Agatha Christie's Marple - The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side

Julia McKenzie (Actor) .. Miss Marple

Born: February 17, 1941 in Enfield

Best Known For: Fresh Fields and Miss Marple.

Early-life: Julia Kathleen McKenzie was born on February 17, 1941 in Enfield to Kathleen and Albion. She was all set to begin training to become a French teacher when she landed a scholarship to study opera. After graduating from the Guildhall School of Music, she toured in operettas and musical comedies for a number of years before landing a role in 1969 in the London production of Mame.

Career: In the early 1970s, McKenzie took over one of the leading roles in Stephen Sondheim's Company. And so began a long association with Sondheim's work. Her big break came in the mid-1970s in the musical review Side by Side by Sondheim. It was a big success in London and New York. During the 1980s, McKenzie won an Olivier Award for her portrayal of Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls at the National Theatre. McKenzie has also worked extensively on TV, notably in Fresh Fields and its spin-off French Fields, Blott on the Landscape and Cranford. More recently, she has played the title roles in ITV drama Marple and one-off BBC children's drama Gangsta Granny.

Quote: 'It's very easy for people to say actors are jealous, but I've never found that, I've always found them very loveable as we know we are all children at heart.'

Trivia: In its day, Fresh Fields was the most popular programme of the week.

Brennan Brown (Actor) .. Hailey Preston

Lindsay Duncan (Actor) .. Marina Gregg

Born: November 07, 1950 in Edinburgh

Best Known For: Her many acclaimed stage roles.

Early-life: Born November 7, 1950, in Edinburgh, but spent part of her childhood in Leeds and Birmingham. Neither of her parents had a showbusiness background, and her mother originally wanted her to become a doctor. However, they supported her decision to tread the boards after the acting bug bit while appearing in school productions. She regrets the fact her father - who died in a car accident when she was a teenager - didn't live to see her success.

Career: After spells at Bristol University and the Central School of Speech and Drama, she landed professional roles in a variety of theatrical productions. Her first TV appearance came in 1975's Further Up Pompeii! Parts at the Royal Exchange in the likes of The Rivals and What the Butler Saw gained her huge acclaim. Arguably her biggest stage successes have both come opposite Alan Rickman, in productions of Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Private Lives. Duncan has popped up in TV and film projects such as Reilly: The Ace of Spies, Kit Curran, Prick Up Your Ears, Traffik, GBH, Jake's Progress, Oliver Twist, An Ideal Husband, Doctor Who, Poirot, Alice in Wonderland and Rome.

Quote: 'All good rehearsals involve quite a lot of laughing, that's the way to get through it.'

Trivia: She took a role in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace to please their son, Cal, who is a huge fan of the franchise.

Gene Goodman (Actor) .. Louis Charles

Isabella Parriss (Actor) .. Marie Therese

Joanna Lumley (Actor) .. Dolly Bantry

Born: May 01, 1946 in Srinagar, Kashmir

Best Known For: Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous.

Early-life: Joanna Lamond Lumley was born on May 1, 1946, in Srinagar, Kashmir. As a child she lived with her family in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, where her father was a major in the Ghurkas. She came to England aged nine to attend boarding school in Kent, and later a convent school in Hastings. At 16 she auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, but was turned down and decided to become a model instead, despite initially being told she was 'too fat and too ugly'.

Career: Lumley's first film was 1969's Some Girls Do, followed by Bond movie On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Her most notable early role was as Ken Barlow's girlfriend Elaine in Coronation Street. Lumley became famous thanks to The New Avengers in 1976. After Sapphire and Steel in the late 1970s, she turned her attention to the theatre and had a stint as a Times columnist. In 1992, Jennifer Saunders cast her as Patsy in sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. Since then, she has appeared in numerous TV dramas and films, including Maybe Baby, James and the Giant Peach, Jam & Jerusalem, Sensitive Skin, The Making of a Lady and The Wolf of Wall Street.

Quote: 'I can't see any difference in having your hair dyed, your teeth fixed, your nose done, or your face smoothed out or lifted.'

Trivia: Lumley received an OBE in 1995.

Nigel Harman (Actor) .. Jason Rudd

Born: August 11, 1973 in Purley, London

Best Known For: Playing Dennis Rickman in EastEnders.

Early-life: Nigel Derek Harman was born in Purley, Surrey, on August 11, 1973. He has a sister, Lisa. As a youngster, he was sporty and adored football, but his father's love of amateur dramatics led him into acting. With help and encouragement from his mother, who died of cancer when he was just 17, Nigel landed his first role in a stock-cube advert. More commercials followed, before Nigel enrolled at Arts Educational, Chiswick.

Career: Nigel's biggest early roles came in 1980s BBC drama Tenko and comedy sketch series Alas Smith and Jones. He appeared on stage in several works, including Summer Holiday, and was among the original cast of Mamma Mia! He returned to TV in 2002 for a role in Red Cap, but the next year would see him land the role of Dennis Rickman in EastEnders and become an overnight star. He left the soap at the end of 2005 and immersed himself in theatre work. He worked on a touring version of The Caretaker and the West End version of Guys and Dolls. On the small screen, he starred in the ill-received drama The Outsiders, and had a brief role in Leonardo DiCaprio vehicle Blood Diamond (2006). More recently, he has starred in Telstar (2008), Lark Rise To Candleford, Plus One, Hotel Babylon, Mount Pleasant and Downton Abbey.

Quote: 'I don't want to sit down when I'm 70 or 80 years old and go 'I wish I'd tried that.' So I just think 'let's go for it.''

Trivia: He won a number of soap awards during his time on EastEnders.

Victoria Smurfit (Actor) .. Ella Blunt

Best Known For: Ballykissangel, Trial & Retribution and Dracula.

Early-life: Victoria was born in Dublin in 1974. Her family, headed by her uncle Michael, is one of the richest in Ireland. Victoria was educated at Saint Columbia's College, Dublin, and St George's School, Ascot. After completing an A Level in theatre studies, she studied acting at the Bristol Old Vic theatre school.

Career: In 1997, Smurfit starred in BBC miniseries Ivanhoe, and a year later, she appeared in another period drama, Berkeley Square, before making a name for herself as Orla O'Connell in Ballykissangel. After two series of the BBC drama, the year 2000 saw Smurfit star on the big screen in The Wedding Tackle and The Beach and on the small screen in drama North Square and comedy Cold Feet. Her other credits include About a Boy (2002), Bulletproof Monk (2003), the lead role on TV in Trial & Retribution between 2003 and 2009, and Irish drama The Clinic. More recently, Smurfit has been playing glamorous society queen and vampire slayer Lady Jayne Wetherby in TV horror drama Dracula.

Quote: On working with Jonathan Rhys Meyers in Dracula: 'He makes you very comfortable, which is great. He knows what he wants from a scene and he knows how to do it, and you trust him.'

Trivia: Smurfit is a patron of children's charity World Vision Ireland.

Caroline Quentin (Actor) .. Heather Badcock

Born: July 11, 1960 in Reigate, Surrey

Best Known For: Playing Dorothy in 1990's sitcom Men Behaving Badly.

Early-life: Born Caroline Jones in Reigate, Surrey, on July 11, 1960. She has three older sisters. She learnt her trade at the Tring Park School, a boarding school focusing on the performing arts, which would eventually give her the platform to forge a TV career. Her first proper job, however, came on stage in Lowestoft, where, at the age of 16, she was a member of a chorus line. A director spotted her and offered her a job at London's Royal Court Theatre.

Career: During the 1980s, Quentin had small, supporting roles in a number of projects. In the early 1990s she made appearances in Harry Enfield and Chums before landing the role of Dorothy on Men Behaving Badly in 1992, which eventually ended in 1998. Jonathan Creek offered Quentin a chance to delve into slightly more serious territory. Acting projects since include Life Begins, Blue Murder, Life of Riley, Just William, Dead Boss, Switch and Dancing on the Edge. Quentin also presents Restoration Home (she has dabbled in property restoration herself on numerous occasions) and has begun a second TV career as a travelogue presenter thanks to series such as A Passage Through India and Caroline Quentin's Cornwall.

Quote: 'Reaching 50 is a reason for great celebration, if you ask me, because we all know people at this stage who haven't made it. In the end, it's so much better than the alternative.'

Trivia: In 2004, Quentin received a special recognition gong at the National Television Awards.

Martin Jarvis (Actor) .. Vincent Hogg

Born: August 04, 1941 in Cheltenham

Best Known For: Playing Oliver Pryde in Rings On Their Fingers.

Early-life: Martin Jarvis was born in Gloucestershire on August 4, 1941, the son of Denys Harris Jarvis and Margot Lillian Scottney. He grew up in South Norwood, attending Whitgift School in Croydon. He went on to train at RADA, where he won the Vanburgh Award and the Silver Medal.

Career: Jarvis began his TV career playing a giant butterfly in an early episode of Doctor Who in 1965, and became a familiar face on British TV thanks to several high profile roles on the BBC, including playing Jon in the 1967 adaptation of The Forsyte Saga and the title role in the serialisation of Nicholas Nickleby a year later. He also took the lead role of Oliver Pryde in Rings On Their Fingers between 1978 and 1980 and has more recently starred in shows including Stargate Atlantis and Numb3rs. Martin is also well known for feature films roles, most notably in James Cameron's blockbuster Titanic and his regular appearances in Dictionary Corner on Countdown. He appeared in EastEnders as journalist Harvey Freeman in 2010. He also performs regularly in radio drama and he is one of the leading readers of audiobooks. He has had a long association with narrating Richmal Crompton's Just William stories.

Quote: 'I'm not interested in making my own mark when I read an audiobook, only in serving the writer. My aim is to make people forget they're being read to.'

Trivia: Jarvis has been married to actress Rosalind Ayres since 1974. He has two children, Toby and Oliver, from a previous marriage.

Hannah Waddingham (Actor) .. Lola Brewster

Best Known For: A successful stage career.

Early-life: Hannah was born in London in 1974 to opera singer Melodie Waddingham. Hannah knew that performing was the career for her after watching her mother in action at the London Coliseum. Hannah went on to study drama at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in London.

Career: Waddingham's stage credits include The Beautiful Game, Tonight's the Night, Lautrec, Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens and Grease. She was nominated for an Olivier Award for her portrayal of the Lady of the Lake in Spamalot, a role she went on to play on Broadway. Her other theatre credits include A Little Night Music, Into the Woods, The Wizard of Oz and Kiss Me, Kate. On TV, she has starred in Coupling, William and Mary, Doctors, Agatha Christie's Marple and Benidorm. Her film credits include How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008) and Les Miserables (2012).

Quote: 'Broadway is everything I dreamed it would be.'

Trivia: In 2000, she won two Musical Theatre Awards for the role of Suzanne Valadon in Lautrec.

Hugh Bonneville (Actor) .. Inspector Hewitt

Born: November 10, 1963 in London

Best Known For: Downton Abbey.

Early-life: Born Hugh Richard Bonneville Williams on November 10, 1963, in London. When he was younger he was often mistaken for rugby hero Will Carling. After leaving school with good exam results, he was accepted by Cambridge University, where he was taught theology by Dr Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury. 'Everything he said went completely over my head,' says Bonneville of Williams's lectures. He originally wanted to be a lawyer, but decided to tread the boards instead.

Career: Following a spell on stage, Bonneville made his TV debut in teen sitcom Dodgem. He spent the next few years dividing his time between theatre, TV and film work, having small parts in such projects as The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, Cadfael, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Tomorrow Never Dies, Bugs, and Mosley. He had a regular role in sitcom Holding the Baby, but finally became a recognisable face thanks to the movie Notting Hill in 1999. Since then he's appeared in The Cazalets, Madame Bovary, The Gathering Storm, Tipping the Velvet, Doctor Zhivago, Twenty Twelve, and Love Again. He won rave reviews for his role in the TV comedy Freezing and Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story. However, he's become a TV superstar on both sides of the Atlantic in recent years thanks to his starring role in period drama Downton Abbey. Recent projects have included W1A and The Monuments Men.

Quote: 'I was once congratulated in Oxford Street for my brilliant portrayal of Mr Darcy, so apparently I looked like Colin Firth when I had curly hair. I reckon I could play him in a biopic.'

Trivia: He is a patron of the London children's charity Scene & Heard and medical relief charity Medical Emergency Relief International.

Michele Dotrice (Actor) .. Mrs Hubbard

Charlotte Riley (Actor) .. Margot Bence

Born: December 29, 1981 in Grindon, Thorpe Thewles, near Stockton on Tees

Best Known For: The 1920s-set film Easy Virtue in which she starred opposite Colin Firth and Kristin Scott Thomas.

Early-life: Born on December 29, 1981, Charlotte was brought up in the small village of Thorpe Thewles near Stockton on Tees. She attended Teesside High School before gaining a place at Durham University. While studying, she appeared in a number of plays and musicals, before graduating with a degree in English and Linguistics.

Career: Riley made her TV debut in an episode of Grown Ups, followed by small roles in Holby City and George Gently. Her big break came when she was cast as Sarah in the film Easy Virtue. She has since gone on to star in a big budget ITV production of Wuthering Heights in 2009, where she played the female lead. Roles in Foyle's War and DCI Banks quickly followed.

Quote: 'I love doing characters that challenge me. I'd love to do something that requires me to change physically or learn a skill.'

Trivia: Between leaving university and attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Riley co-wrote the play Shaking Cecilia and won a Sunday Times Playwriting Award for her efforts.

Lois Jones (Actor) .. Primrose Dixon

Neil Stuke (Actor) .. Dr Haydock

Best Known For: Playing Matthew in Game On.

Early-life: Born in Kent in 1967, Neil Stuke earned a crust working in a clothes shop and as a second-hand car dealer. Eventually put aside dreams of being a drummer to become an actor. Finally hit the big time when he landed a part in Stephen Poliakoff's acclaimed 1993 movie Century.

Career: Stuke appeared in popular dramas Poirot, Between the Lines, Heartbeat and A Touch of Frost. He also featured in Dennis Potter's final TV projects Karaoke and Cold Lazarus. He hit the big time when he took over the role of Matthew, the agoraphobic liar in cult sitcom Game On. Hit projects Sliding Doors, Murder in Mind, Casualty, Grafters and Drop the Dead Donkey also boosted his profile. Has rarely been out of work in the past few years. He appeared on stage in Blue/Orange and Entertaining Mr Sloane. Other projects have included School For Seduction, Faith, Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky, The Afternoon Play, The Virgin Queen and Chopratown. His recent work includes playing Chris Jackson in TV sitcom Reggie Perrin, Max in Monday Monday, and Billy Lamb in BBC legal drama Silk.

Quote: 'I've always found acting easy and I get frustrated when I'm not challenged.'

Trivia: In 2014, Stuke was one of the 200 public figures who signed a letter opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum.

Will Young (Actor) .. Casey Croft

Born: January 20, 1979 in Wokingham, Berkshire

Best Known For: Winning the first Pop Idol series in 2002.

Early-life: William Robert Young was born on January 20, 1979, to parents Annabel, a housewife, and Robin, a businessman. He was raised in Hungerford with his non-identical twin brother, Rupert, and sister, Emma. After completing three A-levels, Will went on to study politics at Exeter University. While an undergraduate, he discovered his love of dramatics, starring in several stage productions. He later began modelling for catwalk shows and taking on photographic work.

Career: Young's first TV appearance was on This Morning, when he auditioned to be in a boy band. Since winning Pop Idol in 2002, he has been awarded numerous honours, including Best Newcomer at the Brits in 2003 and an Ivor Novello songwriting gong for his single Leave Right Now. His first release, Anything Is Possible, entered the UK charts at number one having sold 1.1 million copies in its first week alone. He turned to acting in 2005 when he starred in the film Mrs Henderson Presents. He then appeared on stage in 2007 in the Royal Exchange Theatre's production of Noel Coward's play The Vortex. His platinum-selling greatest hits collection was released in November 2009. Young returned to acting in 2011 in the six-part supernatural drama Bedlam for Sky Living. He starred in the 2013 London revival of the musical Cabaret, for which he was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award.

Quote: 'When I went into Pop Idol, I remember thinking, who's ever going to vote for a middle class, gay, slightly eccentric student who sings jazz and soul?'

Trivia: He published his autobiography, Funny Peculiar in 2012.

Olivia Darnley (Actor) .. Cherry

Samuel Barnett (Actor) .. Tiddler

Jonathan Coyne (Actor) .. French officer

Don Gallagher (Actor) .. Man in livery

Kevin Elyot (Writer)

Michele Buck (Executive producer)

Damien Timmer (Executive producer)

Mary Durkan (Executive producer)

Mathew Prichard (Executive producer)

Rebecca Eaton (Executive producer)

Tom Shankland (Director)

Agatha Christie's Marple: The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side

11:50 am - 2:00 pm, Sunday, July 26 on ITV3 (10)

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The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side
Season 5, Episode 4

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