Career: After deciding to become an actor, Lester attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. On graduating, he began a successful stage career. He made his film debut in 1991's Touch and Die. TV parts and little-seen movies followed, before he landed a lead role in 1998's Primary Colors alongside John Travolta and Emma Thompson. However, despite Lester's first opportunity to shine in such an impressive Hollywood movie, he failed to capitalise on it - though he eventually returned to acting a year later in TV movie Storm Damage. Since then he's enjoyed several successful stage runs, as well as appearances in films Love's Labours Lost (2000), Maybe Baby (2000) and The Day After Tomorrow (2004), but TV's Hustle remains his most famous project to date. He took time out from the show in 2006, but made a triumphant return to the role in 2009 until the series ended in 2012. In 2013, he played the title role in Othello at the National Theatre. He had a recurring role on short-lived American teen drama Red Band Society. In 2016, he starred in TV mini-series Undercover.

Career: In 1973, she made her TV debut in Mike Leigh's Hard Labour. She has also worked with Leigh on TV movies Nuts in May and Abigail's Party, and the films Life Is Sweet (1990), Secrets & Lies (1996) and Topsy-Turvy (1999). She made her movie debut in Champions (1983) and her other film credits include A Private Function (1984), Clockwise (1986), The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1989), Shirley Valentine (1989), Wilt (1990), The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004) and Confetti (2006). She earned a new army of fans with her role as matriarch Pamela in hit BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey. Her other TV credits include The Singing Detective, Pride and Prejudice, Fat Friends, The Syndicate, Love & Marriage and Boomers.