BBC One’s globetrotting series Around the World in 80 Days features a revolving cast of characters, as nervous explorer Phileas Fogg (David Tennant) and his companions travels across the globe and make new friends (and enemies).
Ibrahim Koma and Leonie Benesch play manservant Passepartout and journalist Abigail Fix respectively, both of whom accompany Fogg on his journey as he attempts to circumvent the world and return to London in under 80 days.
What’s more, already Around the World in 80 Days has been renewed for a second season, and will see Fogg and his team take on yet another perilous challenge to venture across the world, with the primary cast expected to return.
Read on for everything you need to know about the cast and characters in Around the World in 80 Days.
David Tennant plays Phileas Fogg
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Who is Phileas Fogg? A nervous and unlikely globetrotter, Phileas Fogg is a Victorian gentleman-turned-explorer and member of an exclusive gentlemen’s club, The Reform Club in London.
At the start of the series, he bets fellow club member Nyle Bellamy an enormous sum of money (£20,000) that he can travel around the globe in 80 days or less. He’s never travelled further than Edinburgh – but how hard can it be?
Where have I seen David Tennant before? The actor is ubiquitous on British screens, known for roles in the likes of Doctor Who (as The Twelfth Doctor), Staged, Good Omens, Broadchurch (as DI Alex Hardy), Jessica Jones (as Kilgrave), Des, Deadwater Fell, comedy W1A (as The Narrator), and the film Mary Queen of Scots.
Ibrahim Koma as Passepartout
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Who is Passepartout? A French waiter and jack-of-all-trades who masquerades as a manservant when he learns that Phileas Fogg is hiring.
Where have I seen Ibrahim Koma before? The French actor is known for roles in the likes of Sink or Swim, Mother Is Wrong, La leçon de danse, Je suis daddy and more.
Leonie Benesch as Abigail Fix
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Who is Abigail Fix? An aspiring journalist who pens the very same Daily Telegraph article that inspires Phileas Fogg to travel around the globe. When he embarks on his journey, Abigail travels with him and Passepartout in order to document their journey.
Where have I seen Leonie Benesch before? The German star (who trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London) has appeared in The Crown (as Prince Philip’s sister), Babylon Berlin, The White Ribbon, and will also star in the upcoming ecological drama The Swarm.
Peter Sullivan plays Nyle Bellamy
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Who is Nyle Bellamy? A dastardly Victorian gentleman who first bets against Phileas Fogg’s journey. He’s on the brink of bankruptcy, and determined to see Fogg fail.
Where have I seen Peter Sullivan before? He’s known for the likes of Poldark, Baptiste, MotherFatherSon, The Accident, Strike, and The Borgias.
Jason Watkins plays Bernard Fortescue
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Who is Bernard Fortescue? Editor of The Daily Telegraph, and Abigail’s doting father.
Where have I seen Jason Watkins before? International viewers will recognise Jason Watkins as Harold Wilson in Netflix royal biopic The Crown. He’s also had leading roles in recent series, including Des (as Brian Masters), McDonald & Dodds, and comedy W1A, and is also known for The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, Line of Duty, and A Very English Scandal.
Lindsay Duncan plays Jane Digby
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Who is Jane Digby? A British woman living in Egypt, having left behind her life as a member of the aristocracy.
Where have I seen Lindsay Duncan before? Duncan is known for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), About Time, Gifted, Under the Tuscan Sun, BBC One’s His Dark Materials, A Discovery of Witches, and Sherlock (as Lady Smallwood).
Giovanni Scifoni plays Niccolò Moretti
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Who is Niccolò Moretti? An Italian businessman and father who meets Fogg on a train, and is immediately suspicious of him.
Where have I seen Giovanni Scifoni before? The Italian actor is known for Leonardo (Luca Pacioli), Fear of Loving, The Best of Youth, Un caso di coscienza, and Io e mio figlio – Nuove storie per il commissario Vivaldi.
Richard Wilson plays Grayson
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Who is Grayson? Phileas Fogg’s elderly manservant, who stays behind in London when Fogg sets off on his journey.
Where have I seen Richard Wilson before? Viewers may recognise the actor as Victor Meldrew on classic sitcom One Foot in the Grave or as Gaius in the Arthurian fantasy series Merlin. He’s also known for roles in the likes of The Man Who Knew Too Little, A Passage to India, Gnomeo and Juliet, Duck Patrol, and Father Ted, among other projects.
Around the World in 80 Days will premiere on BBC One on Boxing Day, 26th December 2021 and on Masterpiece for PBS in the US on 2nd January 2022. Want to watch something sooner? Check out our full TV Guide or our Drama hub for more news and features.