Meet the cast of Maternal, ITV’s new medical drama

By Morgan Cormack

Published: Friday, 06 January 2023 at 12:00 am

Telling the stories of three women in post-pandemic frontline medicine, Maternal is one of ITV’s upcoming dramas that will surely grab everyone’s attention.

Not only will it focus on the trials and tribulations of working in the NHS, it also tackles themes of motherhood and female friendship. And, of course, boasts a cast of familiar faces that include Parminder Nagra, Lara Pulver and Lisa McGrillis. But who else stars in the new medical drama and where have we seen them before?

Read on for everything you need to know about the cast and characters of ITV’s Maternal.

Maternal cast

Parminder Nagra plays Dr Maryam Afridi

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The main cast of ITV’s Maternal.
ITV

Who is Dr Maryam Afridi? As a parent to two children under the age of two, Maryam’s life is somewhat chaotic. She is returning to work as a paediatric registrar after two years on maternity leave and her return to City General Hospital is far from a calm one. On her return to work, Maryam is also impacted by an incident that leaves her questioning her own priorities and interests.

What else has Parminder Nagra been in? Many will likely recognise Nagra from her long running role in hit American medical drama ER and Bend It Like Beckham. She has most recently starred in ITV detective drama DI Ray, which has been renewed for a second season, as well as appearing in The Blacklist, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Intergalactic.

Lara Pulver plays Catherine MacDiarmid

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LARA PULVER as Ms Catherine Macdiarmid in ITV’s Maternal.
ITV

Who is Catherine MacDiarmid? Catherine is returning to life in surgery after an unexpected pregnancy and the birth of her daughter Ellis. She is a woman striving for success on her own terms, even though her father was once a revered surgeon also. She is the picture-perfect ideal of working motherhood but what drastic measures will she take to retain it?

What else has Lara Pulver been in? Pulver has been in a variety of primetime TV dramas including Spooks, Sherlock and starred in the third series of BBC legal drama The Split.

Lisa McGrillis plays Dr Helen Cavendish

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Lisa MCGRILLIS as Dr Helen Cavendish in ITV’s Maternal.
ITV

Who is Dr Helen Cavendish? Mum to three children, Helen is struggling to find work-life balance, not least because her husband, Guy, is a consultant on her very same hospital unit.

The strain on their marriage is already growing but add Guy’s recent affair with a 24-year-old colleague, and Helen has some serious choices to make about her marital future. She’s seen as the rock of her Acute Medical Unit, effectively diagnosing patients and teaching young doctors – but will she be able to hold everyone and everything together?

What else has Lisa McGrillis been in? McGrillis starred opposite Lesley Manville in BBC sitcom Mum and has also starred in Death in Paradise, No Offence, Deadwater Fell and more recently, Channel 4’s Somewhere Boy.

Raza Jaffrey plays Jack Oliviera

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Raza Jaffrey in ITV’s Maternal.
ITV

Who is Jack Oliviera? Jack is a fellow doctor in City General Hospital and one of Catherine’s love interests.

What else has Raza Jaffrey been in? Jaffrey has starred in Homeland, The Serpent Queen, Code Black and Spooks, where he met fellow Maternal co-star and real-life wife Lara Pulver. Speaking about starring together in this upcoming ITV series, Pulver said: “It was wonderful. I did say to him, ‘At what point do you think this is going to be weird?’ It wasn’t remotely. I guess that’s a testament to him as an actor.

“Also, it served the story because Catherine and Jack needed to have that history, so for us to have that intimacy onscreen wasn’t a problem.”

Oliver Chris plays Guy Cavendish

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LISA MCGRILLIS as Helen Cavendish, JENNIFER DIXON as Tessa Joseph, CHERYL MACKIE as Mrs William and OLIVER CHRIS as Guy Cavendish.
ITV

Who is Guy Cavendish? Guy is a consultant on the Acute Medical Unit alongside wife Helen. He’s also recently had an affair with his 24-year-old colleague, which has resulted in the Cavendish’s marriage reaching an all-time low.

What else has Oliver Chris been in? Motherland fans will recognise Chris as Julia’s almost non-existent husband Paul. He has also starred in Apple TV+’s Trying, The Crown, A Very British Scandal and Silent Witness.