{"id":30307,"date":"2023-02-21T15:30:51","date_gmt":"2023-02-21T14:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1789142"},"modified":"2023-02-21T16:48:09","modified_gmt":"2023-02-21T15:48:09","slug":"desperate-measures-cast-meet-the-stars-of-the-channel-5-thriller","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/desperate-measures-cast-meet-the-stars-of-the-channel-5-thriller\/","title":{"rendered":"Desperate Measures cast: Meet the stars of the Channel 5 thriller"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everything you need to know. <\/p>

By Abby Robinson\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 21 February 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

The newest addition to Channel 5\u2019s rapidly expanding drama slate is Desperate Measures<\/a>, a four-parter that\u2019s guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.<\/p>\n

Amanda Abbington leads the cast of veterans and newcomers as Rowan Taylor, a woman whose world is turned upside down when her son finds himself on the radar of a local gangster.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a really compelling, exciting series and a good story to watch, but it\u2019s really about a mother\u2019s love and I hope that\u2019s what people take away from it,\u201d said Abbington.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about what she\u2019ll do for her child and whether she gets away with it or not, and it\u2019s up to the audience to draw their own moral conclusions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf people go away talking about that, then I\u2019ll be very happy.\u201d<\/p>

Who\u2019s in the cast of Desperate Measures?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
The cast of Desperate Measures is as follows.<\/p>\n
Amanda Abbington as Rowan<\/strong><\/li>\n
Sunetra Sarker as Varisha<\/strong><\/li>\n
Warren Brown as Patrick<\/strong><\/li>\n
Jesse Cescatti-McFarlane as Finn<\/strong><\/li>\n
Francis Magee as Mal<\/strong><\/li>\n
G\u00e1bor Nagyp\u00e1l as Kristof<\/strong><\/li>\n
Harry Rose as Conor<\/strong><\/li>\n
Seb Cardinal as Clive Powell<\/strong><\/li>\n
Jonathan Nyati as Detective Simmons<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
For more about the major players in Desperate Measures, read on\u2026<\/p>\n
Amanda Abbington plays Rowan<\/strong><\/h2>\n
$\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
Who is Rowan?<\/strong> She\u2019s a cashier at a bank and a single mum to a teenage boy. The rug is pulled from under her when her son winds up owing a significant sum of money to a gangster. Her savings won\u2019t cover the debt, so she draws up a plan to steal the money from her place of work.<\/p>\n
What else has Amanda Abbington been in?<\/strong> She\u2019s best known for Sherlock. You might also recognise her from ITV comedy The Family Pile, Netflix\u2019s Safe, police drama Wolfe and ITV drama Mr Selfridge.<\/p>\n
Sunetra Sarker plays Varisha<\/strong><\/h2>\n
$\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
Who is Varisha?<\/strong> Rowan\u2019s colleague and friend. As a supervisor at the bank, she has a key to the vault. Varisha discovers what Rowan is planning, but will she help her?<\/p>\n
What else has Sunetra Sarker been in?<\/strong> You\u2019ll recognise her from Channel 4\u2019s Ackley Bridge and Casualty.<\/p>\n
Warren Brown plays Patrick<\/strong><\/h2>\n
$\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
Who is Patrick?<\/strong> A figure from Rowan\u2019s past who has the means to help her steal the money.<\/p>\n
What else has Warren Brown been in?<\/strong> His CV includes BBC drama Luther starring Idris Elba, ITV\u2019s Trigger Point with Vicky McClure, The Responder with Martin Freeman and ITV drama Liar, among others.<\/p>\n
Jesse Cescatti-McFarlane plays Finn<\/strong><\/h2>\n
$\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
Who is Finn?<\/strong> Rowan\u2019s son. He\u2019s bright and was planning to go to university, but his life now hangs in the balance<\/p>\n
What else has Jesse Cescatti-McFarlane been in?<\/strong> He had a minor role in Choose or Die starring Asa Butterfield.<\/p>\n
Francis Magee plays Mal<\/strong><\/h2>\n
$\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
Who is Mal?<\/strong> Rowan\u2019s dad. The pair have a strained relationship, with Mal leaving his daughter to clear up his considerable debits. They haven\u2019t spoken in years.<\/p>\n
What else has Francis Magee been in?<\/strong> He played Yoren, a member of the Night\u2019s Watch, in Game of Thrones and Liam Tyler, Debbie Bates\u2019s abusive husband, in EastEnders<\/a>. You might also have watched him in Netflix\u2019s White Lines and AMC\u2019s Kin.<\/p>\n
G\u00e1bor Nagyp\u00e1l plays Kristof<\/strong><\/h2>\n
$\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
Who is Kristof?<\/strong> The gangster who is threatening to kill Finn if he doesn\u2019t receive his money.<\/p>\n
What else has G\u00e1bor Nagyp\u00e1l been in?<\/strong> He is a Yugoslavian actor who has appeared in numerous TV shows and films native to his country.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Harry Rose plays Conor<\/strong><\/h2>\n
$\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
Who is Conor?<\/strong> One of Kristof\u2019s couriers and the reason Finn ends up fighting for his life. The pair were friends when they were younger but drifted apart when Conor became involved in crime.<\/p>\n
Seb Cardinal plays Clive Powell<\/strong><\/h2>\n $\"""\"$ <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
Who is Clive Powell?<\/strong> Rowan and Varisha\u2019s boss. They have an exceedingly low opinion of him.<\/p>\n
What else has Seb Cardinal been in?<\/strong> He received a BAFTA nomination in 2013 for his sketch show Cardinal Burns. He\u2019s also had minor roles in BBC Two comedy The Witchfinder, Ricky Gervais\u2019s After Life<\/a> and Julia Davis\u2019s comedy Sally4Ever, among others.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also Detective Simmons, who\u2019s played by Jonathan Nyati. He\u2019s had minor roles in Netflix\u2019s Treason, Channel 4 comedy This Way Up, Sky\u2019s Breeders and BBC comedy Motherland.<\/p>