Hollington Drive cast: who stars in the ITV drama with Anna Maxwell Martin - and what is the series about?

The four-part thriller drama starts on ITV tonight (29 September) at 9pm
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ITV’s latest mystery series Hollington Drive follows two adult sisters as they become embroiled in the case of a missing 10-year-old school boy in their neighbourhood.

Written by acclaimed screenwriter Sophie Petzal, Hollington Drive tells the story of family trauma, difficult relationships, the pursuit of the truth and the reluctance to share it.

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The cast is led by two British actresses, Anna Maxwell Martin (Motherland) and Rachael Stirling (The Bletchley Circle), starring as Theresa and Helen respectively.

So, who else is cast in Hollington Drive - and what other television shows might you recognise them from? Here is the cast and what they’ve said about their characters.

Hollington Drive cast

Anna Maxwell Martin as Theresa

 Anna Maxwell Martin plays the role of a dysfunctional, stressed mother Anna Maxwell Martin plays the role of a dysfunctional, stressed mother
Anna Maxwell Martin plays the role of a dysfunctional, stressed mother

Maxwell-Martin is a highly acclaimed English actress, having starred in Motherland and Line of Duty for the BBC, as well as The Bletchley Circle and alongside Steve Coogan in Philomena (2013).

She has won two British Academy Awards, for her roles in Bleakhouse (2006) and Poppy Shakespeare (2009), as well as being nominated for Royal Television Society and Olivier awards.

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For Hollington Drive, Maxwell Martin stars as the dysfunctional mother of 10-year-old schoolboy Ben, Theresa. She is the younger sister of headteacher Helen and the pair have a close but confusing relationship.

Maxwell Martin said of her character: “She’s a bit of an anti-hero really. She’s often not very likeable and often not a very good parent, she makes lots of terrible decisions. She’s

slightly unhinged and I really liked that, because she’s not a cookie cutter mother making the right decisions, doing the right thing.”

In the series, Theresa questions whether her son had anything to do with the disappearance of his classmate, Alex.

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“She’s very flawed,” the actress said of Theresa, “She doesn’t handle Alex’s disappearance well at all, but she’s not a happy go lucky person before that, she’s dysfunctional and it becomes clear that she’s suffering with trauma.”

Rachael Stirling as Helen

Stirling (L) stars as the mature older sister of Maxwell Martin (R)Stirling (L) stars as the mature older sister of Maxwell Martin (R)
Stirling (L) stars as the mature older sister of Maxwell Martin (R)

Rachael Stirling is best known for her role as Millie in The Bletchley Circle (2012, 2014, 2018), but she has also starred in Peter Hall’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Rose Theatre, Kingston, as well as The Priory at the Royal Court Theatre, for which she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award.

She played Nancy Astley in the BBC drama Tipping the Velvet, and Anna in Snow White and the Huntsman.

For Hollington Drive, she co-leads as the older sister of Theresa and headteacher of the local primary school, Helen.

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Helen has her own skeletons in the closet and must decide whether to support the hunt for a missing pupil from her school, or protect her own secrets - including an affair with the boy’s dad.

Speaking to ITV, Stirling said of her role in the series: “Helen is a woman who has always been the grown-up in her family, the sensible, pragmatic, practical one… Helen has never been out of control in her life, so she has always looked after Theresa and it suits her.”

On her character’s rocky marriage and unsettled home life, Stirling added: “She’s in a fairly unhappy marriage with a very depressed man. That’s why she also relies on Theresa, to give her life outside of her rather trapped status quo at home with her husband.”

“On the outside everything is great for Helen and she’s in charge, but on the inside she’s got her own demons.”

Rhashan Stone as Fraser

Rhashan Stone stars as Theresa’s husband FraserRhashan Stone stars as Theresa’s husband Fraser
Rhashan Stone stars as Theresa’s husband Fraser
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Rhashan Stone is an American-British actor and comedian, who is also classically trained in music composing, jazz and gospel singing.

Stone is most recognised for his role as DI Laurence Breeze in series two and three of Channel 4’s Keeping Faith.

He has also acted in stage productions such as Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing, Hero in the A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and the king’s brother Clarence in Richard III.

He stars as Fraser in Hollington Drive, the husband of Theresa and step-father to her son, Ben.

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“Fraser seems like a very stable, loving man who is very good with the kids. He’s well-intentioned, but as with many ostensibly nice people, his niceness is hiding something else in him that he’s less comfortable with,” Stone said of his latest character.

“He does have a difficult relationship with his partner Theresa – he genuinely loves her but they struggle to communicate and they’re often treading on eggshells with each other.”

Fraser is the parent who convinces the two families to let their kids go to the park on the day their school friend goes missing, he convinces Theresa that nothing will go wrong.

When Alex disappears and Ben and Eva return home late, Theresa worries her son has been involved in the disappearance and begins to blame Fraser.

Peter McDonald as David

 Peter McDonald has also starred in Netflix’s The Last Kingdom Peter McDonald has also starred in Netflix’s The Last Kingdom
Peter McDonald has also starred in Netflix’s The Last Kingdom
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McDonald is an Irish actor and director who was previously nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for his short film Pentecost.

His most recent work includes Jonathan Devlin in BBC’s Dublin Murders (2019) and as Brother Threw in The Last Kingdom (2017).

In 2000, he won an Irish Television and Film Award for his lead role in Saltwater, as Frank Beneventi. In 2014, he was nominated again for his role as supporting actor in The Stag (2013).

He plays the husband of Helen in Hollington Drive, a depressed and down in his luck man who is suspicious of his wife and attempting to support his seemingly traumatised young daughter, Eva.

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Speaking to ITV about his role as David, McDonald said: “He’s a man who is very lost, and we find him at a moment in his life where he simply doesn’t have the emotional tools to deal with what’s in front of him, but he’s unable to express this to the outside world.

“He feels that he’s failing as a father and he just simply doesn’t feel he has a role in life. So, there’s a big dichotomy between what you see on the outside and what’s actually going on inside him.”

He also commented on the depiction of the middle-class life in the series and how all is not what it seems.

“David and Helen’s marriage is at a glacial temperature right now, but he’s unable to leave Helen or face up to the situation, because he feels so emasculated and he’s lost his identity.

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“He threatens to leave at one point, but he doesn’t feel empowered enough to face up to what he feels is humiliation.”

Fraser Holmes as Ben and Amelie Bea Smith as Eva

 Eva and Ben are the two youngest cast members of Hollington Drive Eva and Ben are the two youngest cast members of Hollington Drive
Eva and Ben are the two youngest cast members of Hollington Drive

The two 10-year-old cousins in the drama are played by Fraser Holmes - making his TV debut, and Peppa Pig voice artist Amelie Bea Smith.

The two play crucial roles in the story, as Ben becomes increasingly withdrawn in the days following his classmates disappearance, leading his mother to be suspicious that he is “a monster” who could be hiding crucial information about the police investigation.

Meanwhile, Eva is traumatised by the events leading up to the disappearance but struggles to reveal what she knows.

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18-year-old British actress Tia May Watts also stars in the show, as Georgina. It is unclear what roles her character plays, but she appears to be a friend of Ben.

Ken Nwosu as Eddie

 Ken Nwosu previously starred in Sticks and Stones for ITV Ken Nwosu previously starred in Sticks and Stones for ITV
Ken Nwosu previously starred in Sticks and Stones for ITV

Ken Nwosu is an actor, known for Christopher Robin (2018), The Witches (2020) and Killing Eve (2018).

He plays the role of Fraser’s brother, Eddie, whom the sisters are less keen on. Eddie strikes up an unlikely friendship with Helen’s husband, David, as he is pushed aside by Fraser - who is struggling to support his anxiety-ridden wife.

Jonas Armstrong as Gareth

Jonas Armstrong is an Irish actor known for playing the title role in the BBC One drama series Robin Hood.

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The 40-year-old’s most recent role was in Channel 5’s The Drowning, in which he played Jason. He has also made appearances in ITV’s The Bay and BBC’s Line of Duty.

He plays the role of missing boy Alex’s dad, Gareth, who is also having an affair with Helen. Gareth’s wife Jean blames him for the disappearance of their son and Gareth does little to support her as he clings onto his dwindling romance with Alex’s headteacher.

As Helen distances herself from Gareth, he begins to worry she thinks he was behind his son’s disappearance.

Jodie McNee as Jean

Jodie McNee stars as grief-stricken mother JeanJodie McNee stars as grief-stricken mother Jean
Jodie McNee stars as grief-stricken mother Jean

Jean is played by Jodie McNee, an actress who has previously starred in Official Secrets, The Physician and Judy.

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Jean is the neighbour of Theresa, Fraser and Ben - however she is unaware of the affair her husband is engaging in with Theresa’s sister.

When is Hollington Drive on TV?

Hollington Drive began on 29 September at 9pm on ITV.

The series runs across four episodes, aired on successive Wednesdays at 9pm on ITV.

All episodes are also available on the ITV Hub.

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