Before We Die: who stars in the Channel 4 drama alongside Lesley Sharp and Patrick Gibson?

If you're a fan of the BBC’s The Pact, or ITV’s Innocent, then Channel 4’s latest detective thriller Before We Die should be on your watchlist.

The six-part drama is based on the Swedish series by the same name and follows a detective as she searches for her lover, who has gone missing under mysterious circumstances.

The story is not short of ups and downs, with crime families and love affairs all crammed into the crime-thriller.

So, who stars in the cast and when is it on TV? This is what you need to know.

What is Before We Die about?

**Spoiler alert**

Before We Die tells the story of DCI Hannah Laing (Lesley Sharp) as she searches for the killer of her lover, Sean Hardacre (Bill Ward).

After kissing married Sean goodbye one morning, he disappears and is found brutally murdered the following day. Hannah goes on the hunt for his murderer, using her detective skills to source one of his confidants, ‘Issy’.

However, Hannah ends up in deeper than she ever imagined, as her clues lead her to the Mimica family, a tight-knit family who left Croatia for Bristol and now run a successful restaurant, which masks their criminal activities.

Hannah’s son works at the restaurant, but their fractured relationship makes it difficult for her to use his connection to infiltrate the close night Croatian family.

Hannah and her new partner at the Police HQ, Billy (Vincent Regan) work to uncover what the Mimica family are hiding. But it’s what Issy is hiding and her true identity which puts more at stake than justice for her brutalised lover.

Channel 4 described the new thriller as “breathtaking” and “full of heart-stopping jeopardy and unpredictable twists.”

Who stars in the ‘Before We Die’ cast?

Lesley Sharp as Hannah

Sharp leads in Before We Die, having previously starred in ITV’s Scott and Bailey as BC Janet Scott.

The BAFTA nominated actress also featured in hard-hitting BBC drama Three Girls, as well as The Full Monty (1997) and ITV’s Afterlife.

In Before We Die, she plays detective Sharp, known for her strict parenting, landing her own son with a 21-month jail sentence for his involvement in supplying drugs.

Now, she needs Christian to support her search for answers about the Mimica’s, but he’s less than willing to cooperate.

Patrick Gibson as Christian

Sharp’s son, Christian, is acted by Patrick Gibson (The Tudors, The Passing Bells, and The OA).

The 26-year old was awarded the 2017 Rising Star award at the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs).

As Chrisitian, he is in thick with the Mimicas, without fully understanding what exactly the family are up to.

Could they pin the murder of Sean on him, would he help his mother find justice for her lover? The troubled restaurant worker must decide who he will aid.

Vince Regan as Billy

Billy Murdoch is Hannah’s new partner, having formerly worked as a non-conformist investigator.

His unconventional tactics could assist Hannah, or land her in deep trouble with the Mimicas.

Regan is best known for his role in the BBC’s adaptation of Wallander as well as featuring in 300 (2006), Clash of the Titans (2010) and Troy (2004).

Tony Gojanovic as Davor

Head of the Mimica family and disguised as a restaurant owner is the eldest son, Davor.

He is keen to expand their criminal activities and has no intentions of stopping, whether Hannah is investigating him or not.

Croatian actor Toni Gojanović is best known for his lead roles in Croatian productions such as Uspjeh and The Border Post, making his UK debut in Before We Die.

Dubravka Mimica - Kazia Pelka

Matriarch of the Mimica crowd is Dubravka, a first generation Serbain who brought her children to the UK to escape the civil war.

Actress Kazia Pelka has appeared in episodes of early 2000s UK television, such as Casualty, Heartbeat and The Bill.

The cast also stars Issy Knopfler as Bianca Mimica, Rebecca Scroggs as Tina Carter, Steve Toussaint as Leonard Kane, Petar Cvirn as Stefan Vargic and Ryszard Turbiasz as Zvonomir Mimica.

When is Before we Die on TV?

Before We Die starts Wednesday 26 May at 9pm on Channel 4. All episodes will be available on All 4 after transmission of episode 1.