The Ipcress File cast: who stars in ITV drama with Lucy Boynton and Joe Cole?

The Ipcress File is a slick spy thriller series which follows the same premise of the original Len Deighton novel and the classic 1965 film.

When a nuclear scientist is kidnapped in Britain at the height of the Cold War, reluctant spy Harry Palmer (Joe Cole ) must track the scientist and his captors down.

Palmer is an ‘anti-Bond’, a working class grifter turned spy who doesn’t hold the Etonians who run the secret service in very high regard.

The series which is currently airing on ITV has received generally positive reviews though critics seem to concur that Caine’s Palmer was a tough act to follow.

These are the cast of The Ipcress File and where you will know them from:

Who stars in The Ipcress File?

Joe Cole as Harry Palmer

Cole takes over from Michael Caine in the role of spy Harry Palmer, and they’re some big shoes to fill.

His performance has been compared to Caine’s - a little unfairly, seen as the show is not intended to be a carbon copy of the film - with negative results.

Cole’s outing as Harry Palmer marks his first time in a leading role.

Palmer, who we meet in the first episode as a smuggler is given the choice of going to prison or working as a spy.

Over the series, he will embark on an undercover mission to track down the kidnapped nuclear scientist and, in true Cold War fashion, prevent a global catastrophe.

Cole has previously starred in epic gangster series Peaky Blinders as John Shelby, and in the slightly less epic but still compelling gangster series Gangs of London as Sean Wallace.

Lucy Boynton as Jean Courtney

Boyton plays Jean Courtney, a female agent who joins Palmer on his dangerous mission.

Courtney’s role has been expanded from the movie, and she will play a more instrumental part in the series.

Boyton will be recognisable as Allison Adams in the thriller series Gypsy, and as Astrid Sloan in the political comedy series The Politician.

She will play a leading role as Marie Antoinette in the upcoming historical film, Chevalier.

Tom Hollander as Major Dalby

Hollander will play the man giving Palmer his orders throughout the series, which may be hard for the insubordinate spy to handle.

Hollander is a multi-talented actor, known for his role as Cal Richards in The Thick of It and Simon foster in In the Loop.

He played Beckett in Pirates of the Caribbean and Queen manager Jim Beach in musical biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.

Ashley Thomas as Paul Maddox

Thomas takes on the role of Maddox, who was in Deighton’s novel but absent from the film adaptation.

Maddox is a CIA agent that will come into contact with Palmer in Berlin.

Thomas played Jermaine in the third season of gritty London gang drama Top Boy.

He is also due to appear as Jaggers in the upcoming Great Expectations TV adaptation.

Paul Higgins as Minister

Higgins will play the minister of defence in the series. The minister will be everybody’s boss, with all orders coming from him.

Higgins is another The Thick of It and In the Loop alum, playing Jamie in both.

Higgins also played Dugdale in the 2014 sci-fi mystery Utopia, and Hilton in several seasons of Line of Duty.

Joshua James as Chico

Chico is an upper-class spy who works alongside Courtney. He is likely to rub Palmer up the wrong way, what with his accent and general bearing.

James is known for playing Tyler Mills in thriller series Absentia and Liam Banner in Manchester based drama series Life.

James will also appear as Dr. George Arbuthnot in the mystery series Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? due for release later this year.

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