Where Do I Know That Actor?

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A woman seeks to make sense of her husband’s sudden death in the three-part series WHAT TO DO WHEN SOMEONE DIES. Based on the book of the same named by Nicci French (a pseudonym of husband and wife team Nicci Gerrard and Sean French), WHAT TO DO WHEN SOMEONE DIES originally aired in the UK in 2011 as WITHOUT YOU. It’s since shown up on streaming series under the current title and is now airing on PBS stations. If you’ve been watching, you’ve seen more than a couple of familiar faces from shows we’ve broadcast. Let’s sort ‘em all out, shall we?

Anna Friel stars as the newly widowed Ellie Manning. Back in the late 1990s, Friel played Bella in Our Mutual Friend, an adaptation of the Dickens novel seen on Masterpiece Theatre.

Marc Warren is Ellie’s husband, Greg Manning. He should be well known to viewers as Piet van der Valk in the Masterpiece Mystery series Van Der Valk. Warren also portrayed Samuel in Beecham House, Monks in Oliver Twist and the titular Count in Dracula.

Barnaby Kay, who plays Joe Lipton, was DCI Michael Phillips in the Prime Suspect series. He also portrayed Saul in Wuthering Heights and Lennart Mattson in Wallander.

Tim Woodward is Hugo Livingstone. He appeared in a few episodes of Mr. Selfridge as Musker.

Liam McMahon plays Johnny Landsdowne. He was Sedley in Northanger Abbey and Archie in Agatha And The Truth Of Murder.

Pippa Haywood portrays Frances Shaw. Most recently she was seen as Claire Jenkins/Clarissa Pye in Magpie Murders, but previously she appeared in Mr. Selfridge as Miss Bunting, in Scott & Bailey as Julie Dodson and in Agatha And The Truth Of Murder as Mabel.

Mamie McCoy showed up as Christine. If you recognize her, it’s most likely from Van Der Valk where she played Lucienne Hassell. She was also Mrs. Hall’s friend Dorothy in All Creatures Great And Small and Tamsin Richards in DCI Banks.

Lastly, Peter De Jersey played Dr. Gerald Sams. It was a minor role here but he’s been in The Choir (Mike), The Hollow Crown (Lord Ross), Atlantis (Goran) and Broadchurch as SOCO Brian Young.

So there you have it. Many of the other actors have shown up in guest roles here and there but nothing major.

WHAT TO DO WHEN SOMEONE DIES concludes Friday night at 10 on the Explorer Channel and Sunday at 11pm on PBS NC.