Today, Paramount+ revealed the cast for its upcoming Sexy Beast prequel series. Taking on the characters made famous by Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley in the original British black comedy crime picture from 2000, James McArdle and Emun Elliot will lead the way into the criminal underground of 1990s London in this prequel. Winstone appeared in the original film as Gal Dove, a reformed felon who has started a new life in Spain with his wife DeeDee (Amanda Redman). Don Logan, played by Kingsley, is a violent psychopath and Gal’s old business partner who travels to Spain to enlist him in an upcoming robbery.
Teddy Bass, the notorious head of London’s criminal underworld, becomes involved with Gal after the theft (Ian McShane). As the series opens, Gal and Don, two lifelong friends, are petty thieves who are quickly drawn into the “madness of the London criminal scene during the colourful and explosive 1990s.” McArdle has recently been seen in the highly praised HBO crime drama Mare of Easttown and the BBC drama Life After Life.
His cinematic credits also include Mary, Queen of Scots and Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. Famous works of Elliot include “Prometheus,” “Filth,” and “The King’s Man.” The HBO series Game of Thrones and the Showtime drama Guilt both included guest appearances from him. Tamsin Greig will play Don’s strict elder sister, and Stephen Moyer will play a young Teddy Bass building a reputation for himself in the mafia world in the prequel series. Sarah Greene will take up the role of Gal’s future wife, DeeDee.
Greene was most recently featured in the highly regarded Hulu series Normal People and will soon be seen in the forthcoming Apple TV+ series Bad Sisters. Fans recognise Moyer from his role as vampire Bill Compton on the hit HBO series True Blood. Formerly known for his roles in the Showtime series Episodes and the cult classic horror comedy Shaun of the Dead, Greig has a wide range of acting experience. Clea Martin, Nicholas Nunn, John Dagleish, Paul Kaye, Robbie Gee, Lex Shrapnel, Cally Lawrence, David Kennedy, Nitin Ganatra, and Alice Bailey Johnson round out the cast. Michael Caleo is writing, running the show, and exec producing this prequel series to Sexy Beast.
In addition to his role as showrunner, Daniel O’Hara will direct many episodes. Directors David Scinto and Louis Mellis, as well as Sophie Gardiner, Rupert Ryle-Hodgesare, and Nicole Clemens of Chapter One Pictures, served as executive producers. Production duties will be handled by James Levison. In Liverpool, they’ve begun filming the pilot episode of their prequel series.