Luther

Idris Elba (Actor) .. DCI John Luther

Born: September 06, 1972

Best Known For: The Wire and Luther.

Early-life: Born Idrissa Akuna Elba on September 6, 1972, in Hackney, London. His father, Winston, is from Sierra Leone and worked in a car factory; his mother, Eve, is Ghanian and held a clerical position. Idris became interested in music at an early age, helping his uncle run his mobile DJ business in the 1980s; shortly afterwards, he and his friends began their own company. He acted with the National Youth Music Theatre before turning professional.

Career: Elba's earliest roles came in Crimewatch UK reconstructions, 2point4 Children, Absolutely Fabulous and Bramwell. He spent a couple of years in Channel 5 soap Family Affairs and featured in Ultraviolet and Dangerfield before playing a suave, but doomed, urban gangster in the critically acclaimed The Wire on US TV from 2002 to 2004. The role turned him into a star on both sides of the Atlantic. Projects since include 28 Weeks Later, American Gangster, RocknRolla, The Office (US version), Thor, The Big C, Prometheus and the hugely successful Luther. More recently, he has starred in Pacific Rim, Thor: The Dark World, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and No Good Deed.

Quote: 'I get criticized for taking roles in films like Ghost Rider 2, but if you look at my résumé, dude, I've mixed it up as much as I can. I love to play different roles. That's just the kind of actor I am.'

Trivia: Away from acting, he continues to DJ.

Ruth Wilson (Actor) .. Alice Morgan

Born: January 13, 1982 in Ashford, Kent

Steven Mackintosh (Actor) .. DCI Ian Reed

Born: April 30, 1967 in Cambridge

Best Known For: Playing a drug-dealer in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

Early-life: Steven Mackintosh was born on April 30, 1967, in Cambridge. He caught the drama bug and got his first acting job at 13. When more roles started flooding in, he had to decide between going to drama school or carrying on with his conventional education. He decided to pursue acting.

Career: Mackintosh made his TV debut in 1983 series Nanny, and went on to appear in Doctor Who, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4,The Bill, Care (for which he won a Royal Television Society Award), London Kills Me, The Buddha of Suburbia, Cadfael, Blue Juice, Prime Suspect, Undercover Heart and The Land Girls. He won Best Actor at the Brussels International Film Festival for his part in gender-bending comedy Different for Girls. Theatre roles have included Brighton Beach Memoirs and My Zinc Bed. His recent work includes Underworld: Evolution (and its second sequel), Shiny Shiny Bright New Hole in My Heart, Criminal Justice, Mo, and Luther.

Quote: 'I'm not ambitious to be well-known, or for the accolades, but I am to do the stuff I like.'

Indira Varma (Actor) .. Zoe Luther

Paul McGann (Actor) .. Mark North

Born: November 14, 1959 in Liverpool

Best Known For: Withnail and I.

Early-life: Born in Liverpool on November 14, 1959, into a staunchly Catholic family. He was the second of his parents' five surviving children - he had older twin brothers but one died at birth. His mother was a teacher, and his dad was a metallurgist - both parents encouraged all their children to develop their interests as much as possible. His first ambition was to become an astronaut, and didn't decide to be an actor until he was 20. He was persuaded by a teacher to try performing, and went on to study at Rada.

Career: McGann started out on stage, eventually making his TV debut in the 1983 series Give Us a Break, but it only lasted for one series. He became a household name in 1987, thanks to acclaimed TV drama The Monocled Mutineer and has achieved long-lasting fame thanks to a starring role in cult 1986 film Withnail and I. He went on to appear in Alien 3, Our Mutual Friend, Nature Boy and Queen of the Damned. McGann also became the eighth Time Lord when he appeared in the 1996 Doctor Who film. Another notable appearance came in The Hanging Gale, a drama about the Irish potato famine which co-starred his three brothers. He's cropped up in several Hornblower dramas, plus Poirot, Marple, acclaimed drama True Dare Kiss and the last-ever episode of Waking the Dead.

Quote: 'I don't want to be remembered as the George Lazenby of Doctor Who.'

Trivia: He reprised his role as Doctor Who in 2013 mini-episode The Night of the Doctor.

Saskia Reeves (Actor) .. Det Supt Rose Teller

Warren Brown (Actor) .. DS Justin Ripley

Born: May 11, 1978 in Warrington

Best Known For: Hollyoaks and Luther.

Early-life: Warren was born in Warrington on May 11, 1978. For 10 years, he was involved in the world of Thai boxing. During this time, he won two world titles. He retired from the sport to pursue a career in acting. After appearing in two episodes of Channel 4 drama Shameless, Warren played Andy Holt in teen soap opera Hollyoaks.

Career: Roles followed for Brown in Grownups, Casualty, Mobile, Casualty, Spooks, The Bill, Occupation, Criminal Justice and Single Father. More recently, he played DS Justin Ripley in BBC drama Luther. His other TV credits include Good Cop, Agatha Christie's Marple, By Any Means and X Company.

Quote: 'I believe in miracles and the power of the individual to make a positive difference in the world.'

Trivia: Brown was nominated for a number of British Soap Awards for his time in Hollyoaks.

Anton Saunders (Actor) .. Henry Madsen

Matthew Marsh (Actor) .. DSCU Russell Cornish

Sam Spruell (Actor) .. Owen Lynch

Geoffrey Lumb (Actor) .. PC Steve Gorman

Diveen Henry (Actor) .. PC Jenny Hanson

Gary Shelford (Actor) .. PC Mardel

Louise Rose (Actor) .. Corinne Day

Sean Pertwee (Actor) .. Terry Lynch

Born: June 04, 1964 in London

Best Known For: Being the son of Doctor Who.

Early-life: Born June 4, 1964, in London, the second child of actor Jon Pertwee and his German wife Ingeborg. He has an older sister called Dariel. He was raised in Barnes, south-west London, and Ibiza, and had a happy childhood, although he admits to having gone through a wild phase. On leaving school, Pertwee worked behind the scenes for Southern TV, which produced his father's Worzel Gummidge series, but turned to acting when the company folded.

Career: While awaiting his big break, Pertwee trained as an animator and designed album covers. He worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and made his film debut with a brief role in 1987's Prick Up Your Ears. His appearances in such projects as Blue Juice, Stiff Upper Lips, Cadfael, Cleopatra, Event Horizon, The 51st State and Dog Soldiers turned him into a heart-throb. He was co-owner of production company Natural Nylon with his friends Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Jude Law and Sadie Frost, until its demise in 2003. A prolific voice-over artist, he's also appeared in The Tudors and the Goal movies. His recent projects include UFO, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, Elementary and Gotham.

Quote: 'The whole movie star thing, I tell you, mate, it's just not for me.'

Trivia: He has voiced characters in a number of video games.

Neil Cross (Writer)

Katie Swinden (Producer)

Brian Kirk (Director)

10:55 pm - 12:10 am, Tuesday, August 4 on U&Drama (20)

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