Everything you need to know about the cast of Help – Channel 4’s one-off care home drama from His Dark Materials’ Jack Thorne.

By Lauren Morris

Published: Monday, 13 September 2021 at 12:00 am

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Jodie Comer and Stephen Graham act opposite each other in Channel 4’s new drama Help – a one-off film written by His Dark Materials’ Jack Thorne.

Set in April 2020, Help stars Killing Eve’s Comer as Sarah, a young woman who gets a job at a Liverpool care home and forms a friendship with resident Tony (Graham) before the COVID-19 pandemic creates panic at Bright Sky Homes.

With the likes of Before We Die’s Lesley Sharp, Harry Potter star Ian Hart, The Royle Family’s Sue Johnston and White Lines’ Angela Griffin appearing in the two-hour film, Help is a gripping, star-studded drama that makes for a sobering watch.

Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of Help and where you might have seen them before.

Jodie Comer as Sarah

Who is Sarah? Sarah is a young woman who’d always been told she’d amount to nothing, but finds a job at Bright Sky Homes, a care home in Liverpool. Despite spending her teenage years in and out of Pupil Referral Units, Sarah finds that she’s a valued employee at Bright Sky with the power to make the residents’ lives better.

Where have I seen Jodie Comer before? Emmy and BAFTA-winning actor Jodie Comer is best known for starring as Villanelle in BBC drama Killing Eve, Chloe Gemell in My Mad Fat Diary and Kate Parks in Doctor Foster. She recently appeared in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Free Guy opposite Ryan Reynolds.

Stephen Graham as Tony

Who is Tony? Tony is a middle-aged man with Early Onset Alzheimer’s and a resident at Bright Sky Homes. Tony has no family left following the death of his overbearing mother and forms a friendship with new care worker Sarah.

Where have I seen Stephen Graham before? Stephen Graham is best known for starring in the This Is England film series, Guy Ritchie’s Snatch, Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York and 2019’s The Irishman. As for TV, Graham has appeared in Line of Duty, Save Me, Boardwalk Empire, White House Farm and Code 404. He’s set to star in the upcoming new series of Peaky Blinders.

Ian Hart as Steve

Who is Steve? Steve is the manager and owner of Bright Sky Care Home, which he inherited from his late mother.

Where have I seen Ian Hart before? Hart is best known for starring as Professor Quirrell in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and has appeared in My Mad Fat Diary, The Last Kingdom and Noughts + Crosses. He recently appeared in Tin Star, Urban Myths, Escape from Pretoria, Mary Queen of Scots and God’s Own Country.

Sue Johnston as Gloria

Who is Gloria? Gloria is a resident at Bright Sky Care Home living with dementia.

Where have I seen Sue Johnston before? Sue Johnston is best known for playing Barbara Royle in BBC comedy The Royal Family and Grace in Waking the Dead. She’s appeared in Brookside, Coronation Street, Downton Abbey and BBC One’s Time.

Cathy Tyson as Polly

Who is Polly? Polly is a former English teacher with dementia, who still manages to recite and perform poetry despite having lost touch with reality.

Where have I seen Cathy Tyson before? Cathy Tyson has appeared in Night & Day, Grange Hill, Doctors, The Sandman, CBBC’s JoJo & Gran Gran and McDonald & Dodds.

Angela Griffin as Tori

Who is Tori? Tori is a care assistant at Bright Sky who cares deeply for the residents and isn’t as by the book as her manager Tim.

Where have I seen Angela Griffin before? Angela Griffin is best known for playing Fiona Middleton on Coronation Street and Jasmine Hopkins in Holby City. She’s since appeared in Cutting It, Waterloo Road, Postman Pat, Lewis, Midsomer Murders, Harlots, Turn Up Charlie and more recently, White Lines.

Lesley Sharp as Gaynor

Who is Gaynor? Gaynor is Sarah’s mum, who loves her daughter but doesn’t defend her from Bob, her overbearing husband.

Where have I seen Lesley Sharp before? Lesley Sharp is best known for appearing in The Full Monty, Rita, Clocking Off, Bob & Rose and Vera Drake. She starred as Janet Scott in ITV’s Scott & Bailey, and more recently Three Girls, Fate: The Winx Saga and Channel 4 drama Before We Die.

Andrew Schofield as Bob

Who is Bob? Bob is Sarah’s father, the alpha male of the Berner family. Due to chronic back problems, the working class Liverpudlian has been out of work and has been particularly harsh to Sarah since she was a teenager.

Where have I seen Andrew Schofield before? Andrew Schofield is best known for starring as the Narrator in the original production of Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers and has since appeared in Scully, Coronation Street, Maisie Raine, Sharpe, Murphy’s Law and Liverpool Nativity.

Arthur Hughes as Tim

Who is Tim? Tim is a senior care assistant at Bright Sky.

Where have I seen Arthur Hughes before? Arthur Hughes has appeared in The Innocents and voiced Ruairi Donovan in BBC Radio 4’s The Archers.

Steve Garti as Kenny

Who is Kenny? Kenny is a Liverpudlian resident at Bright Sky in his 70s. He’s best friends with Tony and is often visited by his son.

Where have I seen Steve Garti before? Steve Garti has appeared in The Pursuit of Love, Brassic, Ackley Bridge, Informer, Scott & Bailey, In the Flesh, Coronation Street, Heartbeat and Emmerdale.

David Hayman as Hercules

Who is Hercules? Hercules is an older man living at Bright Sky with dementia.

Where have I seen David Hayman before? David Hayman has appeared in Trial & Retribution, Taboo, The Nest, New Tricks and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.

Ellis Howard as Robbie

Who is Robbie? Robbie is Sarah’s rude, entitled younger brother.

Where have I seen Ellis Howard before? Howard appeared in Sky Arts’ Romeo & Juliet and Catherine the Great.

Help airs on Thursday 16th September at 9pm on Channel 4. Visit our Drama hub for more news and features, or find something to watch tonight with our TV Guide.

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