The erotic thriller stars Richard Armitage and Charlie Murphy, but who else joins them in the cast?
Netflix’s latest thriller offering, Obsession, turns the format on its head in this intense four-parter all about relationships, love triangles and sensual affairs.
With a cast led by Richard Armitage and Charlie Murphy as William and Anna respectively, the drama also boasts familiar faces like The Capture‘s Indira Varma and Ms Marvel‘s Rish Shah.
A modern adaptation of Josephine Hart’s 1991 novella Damage, this new series follows William as a respected surgeon who upends his life in an affair with his son’s fiancée, Anna. He’s drawn into an obsessive spiral towards Anna but as their secret threatens to come out, how long will they be able to keep their dalliances under wraps?
Who else stars in the drama alongside Armitage and Murphy and where have you seen them before? Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of Obsession.
Obsession cast: who stars in the Netflix series?
Here are the main cast members and characters in Obsession. Read on below for more information about who they are and where you’ve seen the actors before.
- Richard Armitage as William
- Charlie Murphy as Anna
- Rish Shah as Jay
- Indira Varma as Ingrid
- Pippa Bennett-Warner as Peggy
- Sonera Angel as Sally Farrow
- Anil Goutam as Edward
- Marion Bailey as Elizabeth
Richard Armitage as William Farrow
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Who is William Farrow? William is a successful surgeon, father and husband to Ingrid. Everything seems to be going brilliantly in his life – he’s got a high-flying career, a father-in-law in parliament, a successful wife and a lovely family but something is missing. At least, he realises it is when he comes across Anna, his son’s fiancée, and soon gets wrapped up in his obsession with her.
Speaking to Netflix about the new role, Armitage says of William: “I was fascinated by the psychology of what leads a very successful man, with a really good marriage, a great family and, really, nothing wrong in his life, to risk everything… He’s reached a point of thinking, ‘Is this all there is? What now? Is my life over?’ He deliberately shatters everything to feel something.”
Where have I seen Richard Armitage before? Armitage is known for his various roles in television and film, most notably in The Hobbit, North & South, The Crucible, Hannibal, Spooks, Strike Back, and Robin Hood. Of course, Armitage will be recognisable to many Netflix thriller fans as he has starred in two of Harlan Coben’s adaptations, including The Stranger and Stay Close.
Charlie Murphy as Anna Barton
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Who is Anna Barton? Anna works for the foreign office and one night at a parliamentary event, locks eyes with William for the first time. Sparks fly and soon, they realise their connection to each other: that Anna is the mysterious girlfriend that William’s son Jay has been excitedly talking about.
Hiding a complicated past of her own, Anna embarks on an affair with William but also loves Jay – will she have to decide between the two? Speaking about the role, Murphy said: “It was the most dynamic and fun role I could ever have imagined.
“On the one hand, she’s desperately looking for normality to anchor and heal her and that’s what she gets from Jay, but the destructive side seeks out danger and annihilation and that’s what William represents.”
Where have I seen Charlie Murphy before? The Irish actress is perhaps best known for her roles as Jessie Eden in Peaky Blinders and her moving portrayal as Ann Gallagher in BBC’s Happy Valley, a role she held throughout all three seasons. She has also starred in 2022 thriller Deadline, Halo and The Capture season 2.
Rish Shah as Jay Farrow
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Who is Jay Farrow? William and Ingrid’s son, Jay is a junior doctor following in his father’s major career footsteps. He seeks his father’s approval and validation, but his focus is centred on his latest obsession: Anna. She’s older, exciting and soon, Jay is completely in love with her, unknowing of her and his father’s secret.
Where have I seen Rish Shah before? Shah had his breakout role in Ms Marvel as super-powered teenager Kamran but has also more recently starred in Netflix’s Do Revenge and Riz Ahmed’s The Long Goodbye. He has also appeared in British soaps like Emmerdale, Casualty and Doctors.
Indira Varma as Ingrid Farrow
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Who is Ingrid Farrow? Ingrid is William’s wife and is in a high-flying career of her own as a barrister. She’s intrigued by Anna, who Jay happily brings home to meet his parents one weekend and only wants the best for her children.
Speaking about avoiding cliches in her role as Ingrid, Varma revealed: “Ingrid isn’t the wife that’s 14 being traded in for a younger model. Just look at the clothes that costume designer, Keith Madden and I felt the character should wear… We wanted her to still be attractive, and hip, and a sexual being. We wanted to avoid all the usual cliches.”
Where have I seen Indira Varma before? This certainly isn’t the first strong character Varma has played, with past roles of hers including Elaria Sand in Game of Thrones, Zoe Luther in Luther and more recently as Khadija Khan in The Capture season 2. She has also starred in Extrapolations, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Carnival Row and Spitting Image.
Sonera Angel as Sally Farrow
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Who is Sally Farrow? Sally is Jay’s sister and William and Ingrid’s daughter. She and her brother have a loving relationship and she takes great pleasure in teasing him about his new love interest, Anna.
Where have I seen Sonera Angel before? Angel has appeared in series such as Red Velvet Revolution, Casualty, The Third Day and short films like Without Warning, The Castle: Two Against One, and Zaara.
Pippa Bennett-Warner as Peggy
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Who is Peggy? Peggy is a friend of Anna’s and one of her only links back to her complicated past. She is Anna’s confidante and knows all about her past, but what will she think of Anna and William’s growing relationship?
Where have I seen Pippa Bennett-Warner before? Bennett-Warner has starred in various things both on stage and on the screen, including standout performances in Richard II and The Witness. As for TV, she is perhaps best known for her role as Shannon Dumani in Gangs of London, as well as in See How They Run, Chloe and Roadkill.
Obsession will stream on Netflix from Thursday 13th April. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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