Entertainment

Carey Mulligan joins 'stunningly gifted cast' in BBC drama Collateral

The line-up will be seen in Sir David Hare’s new four-part series.
The line-up will be seen in Sir David Hare’s new four-part series. The line-up will be seen in Sir David Hare’s new four-part series.

Carey Mulligan is to star alongside Billie Piper and John Simm in new BBC Two thriller series Collateral.

The Oscar-nominated actress makes up part of the ensemble cast for celebrated playwright and screenwriter Sir David Hare’s latest effort, set in modern day London.

The drama, set over four days, focuses on the repercussions following the fatal shooting of a pizza delivery man.

Collateral cast
Collateral cast
Collateral’s Billie Piper, Carey Mulligan and John Simm (PA)

Carey’s tough and single-minded character Detective Inspector Kip Glaspie is fixated on discovering a darker truth behind the crime as she refuses to believe it was just a senseless act of violence.

John, best known for Life On Mars and State Of Play, is David Mars, a politician who becomes instantly entangled in the drama, while former Doctor Who and Penny Dreadful actress Billie is his unpredictable ex Karen.

The four-part series also stars Spooks’ Nicola Walker as Jane Oliver, a compassionate vicar who has difficulty hiding her affair with the crime’s only witness.

Carey was nominated for an Oscar for her role in her breakout 2009 film An Education, for which she also won a Bafta, and she has gone on to achieve critical acclaim for roles in films including Drive, Shame, Suffragette and Never Let Me Go.

Sir David Hare
Sir David Hare
Sir David Hare (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

She also worked with Sir David on the revival of his play Skylight in both the West End and on Broadway.

Sir David, whose notable works include Oscar-winning films The Reader and The Hours, shared his delight over the cast for Collateral.

He said: “I’ve been writing drama for the BBC since 1973, but this is my first original series. I’m thrilled that it has such a stunningly gifted cast.”

Filming on the series – which is being co-produced by Netflix and independent drama production company The Forge – kicked off this week.

Piers Wenger, controller of BBC Drama, said: “Collateral is a highly imaginative, thought-provoking and utterly contemporary state of the nation thriller written by Britain’s foremost political dramatist.

“It is a great honour to welcome Sir David Hare back to the BBC and to be working with both he and The Forge on this outstanding piece of original work.”