Chantelle Alle as Jessica in Marriage.
BBC / The Forge / Rory Mulvey

Who is AdamAdam is Jessica’s new boyfriend who Emma and Ian are yet to meet at the start of the series.

Where have I seen Jack Holden before? Holden recently appeared as Kevin in Ten Percent, and has also appeared in Traitors, Lewis and the Asa Butterfield film Journey’s End.

Marriage will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday 14th August at 9pm. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.

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