Nolly cast: who stars with Helena Bonham Carter, Con O’Neill, and Max Brown in Russell T. Davies ITVX series?

ITV delves into its own past with new biopic miniseries Nolly, which follows Noele Gordon, the star of popular long-running soap Crossroads who is suddenly fired without warning or explanation.

The ITVX series is set in the early 1980s during the time of Nolly’s firing and explores the outcry among fans who saw Nolly as the heart and soul of the soap opera. The series is written by Russell T Davies who has previously written for Doctor Who as well as Channel 4 drama It’s a Sin.

Nolly features an ensemble cast who play the real figures who were involved in Crossroads at the time, although ITV has taken some creative licence and invented some characters for the drama. This is everything you need to know about the cast of Nolly.

Who is in the cast of Nolly?

Helena Bonham Carter as Noele Gordon

Noele ‘Nolly’ Gordon was the star of Crossroads, an ITV soap opera about a motel owner, her family and staff which aired from 1964-1988. Nolly played the motel owner Meg Mortimer for nearly 20 years, appearing in almost 1,000 episodes. Nolly was at the heart of the soap, so when she was fired in 1981, there was a vocal public response.

Carter is best known for playing the villain Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter films. She has also starred in Fight Club, Best Picture winner The King’s Speech, and the Enola Holmes films. Her TV roles include playing Princess Margaret in The Crown, All-Maudra in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, and a fictionalised version of herself in comedy series Ten Percent.

Con O’Neill as Jack Barton

Jack was the head writer on Crossroads and refuses to act when Nolly is fired - claiming that he is not in a position to overturn the decision.

O’Neill appeared in another Russell T Davies show, the LGBT+ drama series Cucumber, as well as historical drama Chernobyl and comedy series Out Flag Means Death. He also played Neil in season two and three of crime drama Happy Valley, and appeared in the blockbuster superhero movie The Batman.

Max Brown as Michael Summerton

Michael worked as Nolly’s agent, who has represented her for a number of years, though he started his career as a Dalek operator on Doctor Who. He launched his own talent agency and alongside Nolly, he recruited Sinitta, Bonnie Langford, and Hot Gossip.

Brown actually starred in the short-lived 2001 revival of Crossroads, playing Mark Russell. He also starred in historical drama The Tudors, crime series Spooks, and horror romance series Beauty & The Beast.

Antonia Bernath as Jane Rossington

Jane Rossington played Meg’s daughter, Jill, in Crossroads. She appeared in the soap for the entirety of its run, staying on in the years after her on-screen mother was given the boot.

Bernath’s previous credits include several appearances on medical drama Holby City, playing Charlotte Arc on drama series Trinity, and Laura Edmunds in period drama Downton Abbey. She has recently had several voice roles on video games including Star Wars: Battlefront II, Hitman 2, Control, and Evil West.

Bethany Antonia as Poppy Ngomo

Poppy is a new member of the Crossroads cast who has recently started out in her acting career. She plays Honour, Meg’s adoptive daughter - although this character did not exist in the real Crossroads, and the character of Poppy has been invented for the series.

Antonia’s first major role was as Margot in Netflix crime drama Get Even - she also starred in another Netflix project, mystery series. Last year she starred as Baela Targaryen in the big-budget HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon.

Mark Gatiss as Larry Grayson

Grayson is a popular stand-up comedian at the height of his career during the time that Nolly is set, and is the host of game show The Generation Game. He is a close friend of Nolly’s and the pair at one point entered into a hoax engagement.

Gatiss became well-known for his role in the comedy series League of Gentlemen - he has since appeared on Game of Thrones, BBC historical dramas Wolf Hall, and Sherlock, and comedy series Inside No. 9.

Augustus Prew as Tony Adams

Tony Adams is another Crossroads star - he played Adam Chance, an accountant at the motel. He was also a close friend of Nolly’s and they remained close as she dealt with the news of her sacking.

Prew previously starred in drama shows The Borgias, The Village, and Prison Break, and recently played Médhor in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. His film roles include Kick-Ass 2, and High-Rise.

When is Nolly on TV?

There are three episodes in the miniseries Nolly - all three episodes landed on ITVX on Thursday 2 February.