The BBC drama sees Barry (Lennie James) with his loving wife Carmel (Sharon D Clarke) believes he has been cheating on her with other women - but the truth is closer to home
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Mr Loverman official trailer
New romantic drama stars actors from the world of The Walking Dead and Doctor Who. In an adaptation of Bernardine Evaristo's 2013 best-selling novel, Mr Loverman covers the charming love story between two men spanning 60 years.
The BBC drama sees Barry (Lennie James) with his loving wife Carmel (Sharon D Clarke) believes he has been cheating on her with other women. Yet he has been in a secret, passionate affair with his best friend and soulmate, Morris (Ariyon Bakare).
Barry grapples with the final stage of his life and big choices to make, including making his affair public. The first two episodes will air on BBC One at 9pm on Monday, October 14 with the full series released on BBC iPlayer.
The cast of the new BBC drama has many familiar faces from across British TV, including Doctor Who, Casualty, Small Axe and even the US smash hit The Walking Dead.
Here is the full cast of Mr Loverman.
Who appears in Mr Loverman?
Lennie James plays Barrington Jedidiah Walker
Barrington Jedidiah Walker, known to many as Barry, is a 74-year-old Antiguan-born man who lives in Hackney. Barry has been living a secret life and affair with his best friend and soulmate, Morris De La Roux, but the affair is bound to be made public.
Asked why Lennie took on the role, Lennie James said: "Any actor who saw and read Barry would like to play him as a character. He’s everything that would excite an actor – complicated, funny, a good dresser and harsh.
"He’s also a contradiction - loyal but disloyal, a good and bad husband, a good and bad father, a good and bad man.
"He loves and hates in equal measure. Every part of him is really interesting to me and would be to any actor. The opportunity to play him was a real no-brainer."
Lennie James is widely known for playing Morgan Jones in The Walking Dead franchise, DCI Tony Gates in Line of Duty, Robert Hawkins in Jericho and drama Save Me.
Sharon D Clarke plays Carmel Walker
Carmel Walker is Barrington’s wife of five decades and is concerned her husband is having an affair with different women. She struggles to come to terms of Barry's affair with Morris.
Sharon spoke of her role: "She’s been in love with him since she was seventeen and she’s just waiting for that love to be returned and it just isn’t, so it then makes her bitter.
"It also makes her question herself – she has this good man, so why don’t they have this perfect lifestyle and why don’t they have the loving side of the relationship, the humane and gentle side?"
Three-time Olivier Award winner Sharon D Clarke played Lola Griffin in Holby City for several years, Grace O'Brien in Doctor Who and appears as Virginia Hoult in other BBC drama Showtrial.
Ariyon Bakare plays Morris De La Roux
Barrington’s best friend and soulmate, Morris De La Roux, who has known Barry since they were teenagers. Morris is well known in Barry's family and known affectionally as "Uncle Morris", but they are set to find out about their secret affair.
Speaking about his role, Ariyon said: "Lennie is such a professional that between us we found this easy way to just fall into the part together and we just gelled. With Morris, as he’s the quiet man inside the family who sits in the corner and watches everything.
"He has already lost everything while he’s waiting for Barry, yet he’s entrenched in the Walker family – Barry’s children call him ‘Uncle Morris’, for example.
"For me, as Ariyon, I kept asking ‘how could you do this? How could you be the side piece and yet be so central and upfront sitting in the household, eating their food, loving his children and speaking to his wife?!’
"Those obstacles helped me play the part in some ways, and Hong helped me bring that out. They’ve all known each other for years and from their time in Antigua, they’re a community and within these communities these things happen."
Arlyon has also appeared in Life, Good Omens, His Dark Materials, as well as The Bill, Casualty and Holby City.
Tamara Lawrance plays Maxine Walker
Tamara Lawrance plays Barry and Carmel's daughter Maxine Walker. Viewers may recognise her from Get Millie Black and Time fame and has appeared in theatre.
Sharlene Whyte plays Donna Walker
Sharlene Whyte plays Barry and Carmel's daughter Maxine Walker. The actress played Jenny Edwards in The Story of Tracy Beaker, as well as appear in Sherwood, Waterloo Road, We Hunt Together and Stephen.
Tahj Miles plays Daniel
Daniel is Barry's grandson Daniel, who is about to head off to university. Despite his bright future, he's wrestling with some anxieties of his own.
Tahj Miles is widely known for appearing in Death in Paradise as Officer Marlon Pryce but Tahj also appeared in Small Axe and Class Dismissed.
Full cast of Mr Loverman
The full cast is as follows:
- Barrington (Barry) Jedidiah Walker – Lennie James (also an Executive Producer)
- Carmel Walker – Sharon D Clarke
- Morris De La Roux – Ariyon Bakare
- Maxine Walker – Tamara Lawrance
- Donna Walker – Sharlene Whyte
- Daniel – Tahj Miles
- Augusta – Juliet Garricks
- Odette De La Roux – Suzette Llewellyn
- Reuben Dempsey - Lochlann Ó Mearáin
- Miss Drusilla – Llewella Gideon
- Miss Merty – Hopi Grace
- Miss Candaisy – Doreene Blackstock
- Young Barry – Keenan Munn-Francis
- Young Morris – Gabin Kongolo
- Carmelita – Lauren Akosia
- Hubert – Clint Dyer
- Tony – Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
- Merle – Jessica Murrain