Meet the Cast of The Forsytes
MASTERPIECE’s The Forsytes is serving up a cast worth talking about. The sweeping period drama pairs familiar names—Stephen Moyer, Eleanor Tomlinson, and Francesca Annis—alongside a rising generation of acclaimed talent like Millie Gibson and Joshua Orpin. Curious who’s who in this glamorous new ensemble? Meet the major players and tune in weekly on Sundays through April 26 to watch the sparks fly.
Eleanor Tomlinson is Louisa Byrne
TV viewers may recognize Tomlinson as Dexter Mayhew’s (Leo Woodall’s) girlfriend-turned-wife in One Day, or as pregnant schoolteacher Evie, caught in an obsessive affair opposite (Outlander actor) Sam Heughan in The Couple Next Store. But many know her best as the spirited Demelza in Poldark, right here on MASTERPIECE. If you loved her charged dynamic with Aidan Turner (Ross Poldark), just wait until The Forsytes, where she and Danny Griffin play former lovers. Ohh, the yearning!
Did You Know? Tomlinson is also a singer—good enough to perform Cornish songs in character on Poldark. She’s released the album Tales from Home, featuring covers like “Homeward Bound” and traditional Irish and Scottish songs. including “The Spinning Wheel,” recorded with her brother, Ross Tomlinson. (Yes, another Ross!)
Stephen Moyer is Jolyon Forsyte, Sr.
Audiences may remember Moyer from two popular TV roles: he brought predator-like intensity to East London crime boss Teddy Bass in the miniseries Sexy Beast and rose from a coffin as 173-year-old Southern vampire Bill Compton in HBO’s True Blood, which ran for seven seasons. It was on the True Blood set that he met his real-life match: there was palpable chemistry with co-star Anna Paquin right from the pilot episode, and the pair married three years later.
Did You Know? Moyer jokingly admitted to People magazine that he’s part of what he calls the ‘dink cult” – aka die-hard pickleball players. During the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, he reportedly hit the courts multiple times a day to pass the time.
Jack Davenport is James Forsyte
Davenport has a knack for slipping into roles that are equal parts thoughtful and cheeky—whether as the emotionally measured ex-husband to Jennifer Aniston’s Alex Levy on The Morning Show or the ever-pompous Commodore Norrington sailing the high seas in Pirates of the Caribbean. That same versatility should make his turn in The Forsytes well worth watching.
Did You Know? Davenport says he counts Johnny Depp among his favorite co-stars after doing three films together. Hopefully that doesn’t ruffle the feathers of long-time buddy Stephen Moyer, who plays his rival brother in The Forstyes. The two actors already pair up on the golf course—next up: pickleball!
Tuppence Middleton is Frances Forsyte
Middleton’s fanbase is consistently impressed with her range—she moves from cult-favorite science fiction (Riley Blue in Netflix’s Sense8) to period dramas (Lucy Smith in the 2019 Downton Abbey film and Hélène Kuragina in the BBC’s War & Peace). Middleton recently triumphed in London’s West End alongside Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) and Johnny Flynn (Les Misérables) as Elizabeth Taylor in The Motive and The Cue.
Did You Know? Middleton’s fans often ask about her unusual first name. It's a simple story: her grandmother used “Tuppence” as a childhood nickname for Middleton’s mother, and her parents liked it enough to pass it on. It seems the grandmother was initially taken aback by the decision but has since embraced it—a detail the actor shared with BuzzFeed UK.
Francesca Annis is Ann Forsyte
Annis has ruled the British stage and screen since debuting at 18 in 1963’s epic Cleopatra—yes, the one with Elizabeth Taylor. Over six decades later, she’s still at the top of her game, now leading The Forsytes as the family’s steely matriarch. With her signature cool authority and emotional smarts, Annis is a true British treasure, moving effortlessly from the Royal Shakespeare Company to MASTERPIECE hits like Home Fires and Flesh and Blood.
Did You Know? Francesca Annis practically owns MASTERPIECE—since her debut as Emma Bovary in 1975’s Madame Bovary, she’s appeared in sixteen productions on PBS. Clearly, when she shows up, drama follows. (Discover more ‘Did You Knows’ by reading Five Surprising Facts About Francesca Annis.)
Joshua Orpin is Soames Forsyte
Followers of the DC series Titans might do a double take: Orpin, the Aussie actor behind the bald character ‘Superboy’ now appears with a full head of dark hair as the dashing Soames Forsyte in The Forsytes. Orpin says he thrives on exploring the duality of his characters—whether it’s the hybrid clone boy created from the DNA of Superman and Lex Luthor, or the emotionally repressed Soames, whose feelings of devotion verge on obsession.
Did You Know? Because of his role on Titans, Orpin is no stranger to Comic-Con—the large pop culture fan convention. But his very first Comic-Con gig wasn’t as a guest; it was as a trampoline salesperson(!) Unfortunately for his employer, he kept bouncing off to Star Trek: The Next Generation panels.
Millie Gibson is Irene Heron
At just 21, Gibson already has impressive TV credits. She survived chases, guns, and sieges as a troubled teen on Coronation Street, then hopped through time as the Doctor’s companion Ruby Sunday in Doctor Who. Her Coronation Street role won her Best Young Actor at the 2022 British Soap Awards—and caught the eye of Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies. Co-stars praise Gibson’s cheeky charm and energy, and audiences can’t wait for the fire she brings to The Forsytes.
Did You Know? Gibson has a distinctive mark on her right eyebrow—a scar from a childhood tumble. Speaking on an ITV chat show, she joked that “Everyone thinks I’ve done it myself [but] in all my baby pictures I look like a right thug!”
Danny Griffin is Young Jolyon (“Jo”) Forsyte
Griffin first won over fans in Fate: The Winx Saga on Netflix, a Harry Potter-like fantasy drama about an ancient school for fairies. The show didn’t skimp on romance and Griffin played Sky, the resident heartthrob. On set, he gained an unexpected mentor in castmate Robert James-Collier, best known as Downton Abbey’s deliciously sharp-tongued Thomas Barrow. While Fate was his career turning point, Griffin also appeared in Guy Ritchie’s 2019 film, The Gentlemen, as a Russian oligarch’ son.
Did You Know? Griffin grew up on a farm in Cornwall (Poldark territory) with limited TV and plenty of wild countryside. His mother steered him towards the woods and his imagination, and he credits her for giving him the confidence to pursue acting with a feeling that “I can do this.”
