As well as Christmas specials of Call the Midwife and Death in Paradise, there has been one highlight on the BBC One schedule that’s set to bring all the festive cheer.
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse is an adaptation of Charlie Mackesy’s bestselling novel and the short film airs this Christmas Eve on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
But as well as being a heartwarming tale of unlikely friendship, the BBC special also boasts a stellar cast of voices. Who stars in the new animation? Well, read on to find out more about the voices behind the characters in The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse.
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse cast
Idris Elba voices the fox
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Who is the fox? Described as ‘wary’, we can expect the fox to be far from the archetypal sneaky kind of fox in TV and film.
What else has Idris Elba been in? The well-known actor is perhaps best known for his leading roles in The Wire and Luther, as well as playing the role of Heimdall in Marvel‘s Thor films, as well as Avengers: Age Of Ultron and Avengers: Infinity War.
Tom Hollander voices the mole
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Who is the mole? The mole is described as ‘greedy’ in the book that the new BBC film is based on and perhaps kicks off the burgeoning friendship with the most wholesome question of all with the boy: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
What else has Tom Hollander been in? Most recently, Hollander appeared in the second season of The White Lotus but has also starred in TV shows like The Ipcress File, Baptiste and Taboo, as well as films like Bohemian Rhapsody, The King’s Man and Bird Box.
Gabriel Byrne voices the horse
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Who is the horse? Perhaps the wisest of the quartet, the horse is expected to be the voice of relative reason and wisdom in the friendship group.
What else has Gabriel Byrne been in? A well-known Irish actor, producer and director, Byrne has been in a plethora of film and TV projects. He has starred in The War of the Worlds, ZeroZeroZero, as well as Lost Girls and Death of a Ladies’ Man.
Jude Coward Nicoll voices the boy
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Who is the boy? At the centre of this tale is the boy, who finds friendship in the most unlikely of places – with the mole, the horse and the fox.
What else has Jude Coward Nicoll been in? Nicoll is a newcomer so this will be his first major project and we couldn’t be more excited.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse airs on Christmas Eve at 4:55pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer – buy the original book now.
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