Home Poal13

The Slow Horses Cast: Complete List, New Faces In Season 5, And The Stars Behind Slough House

• minute read
Contents

The highly anticipated return of the 'Slow Horses' cast for Season 5 has cemented the Apple TV+ spy series as one of the most compelling and critically acclaimed dramas on television, with the latest season premiering on Wednesday, September 24, 2025. This ensemble of dysfunctional MI5 agents, led by the Oscar-winning Gary Oldman, has captivated audiences with its sharp writing and phenomenal performances, bringing the grim and witty world of Mick Herron's *Slough House* novels to life. The newest season, based on the novel *Dead Lions*, sees the 'slow horses' facing a new threat involving a mysterious Russian entity and a case that hits uncomfortably close to home for River Cartwright.

The core of the show's success lies in its stellar cast, a mix of legendary veterans and rising stars who perfectly embody the disgraced agents of Slough House and their ruthless superiors at 'The Park.' From the brilliant, yet utterly repulsive, Jackson Lamb to the ambitious but accident-prone River Cartwright, the actors deliver a masterclass in espionage drama. This deep dive reveals the full cast list for Season 5, provides detailed biographies of the leading actors, and highlights the new faces joining the ranks of the "slow horses" and their adversaries.

The Core Cast: Biographies and Notable Roles

The success of *Slow Horses* hinges on the magnetic, yet often repulsive, chemistry between its central players. Here is a look at the biographical and career highlights of the three main stars who anchor the series.

Sir Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb

  • Full Name: Sir Gary Leonard Oldman
  • Born: March 21, 1958, in New Cross, London, England
  • Role in *Slow Horses*: Jackson Lamb, the slovenly, flatulent, and brilliant head of Slough House, a dumping ground for MI5 agents who have messed up their careers.
  • Career Highlights: Oldman is one of the most versatile and acclaimed actors of his generation. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in *Darkest Hour* (2017). His other iconic roles include George Smiley in *Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy*, Commissioner Gordon in Christopher Nolan's *The Dark Knight* trilogy, and Sirius Black in the *Harry Potter* film series. He is also known for his intense performances in films like *Léon: The Professional* and *Sid and Nancy*.

Dame Kristin Scott Thomas as Diana Taverner

  • Full Name: Dame Kristin Ann Scott Thomas
  • Born: May 24, 1960, in Redruth, Cornwall, England
  • Role in *Slow Horses*: Diana Taverner, the Deputy Director-General of MI5, known as "Second Desk." She is Lamb's shrewd, powerful, and often antagonistic superior who operates from 'The Park.'
  • Career Highlights: Scott Thomas is a five-time BAFTA Award and Olivier Award nominee. She won the BAFTA for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for *Four Weddings and a Funeral* (1994) and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her heartbreaking performance in *The English Patient* (1996). She holds both British and French citizenship and has had a prolific career in both English and French cinema.

Jack Lowden as River Cartwright

  • Full Name: Jack Andrew Lowden
  • Born: June 2, 1990, in Chelmsford, Essex, England (raised in Oxton, Scottish Borders)
  • Role in *Slow Horses*: River Cartwright, a young, ambitious, and highly capable MI5 agent exiled to Slough House after a disastrous training exercise. He serves as the series' primary protagonist.
  • Career Highlights: A Scottish actor who began his career on stage, Lowden gained international recognition for his roles in Christopher Nolan's *Dunkirk* (2017) and the BBC adaptation of *War & Peace* (2016). He also starred in *Mary Queen of Scots* and *Fighting with My Family*.

The Full Ensemble: Slough House and The Park Agents (Season 5)

The heart of the show is the collection of misfits and disgraced agents who make up the Slough House team. Their individual failures and unique skills are what make the show’s dynamic so compelling. The complete ensemble cast for Season 5, based on Mick Herron's novel *Dead Lions*, includes both returning favorites and fresh entities.

The ensemble cast for *Slow Horses* Season 5 is as strong as ever, bringing back the entire Slough House team and their MI5 counterparts. This season is expected to delve deeper into the personal lives and past mistakes of these "slow horses," especially as the plot revolves around a mysterious operation that threatens the very foundation of British intelligence.

The Slough House Team (The Slow Horses)

  • Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb: The cynical, brilliant, and unhygienic chief of the disgraced spy unit.
  • Jack Lowden as River Cartwright: The young, eager, and often reckless agent trying to redeem himself.
  • Saskia Reeves as Catherine Standish: Lamb's capable and perpetually sober administrative assistant, struggling with her own past.
  • Rosalind Eleazar as Louisa Guy: A sharp and pragmatic agent whose career was derailed by a failed mission.
  • Christopher Chung as Roddy Ho: The socially inept, yet technologically genius, IT specialist.
  • Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Shirley Dander: A fiery and capable agent with a drug problem, returning for her second full season.
  • Kadiff Kirwan as Marcus Longridge: A competent but gambling-addicted agent, also continuing his tenure at Slough House.

MI5 Management (The Park)

  • Kristin Scott Thomas as Diana Taverner: The calculating and powerful Deputy Director-General, often playing a dangerous game with Lamb.
  • Jonathan Pryce as David Cartwright: River's grandfather and a highly decorated, retired MI5 legend.

New Faces and Key Returning Entities in Season 5

Season 5, which follows the events of the previous season's finale, introduces new characters and brings back some quietly impactful entities to expand the world of the *Slough House* novels. These additions are crucial for the narrative of *Dead Lions*, which sees the agents investigating a seemingly innocuous company that may be a front for a deadly conspiracy.

Key New and Recurring Cast Members

  • Tom Brooke as J.K. Coe: Brooke returns as J.K. Coe, an entity who made a quiet but impactful debut in an earlier season. Coe is described as a soft-spoken individual dealing with PTSD, often seen perpetually hooded. His expanded role suggests a deeper involvement in the new season’s central mystery.
  • Hiba Bennani as Tara: A significant new entity, Bennani joins the cast as Tara, the girlfriend of Slough House's eccentric IT expert, Roddy Ho. This new relationship promises to add a layer of personal complexity and potential comic relief to Roddy’s character, a fan favorite.
  • Other Cast Entities: While specific details are kept under wraps to maintain the tension of the spy thriller, the cast list also includes other entities integral to the plot of *Dead Lions*, ensuring a fresh wave of characters for the slow horses to interrogate, manipulate, or save.

The addition of these new entities, particularly Hiba Bennani’s Tara, signals a continued effort by the showrunners to flesh out the personal lives of the Slough House agents, moving beyond the central MI5 drama. This topical expansion helps to ground the high-stakes espionage in relatable human drama, a hallmark of the source material.

The Topical Authority: Why the Slow Horses Cast Works

The power of the *Slow Horses* cast, and its resulting high topical authority, stems from its commitment to the cynical and anti-glamorous world created by author Mick Herron. Unlike the polished agents of James Bond, the "slow horses" are defined by their flaws, making the cast’s performances incredibly rich. The series operates on the tension between the incompetence of the Slough House agents and the ruthless efficiency of the MI5 management at 'The Park.'

The central dynamic between Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb and Kristin Scott Thomas’s Diana Taverner is a masterclass in modern espionage storytelling. Lamb, the washed-up spy, embodies the old-school, morally grey world of Cold War intelligence, while Taverner represents the sleek, politically motivated, and often brutal modern MI5. Their constant chess match for control and information is a key LSI element that drives the entire narrative.

Furthermore, the ensemble cast, including Jack Lowden, Saskia Reeves, and Rosalind Eleazar, successfully navigates the complex emotional landscape of betrayal, redemption, and loyalty. Every actor brings a distinct, often tragic, backstory to their role, ensuring that the Slough House office feels less like a spy headquarters and more like a collection of broken professionals fighting for a second chance. The seamless transition from Herron's beloved books to the screen is a testament to the casting director's vision, making the latest Season 5 a must-watch event for fans of sophisticated spy thrillers.

slow horses cast
slow horses cast

Detail Author:

  • Name : Lucile Hayes
  • Username : janelle80
  • Email : mcormier@macejkovic.com
  • Birthdate : 2002-09-10
  • Address : 6810 Hegmann Drives Marvinburgh, VT 05420
  • Phone : (315) 284-5109
  • Company : Leannon, Cole and Armstrong
  • Job : Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
  • Bio : Qui est necessitatibus ut qui quo. Delectus aut impedit debitis ut. Accusantium est laborum non ipsum dolor omnis iure et. Fugit quos distinctio quis quas.

Socials

facebook:

twitter:

  • url : https://twitter.com/beaulahblock
  • username : beaulahblock
  • bio : Debitis a ipsum aut provident beatae voluptas. Beatae eum molestias esse nihil eligendi laboriosam. Molestiae deleniti alias qui ipsam eos.
  • followers : 6231
  • following : 86

linkedin:

Random Posts