Helena Bonham Carter leads the latest ITVX original.

By David Craig

Published: Thursday, 02 February 2023 at 12:00 am

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Russell T Davies is cracking open a forgotten chapter in television history for his brand new miniseries Nolly, which is a tribute to screen star Noele Gordon and her legendary soap opera Crossroads.

The story focuses primarily on a troubled period in the early ’80s, when Nolly was suddenly fired from the show, despite being arguably its most popular cast member and a force to be reckoned with behind the scenes.

The shock development made newspaper front pages and provoked an outcry from dedicated fans, who had fallen in love with motel boss Meg Mortimer over almost two decades of soap storytelling.

Helena Bonham Carter portrays Noele ‘Nolly’ Gordon in this three-part drama, which also stars Augustus Prew (The Morning Show) and Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) in key roles.

Read on for more on the Nolly cast – and how they compare to their real-life counterparts.

Helena Bonham Carter plays Noele ‘Nolly’ Gordon

Who is Noele ‘Nolly’ Gordon? When we meet her at the start of the series, Nolly is the star of ITV soap opera Crossroads, where she has played strong-willed motel owner Meg Mortimer for almost 20 years. Previously, she has had a successful career on stage and screen, which included being the first woman transmitted on colour television and becoming a pioneer of daytime programming. Adored by fans across the nation, her sudden firing in 1981 was major news that sparked quite an outcry.

What else has Helena Bonham Carter been in? Carter became known around the world for her blockbuster work, which included multiple collaborations with director Tim Burton, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd and Alice in Wonderland. She also played Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter saga and, more recently, the Fairy Godmother in Disney’s live-action Cinderella. Her other credits include The Wings of the Dove and The King’s Speech, both of which earned her Oscar nominations, as well as Netflix’s Enola Holmes films.

Augustus Prew plays Tony Adams

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Who is Tony Adams? Tony Adams is an actor who plays the role of Adam Chance, an accountant and major player at the Crossroads motel. Off-camera, he has a close friendship with Noele Gordon, being a valued support for her during the traumatic days around her sacking.

What else has Augustus Prew been in? Viewers may recognise Prew from roles in crime drama Prison Break, Apple TV+ original The Morning Show and Prime Video’s epic fantasy series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, where he plays Silvan elf Médhor. On the big screen, he has appeared in comic book sequel Kick-Ass 2 and Tom Hiddleston thriller High-Rise.

Mark Gatiss plays Larry Grayson

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Who is Larry Grayson? At the time Nolly is set, Larry Grayson is a prolific stand-up comedian known for successful TV projects, including game show The Generation Game. He is known for being very camp, with many believing him to be homosexual, although he would never comment on the accuracy of that speculation. Larry is a close friend of Nolly’s, with the two even entering a hoax engagement at one stage.

What else has Mark Gatiss been in? Gatiss rose to prominence in the ’90s as part of the League of Gentlemen comedy troupe, which also included Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. He reunited with the duo last year for an episode of their anthology series Inside No. 9. He previously worked with Russell T Davies on Doctor Who, writing and starring in several episodes, with other acting credits being Nighty Night, Game of Thrones, Wolf Hall and Good Omens. He is also known for collaborating with Steven Moffat on BBC dramas Sherlock and Dracula.

Antonia Bernath plays Jane Rossington

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Who is Jane Rossington? Jane Rossington is another Crossroads star, known for playing the role of Meg’s daughter, Jill, in the soap opera for its entire 24-year run.

What else has Antonia Bernath been in? Bernath has previously appeared in period dramas Downton Abbey and Dickensian, while she has also found work as a video game voice actor on popular titles such as Control, Hitman and Star Wars: Battlefront II.

Chloe Harris plays Susan Hanson

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Who is Susan Hanson? Susan Hanson is an actor on Crossroads, playing the role of Diane Lawton, a member of staff at the motel who began her career as a waitress and kitchen assistant. She was one of the longest-serving stars of the soap opera, debuting in 1966 and continuing all the way through to 1987, shortly before the show’s cancellation.

What else has Chloe Harris been in? Last year, Harris appeared in critically acclaimed BBC drama Sherwood, where she played the PC Kirsty Dove. Her earlier projects include BritBox’s The Ipcress File, The Spanish Princess and The Trial of Christine Keeler.

Lloyd Griffith plays Paul Henry

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Who is Paul Henry? Paul Henry is a fellow Crossroads star, known for the fan-favourite role of Benny Hawkins, a local handyman who helped keep the motel running.

What else has Lloyd Griffith been in? Griffith has previously worked with Russell T Davies, taking a small role as an estate agent on his Channel 4 drama It’s A Sin. The comedian also had a presenting role on Sky’s Soccer AM, which helped set up a recurring role on Apple TV+ football sitcom Ted Lasso. Most recently, he has appeared in Bad Education and Everyone Else Burns.

Richard Lintern plays Ronald Allen

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Who is Ronald Allen? Ronald Allen is another Crossroads actor, who played Meg’s motel business partner David Hunter on the soap opera.

What else has Richard Lintern been in? Lintern played the recurring role of Dr Thomas Chamberlain on the BBC’s long-running drama Silent Witness for six years, leaving in 2020. Since then, he has appeared in hard-hitting series Stephen and Netflix prequel Young Wallander.

Clare Foster plays Sue Lloyd

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Who is Sue Lloyd? Crossroads co-star Sue Lloyd plays Barbara Brady on the soap opera – eventual wife to David Hunter, who joined him in taking an executive role over the motel.

What else has Clare Foster been in? Foster’s other acting credits include Taboo, Sherlock, The Crown and Galavant, while she also had a recurring role of PC Millie Brown on cancelled cop show The Bill.

Emily Butcher plays Fiona Fullerton

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Who is Fiona Fullerton? Fiona Fullerton is an actor who worked with Noele Gordon after her firing from Crossroads. They co-starred in a production of the stage musical Gypsy. Fullerton would go on to become a Bond girl for 1985’s A View to a Kill, while in 2013, she competed on BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing.

What else has Emily Butcher been in? Butcher is making her screen debut with Nolly.

Con O’Neill plays Jack Barton

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Who is Jack Barton? Jack is the head writer on Crossroads. He refuses to budge on the decision to axe Nolly from the show, insisting the decision was made from above.

What else has Con O’Neill been in? O’Neill has appeared in a number of hit British shows, including Russell T Davies’s LGBTQ+ series Cucumber, factual thriller Chernobyl, Vicky McClure’s Without Sin and acclaimed BBC One drama Happy Valley. He has recently gained international attention with roles in pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death and DC Comics blockbuster The Batman.

Tim Wallers plays Charles Denton

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Who is Charles Denton? Denton is an executive for production company ATV, from whom the order reportedly came to fire Nolly from Crossroads.

What else has Tim Wallers been in? Wallers portrayed Prince Andrew in Channel 4 comedy The Windsors, while he also played House of Lords member Simon Stevens in Sky’s COVID-19 drama This England.

Max Brown plays Michael Summerton

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Who is Michael Summerton? Michael is Nolly’s agent, who has represented her for a number of years.

What else has Max Brown been in? In a meta link to Nolly, one of Brown’s earliest screen roles was on the 2001 revival of Crossroads, where he played conference manager Mark Russell. He has since appeared in The Tudors, Spooks, Beauty & The Beast and The Royals. He also had a supporting role in 2019’s Downton Abbey feature film.

Bethany Antonia plays Poppy Ngomo

ITV

Who is Poppy Ngomo? Poppy is a new addition to the cast of Crossroads, playing an adoptive daughter of Meg Mortimer named Honour. She is just starting out in her acting career and has huge admiration for Noele Gordon. Poppy is a fictional character invented for this series.

What else has Bethany Antonia been in? Antonia is a star on the rise, breaking out in the cast of Netflix’s Harlan Coben thriller Stay Close, before bagging the role of Baela Targaryen on HBO’s dark fantasy series House of the Dragon.

Nolly is available to stream free on ITVX now. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.

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