Several iconic actors team up to star in Netflix’s newest murder mystery, The Thursday Murder Club. Based on the Richard Osman novel of the same name, the film follows Elizabeth, Ron, Joyce, and Ibrahim, who live at the luxurious Coopers Chase retirement home and try to solve cold-case murders for fun.

However, their lives become significantly more complicated when one of the owners of Coopers Chase gets killed. Throughout the film, they try to solve this murder and save the retirement home from shutting down. Reviews for The Thursday Murder Club have been quite solid, with Screen Rant‘s own Rachel LaBonte giving it a score of 7 out of 10.

The Thursday Murder Club is based on the first novel in Osman’s series, which means this could be the start of a new franchise for Netflix. After the ending of The Thursday Murder Club, it would be great to see these characters return in a sequel. However, for now, let’s remain in the present and take a look at the cast of The Thursday Murder Club, which is now streaming on Netflix.

Helen Mirren As Elizabeth Best

• Date Of Birth: July 26, 1945
• Active Since: 1963

Actor: Helen Mirren was born in London, England and is one of the most well-respected and acclaimed actors in the world. Throughout her career, Mirren has won an Academy Award, five Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, and countless other notable accolades. She won Best Actress in 2007 for portraying Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, and has also starred in many other acclaimed films.

Previously In: Queen Charlotte in The Madness of King George (1995), Mrs. Wilson in Gosford Park (2001), Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen (2006), Sofya in The Last Station (2009), Victoria Winslow in RED (2010), and Magdalene “Queenie” Shaw in the Fast & Furious franchise

Character: Mirren plays Elizabeth, a former MI6 spy and the de facto leader of The Thursday Murder Club. Throughout the movie, she uses her expertise as a spy to search for clues to figure out who the killer is. All the while, she is shown to be a supportive wife to her husband, who suffers from dementia.

Pierce Brosnan As Ron Ritchie

• Date Of Birth: May 16, 1953
• Active Since: 1975

Actor: Pierce Brosnan was born in County Louth, Ireland and rose to popularity after starring in the television series Remington Steele in the 1980s. He achieved worldwide fame after landing the highly coveted role of James Bond in the ’90s. Brosnan played 007 in four movies and has also starred in countless other popular films throughout his career.

Previously In: James Bond in GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), and Die Another Day (2000), Thomas Crown in The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), Sam Carmichael in Mamma Mia! (2008), Doctor Fate in Black Adam (2022), and Arthur Steiglitz in Black Bag (2025)

Character: In The Thursday Murder Club, Brosnan plays Ron Ritchie, a retired union worker who lives at Coopers Chase. In the film, he rallies the other Coopers Chase residents to ensure that they will do everything in their power to stop Ian Ventham from shutting down the retirement home. He is also instrumental in solving the movie’s central mystery.

Celia Imrie As Joyce Meadowcroft

• Date Of Birth: July 15, 1952
• Active Since: 1973

Actor: Celia Imrie was born in Surrey, England and is an accomplished actor and author. Throughout her career, Imrie has starred in many movies and television shows, and has also published six novels. Her impressive resume proves that she is an incredibly talented and multifaceted artist.

Previously In: Una Alconbury in the Bridget Jones series, Mrs. Quickly in Nanny McPhee (2005), Vice Chancellor in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018), and Margaret “Meg” Roylin in The Diplomat (2023-present)

Character: Imrie plays Joyce Meadowcroft, a retired nurse who gets recruited to The Thursday Murder Club at the beginning of the film. Her medical expertise makes her a great addition to the group, and she thoroughly enjoys investigating the murder with the others.

Ben Kingsley As Ibrahim Arif

• Date Of Birth: December 31, 1943
• Active Since: 1966

Actor: Ben Kingsley was born in Yorkshire, England and originally got his acting start on the stage after joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1967. After spending 15 years mostly on stage, he transitioned to the screen. Throughout his career, he has earned much acclaim and has won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards.

Previously In: Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi (1982), Itzhak Stern in Schindler’s List (1993), Dr. John Cawley in Shutter Island (2010), Trevor Slattery in Iron Man 3 (2013) and Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Character: Kingsley plays Ibrahim, a former psychiatrist and the fourth member of The Thursday Murder Club. He has the smallest role in the movie out of the main members of the group, but still helps Elizabeth, Ron, and Joyce solve the movie’s central murder.

Naomi Ackie As Donna De Freitas

• Date Of Birth: August 22, 1991
• Active Since: 2009

Actor: Naomi Ackie was born in London, England and graduated from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2012. Since then, she has found success in Hollywood thanks to her roles in shows like The End of the F***ing World, Master of None, and her supporting role in the 2019 blockbuster Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Previously In: Jannah in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), Alicia in Master of None season 3 (2021), Frida in Blink Twice (2024), and Nasha in Mickey 17 (2025)

Character: In The Thursday Murder Club, Ackie plays Donna De Freitas, a local police officer who the group arranges to get put on the murder case so that she can help them investigate. Throughout the movie, Donna proves that she is a skilled detective and forms close bonds with all the members of The Thursday Murder Club.

The Thursday Murder Club Supporting Cast & Characters

David Tennant as Ian Ventham: Ian Ventham is one of the co-owners of Coopers Chase and wants to shut it down so that he can build a luxury apartment complex. He becomes the primary suspect once Tony Curran is found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. Tennant is best known for playing the Tenth Doctor on Doctor Who and also appearing in shows like Jessica Jones and Good Omens.

Jonathan Pryce as Stephen Best: Stephen is Elizabeth’s husband, who struggles with dementia and requires the care provided at Coopers Chase. Pryce is best known for playing the villain Elliot Carver in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, Governor Weatherby Swann in the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and The High Sparrow in Game of Thrones.

Daniel Mays as Chris Hudson: Chris Hudson is Donna’s boss and works the murder case with her in The Thursday Murder Club. Mays has previously appeared in shows such as EastEnders, Outcasts, Mrs Biggs, and White Lines.

Henry Lloyd-Hughes as Bogdan: Desperate to earn money to send to his mother in Poland, Bogdan works for Tony Curran and Ian Ventham. Because of his involvement with them, he becomes an important figure in the murder case. He has previously starred in the show The Inbetweeners, as well as movies like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Now You See Me 2.

Richard E. Grant as Bobby Tanner: In The Thursday Murder Club, it’s discovered that Bobby Tanner is a secret third partner for Coopers Chase. Even though he has been in hiding for years, Bobby Tanner has a reputation for being dangerous. Grant has also appeared in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and Saltburn.

Tom Ellis as Jason Ritchie: Jason is Ron’s son and a former boxing champion who was forced to quit because of an injury. Now, Jason stars in various reality television shows, and also frequently visits his father at Coopers Chase. Ellis is best known for his roles in shows like Miranda and Lucifer.

Geoff Bell as Tony Curran: Tony is one of the owners of Coopers Chase and is dedicated to making sure it stays open. However, he is killed near the beginning of the movie, which sends the members of The Thursday Murder Club into action. Bell has previously appeared in RocknRolla, as well as shows like His Dark Materials and MobLand.

Paul Freeman as John Grey: John is the husband of Penny, who was originally a member of The Thursday Murder Club. Throughout the movie, Elizabeth and other characters speak with John while visiting Penny, who is very sick. Freeman has also starred in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, and H๏τ Fuzz.

Ingrid Oliver as Joanna Meadowcroft: Joanna is Joyce’s daughter, and is initially skeptical of her decision to move into Coopers Chase following the death of her husband. Despite this, Joanna still helps The Thursday Murder Club acquire information about Coopers Chase’s partners. Ingrid is one half of the comedy duo Watson & Oliver and has also appeared in Doctor Who.