The Split season 3 cast: who stars in BBC One drama with Nicola Walker, Lara Pulver, and Annabel Scholey?

The third and final series of The Split began recently on BBC One, and it’s probably the best of the show so far – mature and thoughtful, with some great performances from Nicola Walker and Fiona Button in particular.

As you’ve been watching it, you’ve probably been wondering about the cast – after all, it’s very much an actor’s show, giving its leads lots to do and lots to play. So, here’s everything you need to know about the cast of The Split, where you might recognise them from already, and what you should watch them in next if you enjoyed their performance here.

Nicola Walker as Hannah Defoe

Who do they play in The Split? Walker plays Hannah Defoe, a family law practitioner and the oldest of the three Defoe siblings. The Split series 3 sees her divorcing husband Nathan Stern.

Where do I recognise them from? Walker is a prolific actor, so you could recognise her from anything really – maybe Channel 4 drama Unforgotten, or ITV dramas Touching Evil and The Last Train, or BBC drama River. She’s still probably best known for playing Ruth Evershed in Spooks, though.

What should I watch them in next? I’m reliably informed that Nicola Walker’s best role is Last Tango in Halifax, so if you liked her in this that’s the one to check out next. Or, if you’ve seen that already, you might want to check out Nicola Walker as a vicar in Collateral, the Carey Mulligan/John Simm BBC Two crime drama from 2018.

Annabel Scholey as Nina Defoe

Who do they play in The Split? Annabel Scholey plays Nina, the middle Defoe sibling, currently caught up in a secretive affair with her boss’ husband.

Where do I recognise them from? You might recognise Scholey from a guest role on Being Human, starring in Medici, or from ITV biopic The Salisbury Poisonings. She also had a lead role in jukebox musical Walking on Sunshine.

What should I watch them in next? Scholey was recently one of the best parts of Doctor Who: Flux, another of those ‘best companions we never had’ characters like Carey Mulligan’s Sally Sparrow.

Fiona Button as Rose Defoe

Who do they play in The Split? Fiona Button plays Rose, the youngest Defoe sibling, who undergoes a huge life change in Series 3.

Where do I recognise them from? You might know Button from public relations drama Flack, the much-missed You, Me, and the Apocalypse, or as a regular in Sara Pascoe’s sitcom Out of Her Mind.

Deborah Findlay as Ruth Defoe

Who do they play in The Split? Deborah Findlay plays Ruth Defoe, a senior partner at Noble Hale Defoe law firm and the Defoe family matriarch.

Where do I recognise them from? If you recognised Nicola Walker from the 1999 ITV sci-fi The Last Train, you might also recognise Deborah Findlay from the same place! Otherwise, you might know her from Cranford, Silent Witness, or Torchwood: Children of Earth.

Stephen Mangan as Nathan Stern

Who do they play in The Split? Stephen Mangan plays Nathan Stern, another lawyer, currently divorcing Hannah.

Where do I recognise them from? Mangan is best-known for his comedy roles, having appeared in Green Wing, various Alan Partridge series, and David Cross’ 2018 Sky series Bliss.

What should I watch them in next? Mangan is brilliant in Episodes, a comedy about two married screenwriters trying to adapt their hit BBC comedy in the US. Matt LeBlanc plays himself as the difficult-to-work-with star of their American sitcom, while Tamsin Grieg plays Mangan’s wife – the strained central relationship possibly appealing to fans of The Split.

Barry Atsma as Christie Carmichael

Who do they play in The Split? Barry Atsma plays Christie Carmichael, Hannah’s old flame who represents the life she could’ve had but didn’t.

Where do I recognise them from? Atsma is a Dutch actor, best known for his role in the 2001-2005 television series Rozengeur and Wodka Lime. To UK audiences, he’s probably more recognisable for his part in the 2014 film Hector and the Search for Happiness.

Lara Pulver as Kate Pencastle

Who do they play in The Split? Lara Pulver plays Kate, Nathan’s new partner.

Where do I recognise them from? You might recognise Lara Pulver from Spooks, where she played a rival to Nicola Walker’s character, or maybe from the BBC Robin Hood adaptation. She’s also appeared in US dramas The Alienist and Da Vinci’s Demons.

What should I watch them in next? Her episode of Sherlock – Pulver played Irene Adler – really is one of the show’s best, well-worth rewatching.

Who else stars in The Split?

The rest of the cast of The Split includes Chukwudi Iwuji (Peacemaker) as Zander Hale, Ian McElhinney (Derry Girls) as Prof Ronnie, Anna Chancellor (Compulsion) as Melanie, Damien Molony (Being Human) as Tyler, Lindsay Duncan (The Leftovers) as the Duchess, and Karen Bryson (Zach Snyder’s Justice League) as Leonora ‘Lenny’ Hale.

Who writes and directs The Split?

Abi Morgan created The Split, and writes every episode too. Her most notable television work prior to The Split is the Ben Whishaw/Dominic West news drama The Hour, while in film Morgan is credited with writing the screenplay for Thatcher biopic The Iron Lady and historical drama Suffragette.

Morgan directs two episodes of The Split series 3, but the lead director of this series is Dee Koppang O’Leary. Koppang O’Leary (married to Dermot) has previously directed episodes of both The Crown and Bridgerton.