Detective origin story Young Wallander has returned to Netflix for a new series – complete with a new subtitle and a couple of fresh additions to the cast.
Young Wallander: Killer’s Shadow sees Swedish actor Adam Pålsson return as the titular police officer, providing more background about the years before he became the grizzled detective we all know from the various books, series and films he’s appeared in.
Once again the impressive ensemble cast is made up largely of British actors – with former Merlin and EastEnders stars joining up for the second run.
Read on for everything you need to know about the cast, including who they are playing and where you might have seen them before.
Adam Pålsson plays Kurt Wallander
!["Adam]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2020/09/YW_201_Unit_00285-897a4a5.jpeg?quality=90&resize=619%2C413" "\"YOUNG")
Who is Kurt Wallander? Wallander is one of Sweden’s best known fictional detectives. The creation of author Henning Mankell, he has appeared in numerous TV shows – including a BBC series starring Kenneth Branagh. This series, as the title suggest, finds his younger than in previous incarnations, fresh-faced and relatively optimistic having just qualified as a cop. In the first season he became involved in a major case that led sets him on a path to becoming the more world-weary version of the character we are more familiar with. He has another new case to deal with in season two, despite coming close to quitting the force.
When he was first cast in the role, Adam Pålsson said: “I couldn’t be more honoured and thrilled to have the opportunity to play the young Kurt Wallander, and to explore the defining events in the life of this complex, driven protagonist, created by the brilliant Henning Mankell. With a terrific cast and creative team, I have every confidence that our new version will resonate both in Sweden and with audiences worldwide.”
What else has Adam Pålsson been in? Swedish actor Pålsson might be recognisable to fans of The Bridge – he had a recurring role as art gallery guide Emil Larsson in the third season of the crime drama. Other screen roles include playing one of the leads in three-part Swedish series Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves, and the main role in Ted: För kärlekens skull, a Swedish music biopic released in 2018. He has also worked extensively in Sweden, including writing and performing his own version of Hamlet.
Leanne Best plays Frida Rask
!["YOUNG]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2020/09/YW_202_Unit_01146_R-ceee982.jpeg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"YOUNG")
Who is Frida Rask? Frida is one of Wallander’s superiors, and can have a no-nonsense approach to Wallander’s occasional maverick tendencies – but also highly values his skills as a detective.
What else has Leanne Best been in? Best has appeared in a number of popular TV shows, including supporting roles in Line of Duty, Ripper Street and Black Mirror and Cold Feet. On the big screen, she had the titular role in Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death while also being part of the cast of Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool. She’s also worked on the stage – with a highlight including appearing in the Pulitzer-Prize winning play Sweat.
Ellise Chappell plays Mona
!["YOUNG]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2020/09/YW_203_Unit_00065_R-8f685a2.jpeg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"YOUNG")
Who is Mona? When we first met her in series one, Mona was working for a charity that aims to improve conditions for Malmo’s refugee community, and she met Wallander while counter-protesting at a right-wing March. The pair originally got off on the wrong foot – but their relationship soon developed into a romantic connection. Of course, in the original Wallander books, the name of the detective’s ex-wife is… Mona.
What else has Ellise Chappell been in? Chappell will be very familiar to UK audiences, having played the major role of Morwenna in Poldark, while other appearances have included Sky’s The Last Dragonslayer and Danny Boyle and Richard Curtis’ feature film Yesterday.
Yasen Atour plays Reza
!["Yasen]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2020/09/YW_201_Unit_01648-e7ff8c2.jpeg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"YOUNG")
Who is Reza? Reza is Wallander’s partner in the Malmo police department, and has a very close friendship with his colleague. In the first season, Reza was injured and hospitalised after being attacked at a far-right march while working on a case.
What else has Yasen Atour been in? Atour recently had a key role in the second season of Thw Witcher – in which he played Coen – adding to a CV that also includes appearances in films such as Ben Hur and Robin Hood. He also has several small-screen credits including ITV dramas Dark Heart and Marcella, and Peter Kominsky’s Channel 4 miniseries The State.
Tomiwa Edun plays Superintendent Samuel Osei
!["Adetomiwa]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2020/09/YW_202_Unit_00931_R-99b76d3.jpeg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"YOUNG")
Who is Samuel Osei? Osei has replaced the murdered Superintendent Hemberg as the chief of Wallander’s division, and has a rather different approach to his predecessor – wanting procedure to be followed to the latter at all times.
What else has Tomiwa Edun been in? Edun is perhaps best known for playing Sir Elyan in BBC One’s Merlin from 2010 to 2012, while other TV credits include recurring roles in Bates Motel, A Discovery of Witches and The Capture. He’s also known for his motion capture and voice performance as fictional footballer Alex Hunter in the hugely popular FIFA games.
Lisa Hammond plays Roberta Modin
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Who is Roberta Modin? Little has been revealed about this character prior to the launch of season two.
What else has Lisa Hammond been in? Hammond is best known for her role as Donna Yates in EastEnders, who she played for four years between 2014 and 2018. Other key roles have been Kerry in Psychoville, Helen Milton in Vera and voicing Anna Spud in the kids TV series The Rubbish Life of Dave Spud.
The season two cast also includes Josef Davies (The King), Lewis Mackinnon (Doctors) and Kim Adis (Get Even).
Season One cast
Richard Dillane plays Superintendent Hemberg
!["Young]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2020/09/YW_106_Unit_02147-c0d5517-scaled.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Young")
Who is Superintendent Hemberg? Superintendent Hemberg is Wallander’s superior in the Malmo police force, and has a penchant for listening to opera music as he drives around – a habit that Wallander fans will know the detective himself picks up in later years.
What else has Richard Dillane been in? Highlights from Dillane’s extensive filmography include appearances in Ben Affleck’s Oscar-winning historical thriller Argo and a small role in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight as well as the multi-award-winning Australian film Oranges and Sunshine.
Among his numerous television credits are Wolf Hall, Poldark, Peaky Blinders and Giri/Haji, while his stage work includes seasons at the RSC and National Theatre.
Alan Emrys plays Gustav Munck
Who is Gustav Munck? Gustav is a member of the Munck family, one of the most wealthy families in Sweden, and has been funding a program that aims to help illegal immigrants – but Wallander suspects that he has ties to the case.
What else has Alan Emrys been in? This is one of Emrys’ most notable roles to date include, but previous credits include small roles in Johnny English Strikes Again and in an episode on anthology series On the Edge.
Jacob Collins-Levy plays Karl-Axel Munck
Who is Karl-Axel Munck? Another member of the Munck family, Karl-Axel is Gustav’s older brother and is soon to become a father.
What else has Jacob Collins-Levy been in?
Collins-Levy’s most high-profile role to date is starring as King Henry VII in the Starz miniseries The White Princess, while he has also been seen in episodes of Pure and Doctor Who, and appeared alongside George Mackay and Russel Crowe in Justin Kurzel’s recent film True History of the Kelly Gang.
Jordan Adene plays Ibra
Who is Ibra? Ibra is a promising young footballer who has been offered a professional contract at Malmo and who has developed a friendship with Wallander – but he soon emerges as a suspect in the case.
What else has Jordan Adene been in? Adene is a relative newcomer to the small screen, with previous credits including appearances on Netflix series Wanderlust and Dutch fantasy drama Heirs of the Night.