The Inspector Lynley Mysteries - Chinese Walls - 12:20 am Monday, April 6 on U&Drama +1

Nathaniel Parker (Actor) .. Inspector Thomas Lynley

Born: May 18, 1962 in London

Best Known For: His dashing TV roles.

Early-life: Born in London on May 18, 1962. He's the son of former British Rail Chairman Sir Peter Parker and his wife Jill. One of his brothers, Oliver, is also an actor and director. He was educated at Leighton Park School, where he developed a passion for horse racing. After starring with the National Youth Theatre he went to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (Lamda). On graduating, he already had his Equity card and landed a theatre job immediately.

Career: Following a spell with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Parker made his TV debut in 1988's Piece of Cake. He has worked constantly ever since, including a four-year stint abroad during which he appeared in Hollywood films Hamlet and The Bodyguard, although he didn't become a well-known face until ITV's 1998 adaptation of Thomas Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd. Since then he's starred in the BBC's Vanity Fair, and took over from John Hannah in McCallum. Other notable projects include Othello (directed by his brother), Wide Sargasso Sea, The Haunted Mansion, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and Stardust. More recently, he has starred in Merlin.

Quote: 'I have always thought women were the superior sex. Witnessing childbirth confirmed it for me.'

Trivia: His theatre work includes Quartermaine's Terms, The Audience, and Wolf Hall.

Sharon Small (Actor) .. Sergeant Barbara Havers

Born: January 01, 1967 in Drumchapel, Glasgow

Best Known For: The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and Mistresses.

Early-life: Sharon was born in Drumchapel, Glasgow on January 1, 1967. She studied drama at the Adam Smith College in Kirkcaldy and the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London. Her first TV credit was a guest role in an episode of Taggart in 1994.

Career: Guest parts followed in a number of TV shows until Small landed a lead role in BBC comedy drama Sunburn. This lasted for two series and she followed it up with the six-part drama Glasgow Kiss. She went on to star in About a Boy (2002) and Dear Frankie (2004) and had guest parts in Cutting It and Rebus before landing a lead role as DS Barbara Havers in BBC crime drama The Inspector Lynley Mysteries alongside Nathaniel Parker. The series ran from 2001 until 2008. More recently, the in-demand actress has starred in Murderland, Mistresses, Downton Abbey, Kidnap and Ransom, New Tricks, Silent Witness, Call the Midwife, Death in Paradise and Midsomer Murders.

Quote: 'One of the fantastic things and joys of acting is looking for flaws in characters - if you are perfect or too likeable, you are not going to be believable, so hopefully, you bring in flaws as well.'

Trivia: Small is a classically trained lyric soprano.

Samuel West (Actor) .. Tony Wainwright

Born: June 19, 1966 in London

Best Known For: His roles in Howards End and Hornblower.

Early-life: Samuel Alexander Joseph West was born in south London on June 19, 1966, to thespians Prunella Scales and Timothy West. He has a younger brother, Joe, and an older half-sister, Juliet, from his father's first marriage. His childhood was spent either at home with his mother or visiting his father on location around the globe. His parents discouraged him from becoming an actor, and at first it seemed their ploy worked when he concentrated on studying science at school. He planned to study physics at Oxford University, but switched to English.

Career: West had a small part in TV series Nanny when he was 13, but didn't become hooked on acting until appearing with Oxford University's theatre group. He went on to appear in a TV adaptation of the Chronicles of Narnia as Prince Caspian, but 1992's Howards End was his big break, earning him a Bafta nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Since then he's appeared in A Feast at Midnight, Carrington, Persuasion, Jane Eyre, Stiff Upper Lips, Hornblower, Iris, and Van Helsing. He also starred in the critically acclaimed play ENRON in 2009 and alongside his father in Caryl Churchill's two-hander A Number, in 2011. In 2012 he appeared as grumpy angel Zac Gist in ITV1's fantasy drama Eternal Law. More recently he featured in Hyde Park on Hudson and Mr Selfridge.

Quote: 'The problem with being fashionable is you become unfashionable.'

Trivia: In 2005 West became the artistic director of Sheffield Theatres, eventually leaving two years later when the city's Crucible was closed for refurbishment. He's also directed a number of plays.

Lindsey Coulson (Actor) .. Hester Reed

Best Known For: Playing Carol Jackson in EastEnders.

Early-life: Born in 1960 in north London. The middle child of three, her mother, Mavis, was a social worker. Her father, George, had his own civil engineering business before retiring. After leaving school, Lindsey became a hairdresser, but at 21 gained a place at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. She continued hairdressing to make ends meet after completing drama training.

Career: Initially struggled to gain decent roles and her early projects included theatre work and TV shows such as Boris Bitty's Brand New Parents and A Bear Behind. Her life turned around when she landed the role of bitter mother-of-four Carol Jackson in EastEnders in 1993. For four years she was in the thick of things thanks to strong storylines, but left in 1997. She then took on a very different role - as a doctor - in miniseries Out of Hours in 1998, and a year later returned to Albert Square for 18 weeks. Since then, Coulson has appeared in several TV shows to great acclaim. In 2010, she returned to Walford to reprise her role as Carol.

Quote: 'I know in this business you've got to sell yourself, but the intrusion into your private life when you're in a soap is mind-blowing.'

Trivia: Coulson married her on-screen daughter Patsy Palmers brother Harry Harris in 2002.

Paul Hickey (Actor) .. Lafferty

Shaun Parkes (Actor) .. DC Winston Nkata

Georgia Mackenzie (Actor) .. Lisa Conroy

Catherine Russell (Actor) .. Helen Lynley

Best Known For: Holby City.

Early-life: Catherine was born in London in 1966, the daughter of actor Nicholas Smith and his wife Mary. She went on to train at the Central School of Speech and Drama. She made her TV debut in the 1988 one-off drama Madeline. Since then, she has been a regular on TV screens.

Career: Russell's TV credits include The Cazalets, Chandler & Co, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Always and Everyone, Waking the Dead, Sea of Souls, Agatha Christie's Poirot, Pete Versus Life and Silent Witness. In 2012, she joined the cast of Holby City, playing consultant general surgeon Serena Campbell. Her film credits include Clockwork Mice (1995), Soft Top Hard Shoulder (1993) and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004). Her extensive stage career includes roles in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Last Carnival, The Day I Stood Still and Mamma Mia!

Quote: On Holby City: 'It's always frightening joining something that's already up and running.'

Trivia: Russell was nominated for an Ian Charleson Award for her performance in Chekhov's Three Sisters.

Diana Hardcastle (Actor) .. Deborah Proctor

David Yelland (Actor) .. Guy Proctor

Joe Armstrong (Actor) .. Darren

Blake Ritson (Actor) .. Graham Marshall

Wayne Foskett (Actor) .. Robert Tanner

Isabella Calthorpe (Actor) .. Emily Proctor

Ciaran McIntyre (Actor) .. O'Neill

Roland Oliver (Actor) .. DS Robert Mills

Vee Vimolmal (Actor) .. Cleaner

Sharon Hughff (Producer)

Robert Bierman (Director)

Ed Whitmore (Writer)

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries: Chinese Walls

12:20 am - 02:20 am, Monday, April 6 on U&Drama +1 (60)

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Chinese Walls
Season 5, Episode 3

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