The Responder cast: who stars in BBC police drama with Martin Freeman, MyAnna Buring, and Adelayo Adedayo?

Martin Freeman and MyAnna Buring play an urgent response police officer and his wife
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The Responder, BBC One’s new police drama, starts on 24 January.

The series stars Martin Freeman as Chris Carson, an urgent response police officer who’s increasingly exhausted by the demands of consecutive night shifts.

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Here’s everything you need to know about the cast of The Responder, alongside some recommendations as to which of their other roles you might want to check out next.

Martin Freeman as Chris Carson

Martin Freeman as urgent response officer Chris Carson in The Responder (Credit: BBC/Dancing Ledge/Rekha Garton)Martin Freeman as urgent response officer Chris Carson in The Responder (Credit: BBC/Dancing Ledge/Rekha Garton)
Martin Freeman as urgent response officer Chris Carson in The Responder (Credit: BBC/Dancing Ledge/Rekha Garton)

Who does Martin Freeman play? Freeman plays Chris Carson, an urgent response police officer who we follow across five consecutive night shifts. He’s absolutely exhausted, not just physically but mentally and morally.

Where do I know Martin Freeman from? You’ll recognise Freeman from television roles in The Office and Sherlock, and from his film roles in The Hobbit trilogy and Marvel’s Black Panther.

If I like his performance in this, what should I watch next? Some other crime dramas Freeman’s been involved in are true crime series A Confession, and Noah Hawley’s Fargo – both very different from one another, and from The Responder, but possibly worth checking out if you enjoyed this.

Adelayo Adedayo as Rachel

Adelayo Adedayo as Rachel in The Responder (Credit: BBC One)Adelayo Adedayo as Rachel in The Responder (Credit: BBC One)
Adelayo Adedayo as Rachel in The Responder (Credit: BBC One)
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Who does Adelayo Adedayo play? Adedayo plays Rachel, a new police officer who takes a much different, much more by-the-book perspective than Chris – the two inevitably crash when she joins him on overnight shifts.

Where do I know Adelayo Adedayo from? Most likely you’ll recognise her from her comedy roles, in particular Timewasters or Some Girls.

If I like her performance in this, what should I watch next? You might be interested in BBC One policing and surveillance drama The Capture.

Josh Finan as Marco

Josh Finan as Marco in The Responder (Credit: BBC One)Josh Finan as Marco in The Responder (Credit: BBC One)
Josh Finan as Marco in The Responder (Credit: BBC One)

Who does Josh Finan play in The Responder? Josh Finan plays Marco, one of the local youths that Chris clashes with. He’s basically harmless, but prone to bad decisions.

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Where do I know Josh Finan from? You might recognise him from supporting parts in Hellboy, Guerilla, or The Current War.

Emily Fairn as Casey

Emily Fairn as Casey in The Responder (Credit: BBC One)Emily Fairn as Casey in The Responder (Credit: BBC One)
Emily Fairn as Casey in The Responder (Credit: BBC One)

Who does Emily Fairn play in The Responder? Fairn plays Casey, a drug addict who crosses a local dealer – it’s this that kicks off the dramatic events that unfold across The Responder.

Where do I know Emily Fairn from? The Responder is Fairn’s first screen role, actually – but it’ll be worth keeping an eye out for her in future, because her performance here is a real star-making turn.

MyAnna Buring as Kate

Who does MyAnna Buring play in The Responder? Buring plays Chris’ wife, Kate Carson, who struggles with the demands of his job.

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Where do I know MyAnna Buring from? You probably recognise her from her recent role in The Witcher as Tissaia, or maybe from police dramas Ripper Street and In the Dark.

If I like her performance here, what should I watch next? You might watch to check out true-crime drama The Salisbury Poisonings.

Warren Brown as Ray

Warren Brown as Ray Mullen in The Responder (Credit: BBC One)Warren Brown as Ray Mullen in The Responder (Credit: BBC One)
Warren Brown as Ray Mullen in The Responder (Credit: BBC One)

Who does Warren Brown play in The Responder? Brown plays Ray Mullen, a local detective who has something of a justified grudge against Chris – the pair have clashed in the past over Chris’ cut corners and lack of accountability.

Where do I know him from? Again, all sorts of things – Brown is one of those very reliable, “that guy from that thing” type actors, who’s appeared in everything from Doctor Who to Luther to Strike Back.

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If I like his performance here, what should I watch next? Brown is currently starring in a similar sort of role in Trigger Point over on ITV.

David Bradley as Davey

Who does David Bradley play in The Responder? David Bradley plays Davey, a local homeless man.

Where do I know David Bradley from? All sorts of things, though recently he’s found fame for his roles in Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Doctor Who.

Who else stars in The Responder?

Ian Hart (The Terror), Phillip Shaun McGuinness (The Alienist), Faye McKeever (Little Boy Blue), and Christine Tremarco (Wolfe) all star in The Responder as well.

Who writes and directs The Responder?

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The Responder is written by former police officer Tony Schumacher. This is Schumacher’s first television series, though he’s previously written a trilogy of alternate history novels set in Nazi-occupied London.

The Responder is directed by Tim Mielants (Peaky Blinders) and Phillip Baranti (Boiling Point).

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