You Don’t Know Me cast: who stars in BBC drama with Samuel Adewunmi, when is it on TV, and what is it about?

The BBC’s new crime mini-series You Don’t Know Me, is set to be a Sunday-night favourite this December.

Based on Imran Mahmood’s novel, the series tells the story of a man who is on trial for murder, but decides to tell his own story instead.

Filmed in Birmingham, but set in London, the series examines the events which lead seemingly normal people into desperate and dark situations.

So who is in the cast of the new drama, what’s the full plot, and when is it on TV? This is what you need to know.

What is ‘You Don’t Know Me’ about?

The new four-part drama tells the story of a defendant in court, as he gives evidence to the jury.

Hero, a car salesman in his early 20s, is on trial for murder and shouldn’t stand a chance.

The series begins with flashbacks to his life as a normal young professional, having recently entered into a relationship with his girlfriend, Kyra.

Hero gives evidence in the dock throughout the drama, while attempting to bridge the gap between him, a man accused of murder, and the jury who will decide whether he is guilty.

Author of the book the series is based on, Imran Mahmood, told the BBC that his story aims to bring the viewer into the main character’s life.

He said of the storyline: “Hero believes that if he can be understood better, he will be treated more fairly.

“Hero tells you about the things in his life that join us. He shows us the people he loves, because love is part of a common currency.

“He tells us about the pain of loss, because loss is on the other side of love and we know that world. And slowly, by this trick, he seduces us into his world and into understanding him. Into knowing him.”

You Don’t Know Me cast

Samuel Adewunmi as Hero

27-year-old Adewunmi plays the lead role in You Don’t Know Me, as defendant in the murder trial, Hero.

He has previously starred in Born a King (2019) and The Last Tree (2019).

His character in the BBC drama tells the story of his life, including how he met Kyra and his close bond with his mother and younger sister, Bless.

Speaking of his role in an interview with the BBC, he said: “There are certain events that happen that mean Hero becomes the man of the family, the breadwinner, the provider, a guide to his younger sister in terms of a male figurehead to able to look up to or come to for advice.

“He’s a shoulder to cry on or a shoulder to lean on but as the story progresses, Hero increasingly looks to her for support.”

Sophie Wilde as Kyra

Kyra is Hero’s girlfriend, played by Sophie Wilde who makes her acting debut in You Don’t Know Me.

Adewunmi told the BBC that the story which unravels in the series is a love story, but the events which lead to his arrest are linked to meeting Kyra.

Asked about her character, Wilde told the BBC: “she’s a person who’s had a very hard life and grown up in quite a difficult setting, and that’s had an impact on her and the way she behaves. That’s forced her to become quite an introverted person in a lot of ways.

“I think of her as a bit of a lone wolf at the start of the piece and very much self-reliant.”

The Australian actress said she worked with a dialect coach to hone her London accent, drawing inspiration from the likes of Michaela Cole.

Bukky Bakray as Bless

Bless is another key character in the story, as Hero’s sister and Kyra’s confidant.

Bakray made her acting debut in 2019, as the lead in Netflix drama, Rocks.

In You Don’t Know Me, she channels an ‘old soul’, describing her character as “not really a talker but very observant,” adding  “she takes in the energy that’s around her.”

Bakray said the story is not only a love story of Kyra and Hero, but a lovely story about sibling relationships and codependency.

“Since it’s just been Bless and Hero for so long, the bad stuff that happens to Hero is really affecting her because they are so connected,” she told the BBC.

Roger Jean Nsengiyumva as Jamil

Roger Jean Nsengiyumva has featured in a number of successful films and dramas, including Netflix’s Tomb Raider (2018) and Sixteen (2013).

In his latest role, he plays Hero’s mate Jamil, who is killed and is at the heart of the legal case.

Jamil is a happy-go-lucky guy who gets caught up in trying to live an extravagant life, by allegedly dealing drugs.

Screenwriter Tom Edge said of Jamil’s role in the story: “I hope in characters like Jamil we see that complexity, that desire to keep his options open and to move quicker than the world perhaps will allow him to, and to be a good son to his parents and to keep their respect and to try and find his way through that.

“We also see the hubris of imagining that you can make the choices that he makes and emerge unscathed, and that too is Imran’s experience by the time he sees people in court. They have not gotten away with it, even if they walk free.”

Yetunde Oduwole as Abebi

Oduwole plays the role of Abebi, a single mother who has a close relationship with her son Hero, but less so with her daughter, Bless.

46-year-old actress Oduwole has also starred as Glady’s Adebanjo in three series of the award winning show Meet the Adebanjos and in  two series as Comfort in E4’s Youngers.

Not much is known about her role in You Don’t Know Me, but her character does support the overarching theme of love and familial relationships, how the actions of one can affect their wider circle greatly.

The series also features Nicholas Khan (Responsible Child, Transformers: The Last Night) as Sam and Tuwaine Barrett (Spider-Man: Far From Home).

When is You Don’t Know Me on TV?

The series begins on BBC One on Sunday 5 December at 9pm.

Episode two airs the following evening at the same time.

Viewers will then need to wait until Sunday 12 December for episode three, with the show concluding on Monday 13 December.

Episodes will be available shortly after broadcast on BBC iPlayer.