Jason Watkins leads the cast of this new thriller as Simon, a man pushed to his limits.

By Morgan Cormack

Published: Monday, 18 March 2024 at 09:00 AM


With a new week comes a brand new Channel 5 release set to keep viewers hooked right through to the end – and this time around it’s Coma, which is set to follow a man who makes a deadly split-second decision.

Jason Watkins, who was most recently seen in The Catch and Archie, is leading the cast as family man Simon, whose dangerous actions follow him through all four episodes of this series.

Joining Watkins is Claire Skinner, his McDonald & Dodds co-star, as his on-screen wife Beth, along with rising star Joe Barber as Jordan, Jonas Armstrong (After the Flood) as Jordan’s father Paul and David Bradley (Harry Potter) as grumpy neighbour Harry.

The series follows Simon after he makes an impulsive decision with regards to a troublesome local youngster, leading to some serious consequences and guilty consciences.

Keen to know more about the cast? Read on for everything you need to know about who stars in Coma.

Coma cast: Who stars in the Channel 5 drama?

Below is the main line-up for Coma on Channel 5. Read on to find out more about the cast and characters.

Jason Watkins plays Simon

Jason Watkins as Simon wearing a blue shirt and glasses, looking worried while sitting on a sofa.
Jason Watkins as Simon in Coma.
Channel 5

Who is Simon? Simon is a family man, but when it comes to confrontation and being brash, that’s far from his persona. He’s getting increasingly annoyed by a group of teenagers who seem to be bringing trouble to his neighbourhood, and one of them, Jordan, has a tense face-off with Simon.

Where have I seen Jason Watkins before? Known for countless roles on stage, in film and on television, Watkins has more recently been seen on our screens in another Channel 5 hit drama, The Catch, as well as ITV’s Archie and Wicked Little Letters. He is known for his roles in Trollied, W1A, Nativity, The Crown season 3 and McDonald & Dodds.

Claire Skinner plays Beth

Claire Skinner as Beth looking stressed while standing up and having a conversation, wearing a grey shirt in Coma.
Claire Skinner as Beth in Coma.
Channel 5

Who is Beth? Beth is Simon’s wife and works for the NHS, but together they want to move away from their increasingly dangerous area for the sake of their children.

Where have I seen Claire Skinner before? Skinner is perhaps best known for her role as matriarch Sue Brockman in Outnumbered, but is reunited with Watkins in Coma, with the pair having worked together previously on McDonald & Dodds. As well as having starred in numerous theatre productions, Skinner has also featured in Scream Street, The Chelsea Detective and Vanity Fair.

Joe Barber plays Jordan Franklin

Joe Barber as Jordan in Coma wearing a brown jacket
Joe Barber as Jordan in Coma.
Channel 5

Who is Jordan? Jordan is the leader of his group of friends, who seem to be bringing trouble to Simon and Beth’s idyllic neighbourhood. He has a fatal run-in with Simon, leading to some serious consequences for both.

Where have I seen Joe Barber before? Aside from stage roles, Coma is Barber’s first on-screen role, with the rising star set to feature in upcoming Disney Plus series Shardlake.

Jonas Armstrong plays Paul

Jonas Armstrong standing up with his arms crossed, looking sternly at something in Coma.
Jonas Armstrong as Paul in Coma.
Channel 5

Who is Paul? Paul is Jordan’s father, who is quite the dangerous, violent and oftentimes criminal figure – and is not to be messed with. But using his smarts, he’s intent on getting to the bottom of the case that involves his son.

Where have I seen Jonas Armstrong before? Armstrong is best known for playing the title role of Robin Hood in the BBC series from 2006 to 2009, but more recently is known for his roles in Boat Story, After the Flood, Strike and The Bay.

David Bradley plays Harry

David Bradley as Harry wearing a green cardigan and shirt, standing at a front door under a light and looking stressed.
David Bradley as Harry in Coma.
Channel 5

Who is Harry? Harry lives next door to Simon and Beth, and is quite the grumpy neighbour, never really seeming to say much – but he is observant.

Where have I seen David Bradley before? The well-known actor has starred in numerous productions over the years, but is best known for his roles as Argus Filch in the Harry Potter film series, as Walder Frey in Game of Thrones and in Doctor Who. More recently, he’s known for The Responder, Gangs of London and The Strain.

Kayla Meikle plays DS Kelly Evans

Kayla Meikle as DS Kelly Evans wearing a trenchcoat and shirt, standing expectantly with her hands in her pockets in Coma.
Kayla Meikle as DS Kelly Evans in Coma.
Channel 5

Who is DS Kelly Evans? Kelly is the lead officer investigating the case involving Jordan, who is keen to find out what exactly happened and who was involved.

Where have I seen Kayla Meikle before? Meikle was most recently seen in BBC’s Time season 2 as Donna Mills, as well as ITV’s Litvinenko, Medusa Deluxe and The Girl Before.