With her natural authority and dry wit, Elizabeth is the leader of the Thursday Murder Club. Highly intelligent, fearless, resourceful, and determined, she’s coy when it comes to the subject of her past career, which she describes only as something in “international relations.” Elizabeth certainly has some useful sources of information to call on. She’s extremely loyal to those she loves, particularly her husband, Stephen (Jonathan Pryce). Sadly, Elizabeth is shielding him from the knowledge that he is in the early stages of dementia.

Mirren first read Osman’s novel long before the opportunity to perform in the film adaptation came along. As she devoured the story, she thought that “of all the characters, if it was to be made into a movie, [Elizabeth] is the character I would probably be playing,” she says. 

Many of Osman’s devoted readers came to the same conclusion. “Lots of people in the street would shout ‘Helen Mirren!’ at me over the last three or four years, and suddenly, it is Helen Mirren!” says the author.

The Queen, Gosford Park

Ron is the real comedian of the gang. He’s into sports and supports West Ham United Football Club. Once a militant and high-profile trade union activist — he’s dubbed “Red Ron” by the press — even in retirement he still can’t resist a fight for what he feels is right. He’s been married several times, though he’s now a widower. His real pride and joy is his son, Jason (Tom Ellis), an ex-champion boxer turned TV celebrity, who’s a regular visitor to Coopers Chase. Ron is also good friends with Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley), whom he fondly calls ‘Ibsy.’ 

When back in California, and far away from Englefield House and Coopers Chase, Brosnan is neighbors with director Chris Columbus. They’ve stayed pals over the years after working together on projects including Mrs. Doubtfire and Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. So when the part of Ron came along, Columbus called Brosnan up. “He seems to come ’round into my life just when I need him,” says Brosnan.

GoldenEye, The Out-Laws

A confirmed bachelor, Ibrahim is a respected psychiatrist of Egyptian descent. He’s soft-spoken, kind, polite, empathetic, and cultured. He’s also highly intelligent, analytical, a little cautious sometimes, and occasionally a bit pedantic. But his insights are highly valued by his friends. His closest friend is Ron (Brosnan).

Kingsley compares acting opposite his talented Thursday Murder Club castmates to playing tennis with an equal partner. “It elevates the game tremendously,” he says. “The ball never drops, or gets lost or gets idle. It’s a level of alertness, and love of our craft that is shared.”

Gandhi, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More

Ex-nurse Joyce is a newcomer to Coopers Chase. “You learn about everybody through her eyes,” says Imrie. The mother of Joanna (Ingrid Oliver), a highly successful hedge fund manager,  Joyce is recently widowed. Kind, thoughtful, chatty, warm, empathetic, and eager to please — particularly when it comes to Elizabeth (Mirren) — Joyce draws people to her. 

“She's quite intimidated by everybody, but has got a great joy of life,” says the actor. “Where a retirement village could seem like the end for somebody, immediately she gets here and thinks it's actually uplifting and fun.” In fact, Joyce is particularly relieved to have new friends. “Friends are so important when you get to a certain age,” Imrie adds.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Diplomat

PC Donna De Freitas is a young police officer who was recently transferred from the London Metropolitan Police to the quiet Kent backwater of Fairhaven. Donna is intelligent, observant, resilient, and determined; but she’s also bored, deeply frustrated, and underused. Working with the Thursday Murder Club alters the course of her career. From then on, mutual like and respect, plus a little quid pro quo, sees them unofficially collaborating — to the annoyance of her boss. 

When Ackie read the novel, her takeaway about Donna was how courageous and “ballsy” she is. “This is an extraordinary situation and she goes along with it — she actually welcomes it,” says Ackie. Donna’s mind is constantly ticking, a trait Ackie sees as kindred with the members of the Thursday Murder Club.

Lady Macbeth, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Chris is a good and dedicated detective, but his home life isn’t great. He hasn’t coped well since his divorce. He wears bad suits, doesn’t iron his shirts, and doesn’t go out much. He comfort-eats, but what he really wants is some romance in his life. It doesn’t help that he is outmaneuvered by a group of clever pensioners. But they do give him Donna, and she’s a real asset to his team.

“I felt real ownership of Chris Hudson before I even set foot in rehearsals,” says Mays. “The key to the character was food — that was a big ‘in’ for me.” 

Atonement, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

Bogdan is hard-working, polite, kind, and obliging. He works initially for Coopers Chase owners Tony Curran (Geoff Bell), and then Ian Ventham (David Tennant), as foreman of the building and maintenance man for Coopers Chase. He’s also a brilliant chess opponent and plays against Elizabeth’s husband, Stephen. Originally from Poland, he’s working in England to support his sick mother back in Kraków. He’d dearly love to return home to see her. 

“Richard Osman is so clever at presenting a world which we easily recognize on the surface and yet, underneath it are more intriguing elements,” says Lloyd-Hughes. “Bogdan is a complicated character, but I feel he comes from a good place and that enables you to root for him.”

Anna Karenina, Chevalier

Jason is Ron’s son, a world-famous ex-boxing champion who visits his dad several times a week. Forced to retire due to injury, Jason has become a fixture on reality TV shows. There are a few things in Jason’s past that he’d prefer not to be public knowledge.

“Jason, along with other characters, is on the list of suspects,” says Ellis. Even if the film presents characters as good, nice, kind people in the flesh, you come to realize that they all have a motive and opportunity. “And Jason, with his background, certainly fits the bill.” 

Lucifer, Players

Stephen is Elizabeth’s husband, a well-traveled retired academic who has written several scholarly books. But these days he rarely goes out. He loves a good game of chess and Bogdan becomes his worthy opponent. Bogdan is so good, in fact, that Stephen starts secretly recording their matches in the hope of learning his strategy. Sadly, Stephen has begun to show early signs of dementia and sometimes becomes confused. Despite his character’s penchant for chess, Pryce had never played before this project. “We had experts on set all the time telling us where to put our pieces,” he says. 

For Pryce, the opportunity to work opposite Mirren was a major draw. “We were in the same scene, but I never got to talk to her on Woman in Gold and Helen is an actress I’ve long admired.”

The Two Popes, The Crown

Ian Ventham is co-owner of Coopers Chase. He’s got all the signs of success, but he’s facing a big divorce settlement and he needs to make more money fast. He lacks empathy, diplomacy, and charisma, and he’s self-interested to an alarming extent. Originally, Ventham was brought in by Tony Curran (Bell) to develop the Coopers Chase retirement village. But after Curran’s death, he intends to push ahead with a plan to displace the residents and redevelop the site.  

Like Mirren, Tennant had also read the book long before the opportunity to work on the film adaptation came around. He doesn’t see Ian Ventham as an outright villain. “He’s just someone who’s got himself in a very particular situation and doesn’t have the people skills to get through life with as much charm as one might hope he should have,” he says.

Doctor Who, Inside Man