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Dalgliesh cast: Who stars in the Channel 5 show and who played Dalgliesh in the original series?

FANS OF Dalgliesh were thrilled when Channel 5 brought the much-loved 80s series back to life.

The rebooted show has brought with it a new actor playing the enigmatic Inspector, but do you remember who starred in the original?

Roy Mardsen (left) starred as the original Dalgliesh and Bertie Carvel (right) plays him now
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Roy Mardsen (left) starred as the original Dalgliesh and Bertie Carvel (right) plays him now

Who played Dalgliesh in the original series?

When the well known crime writer PD James wrote the Inspector Dalgliesh crime novels she may not have expected Britain's leading actors to play the title role, including Martin Shaw and in the 2021 series, Bertie Carvel.

But, for many fans, Roy Marsden remains THE Dalgliesh.

Marsden played the lead role from 1983 until he was replaced by Shaw in 1991 who would later go on to star in Inspector George Gently and The Long Call.

Speaking about playing the famous Inspector, Marsden told the in 1998: "It's an easy job, really. Every 18 months or so I do a couple of months filming one.

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"It's not like what John Thaw did on Morse - he spent months slogging at it for years."

Dalgliesh may have been one of his most famous roles, but Marsden appeared in some of the most watched television programmes in a career that lasted 50 years.

His credits include the role of Nigel in The Liver Birds (1969), Sir Andrew Foulkes in The Elusive Pimpernel (1969), Tommy in Z Cars (1975), Frank Turner in The New Avengers (1976), Gerald Overton in Tales Of The Unexpected (1980-1984) and Professor Nigel Silverlake in Silent Witness (2011).

Where is Roy Marsden now?

Born on June 25, 1941, Marsden is thought to live a quiet life in East London close to where he grew up.

It is reported that the actor is now retired.

His last television credit was in 2015 when he played Commander Haydock in the TV miniseries Partners in Crime.

Is Roy Marsden married and does he have children?

In a case of life imitating art, some might say that the obsessive character of Dalgliesh may have rubbed off on him when, unexpectedly, he divorced his second wife Polly Hemingway.

He moved out of the family home leaving his two children, Billy who was born in 1987 and Joe who was born in 1982.

Marsden did not remarry after the split.

Who is in the cast of the Dalgliesh reboot?

Bertie Carvel as Inspector Dalgliesh

Bertie Carvel is an English actor who plays the lead role of Adam Dalgliesh.

He is best known for Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (2015), Doctor Foster (2015) and Les Misérables (2012).

In 2019 he married actress Sally Scott. They have one child together.

Carlyss Peer as Kate Miskin

Actress Carlyss Peer plays DS Kate Miskin, who is Dalgliesh's work partner. 

Away from Dalgliesh, she is known for BBC One's Beyond Paradise.

Her other acting credits includes Doctors, ITV crime drama Viewpoint, sci-fi series The Feed, and Holby City.

Alistair Brammer plays Daniel Tarrant

DS Daniel Tarrant joins Dalgliesh and Miskin's team for season 2.

Actor Alistair Brammer is best known for his stage work, appearing in Les Mislerables, War Horse, and Miss Saigon.

On TV he has starred in BBC One's Casualty.

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The rest of the cast includes:

  • Dominic Rowan as Dr Edmund Lorrimer - a senior forensic biologist.
  • Sam Hoare as Maximillian Howarth - the director of the laboratory where Lorrimer works.
  • Margaret Clunie as Domenica Howarth - Howarth's sister, who lives with him.
  • Richard Harrington as Dr David Rollinson - a forensic biologist who worked on dozens of cases with Lorrimer.
  • Lara Cohen and Ezra Carlisle as Nell and William Rollinson - Rollinson's children
  • Stuart Graham as DI Doyle.
  • Alyth Ross as Brenda Pridmore - the clerical officer at the lab.
  • Carolina Main as Angela Foley - Howarth's secretary and Lorrimer's cousin.
  • Shanaya Rafaat as Stella Mawson - Angela's partner.
  • Perry Millward as Clifford Bradley - junior biologist who worked under Lorrimer.
  • Francis Mezza as DC Mercer.
  • Conor Hinds as DC Carling.
  • Deborah Findlay as Miss Willard - Rollinson's housekeeper.
  • David Hargreaves as Lorrimer's father.
  • Debbie Chazen as Blanche Fielding - Dalgliesh's agent.
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