A wealth of British acting talent graces the show
There are far too many big names to go through them all, but familiar faces from stage and screen pop up in every episode. John Thaw, Joss Ackland, Robert Hardy, Roy Marsden, Simon Williams, Jon Finch and Frank Finlay all play formidable opponents. There’s an early screen outing for the late Natasha Richardson as one of Holmes’ clients. Superb character actors such as Patricia Hodge, Freddie Jones, Roy Hudd, Eleanor David, Charles Kay, James Hazeldine, Ken Campbell, Daniel Massey, Jack Klaff, Michael Jayston and Denis Lill make appearances. Fresh-faced Hollywood star Jude Law appears as a young stable hand, and other actors who would go on to great success such as Ciaran Hinds and James Purefoy make an impact in substantial supporting roles. The quality of established and up-and-coming talent the production attracted is quite remarkable, and reflective of the esteem with which the show was held within the profession.
