Character Descriptions

Joe/Muscle (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett)

Joe is a family man living in a sleepy town in WashingtonState. He is pursuing the American dream: engaged to a man he loves, a step-father to kids he adores, and starting his own local business.
The future seems bright. But Joe has a secret criminal past that threatens everything he holds dear. And now that past is catching up with him. At first we believe Joe to be American. But in reality he is British, formerly known as ‘Muscle’, and he worked for various London criminals before being recruited onto an elite heist crew that stole millions of pounds. And now he is living in this new life as a fraud – with a fake identity, a fake name, a fake accent. Who is the real Joe? As Muscle he was capable of committing terrible crimes, but as Joe he is thoughtful and kind and adores his new family. He wants to be in control of his own destiny. He wants to be a good man. He wants a quiet, normal life. But to protect his hard-won peace, he is going to have to become Muscle again, to track down the killer who’s coming after him and put an end to the threat once and for all.

Dianne Harewood / ‘Brain’ (Gemma Arterton)

Dianne is the mastermind of the crew. She picks the target, selects the team, and creates the plan. She’s brilliant, impressive, and meticulous. And very choosey about who she hires for a job. Her codename for the heist is “Brain”. She has been working robberies and scams for years. A much-feared, infamous underworld figure, Dianne has a reputation for being a high-stakes, ruthless criminal. She’s confident, elegant, and striking. And her plan for the heist is intricate and detailed. Dianne has an impressive track record. And her close associates, Fixer and Right Hand, are intimidating and loyal. She is careful and calculating, always thinking five or six moves ahead. In the heist, Dianne is not on the sidelines. She is in the thick of it. Even when things begin to go wrong and the carefully planned heist descends into chaos and bullets, she doesn’t shy away from the action. She thrives on it. But when the past comes back to haunt the crew, Dianne is nowhere to be found. So where did she go? What did she do with the money? Does she know who is chasing them? And why?

‘Specialist’ (Niamh Algar)

Nick-named “Psycho” by Officer, Specialist’s name is INGA BEATRICE. She is the expert killer of the heist crew. She enjoys killing and does it without remorse. Not only is she good with weapons, she is a weapon. And she has a scary reputation for being merciless and ruthless. She is resourceful, patient, quiet and resilient. An assassin with a reputation of being exceptionally calm, until her own hair-trigger is pulled. Then she goes insane. She is unpredictable, dangerous but highly effective. She is like a star-player on the crew. A celebrity criminal for the others to gawp at – and fear. She finds other people an irritation. She strives to be perfectly in control. In her work. In her life. And other people are a liability. She doesn’t trust them. She would rather work alone. So when the past comes back to haunt her, she is annoyed at having to re-team with the crew.

‘Officer’ (Kirby)

Dubbed “Officer” by Dianne because she impersonates a cop on the day of the heist. We never know Officer’s real name. She is a con artist. So every time they need to fast-talk or pick-pocket or scam someone, Officer is the one to do it. Officer revels in the art of the con. The thrill of it. The power it gives her. She is expert at fake identities. Fake back stories. Elaborate narratives. She’s fast-thinking and fast-talking. She is funny and charming. She is the queen of bullshit, able to create elaborate webs of lies on the fly and totally convince you it’s real. She’s also Muscle’s closest ally during the heist. But can someone who lies so much ever really be trusted?

‘Devil’ (Ned Dennehy)

The man who is chasing the Culprits. He is the big bad wolf: the personification of fear and paranoia and guilt. Relentless. Emotionless. Often hidden behind a blank mask, he is an unknowable presence. He kills and tortures and gets it done. And every criminal in the world has heard about him. Like kids have heard of the bogeyman. Some people don’t believe in him. Or think the stories about him are apocryphal. But you should be scared of him. Because most of the stories are absolutely true. And the Culprits have NO idea who hired him.

Vincent Hawkes (Eddie Izzard)

A rich man. A mysterious man. A dangerous man. Someone we will learn more about as the story unfolds.

Azar Mizouni (Tara Abboud)

Azar is 18 and Youssef’s granddaughter. She is brash, fiercely bright, agile and brave. She enjoys the coolness and swagger of being on a heist crew. And she proves her worth with her impressive skill. She relaxes by covering abandoned buildings in her gloriously vibrant graffiti. She loves her grandfather. And will do anything to protect him. Even if it takes her to dark places.

Youssef Mizouni (Kamel El Basha)

Youssef is mid-70s and Azar’s grandfather. We meet them both in their home city of Barcelona. Youssef is an old-school safe-cracker. He used to work for hire for some of the biggest criminals in Europe, including the mafia. He worked as a team with his son Malek (Azar’s father) until they got caught. They served eight years in prison. Once they were released, they retired. Or at least Malek did. Youssef has been hungry ever since for another big job. Meanwhile, he has trained up his teenage granddaughter Azar in lock-breaking and she has proven to be a prodigy. Youssef is fearless, loyal and fun. He loves the criminal life. He loves the challenge of safe-cracking. But he is getting older and once they are on the run, he needs to rely on Azar more and more.

Jules (Kevin Vidal)

Jules is Joe’s American fiancé. A widower with two children – Frankie and Bud. He was left to raise his kids alone when his wife Laura died a few years ago. A realtor living in the suburbs of town in Washington State, Jules is happy and very much in love with Joe. And together they are planning a future together. Jules is a warm, generous, and patient man. But when Joe’s secrets start to come to the surface, Jules’ love for Joe will be tested.