The Gold Character Guide
The Gold isn’t just about three tons of stolen bullion—it’s about working-class crooks, cunning fencers, slick money launderers, and sharp detectives caught up in one of Britain’s wildest heists. Here’s a handy guide to the key players in this true-crime drama and how they all fit together.
- 1.
DCI Brian Boyce | Task Force Commander
Hugh Bonneville as DCI Brian Boyce Brian Boyce leads the elite, hand-picked task force investigating the notorious Brink’s-Mat heist. A disciplined, by-the-book officer with a military background, Boyce brings over 20 years of police and detective experience to the case. He rose through the ranks to become deputy head of Counterterrorism before being tasked with untangling the complex aftermath of the 1983 robbery. A natural leader with quiet authority, Boyce is relentless in his pursuit of justice.
- 2.
Nicki Jennings & Tony Brightwell | Detectives
Charlotte Spencer and Emun Elliott as DI Jennings and Brightwell Detective Inspectors Jennings and Brightwell are partners in the London Metropolitan Police’s Flying Squad—a storied unit known for tackling organized crime and high-stakes cases. Brightwell, a real-life detective, was actually one of the first officers on the scene at Brink’s-Mat and was then brought onto Boyce’s task force. Jennings, while fictional, is inspired by several female detectives who worked the case. The two share an easy rapport and a mutual respect for Boyce’s leadership.
- 3.
Micky McAvoy & Brian Robinson | The Robbers
Adam Nagaitis (left) as Mickey McAvoy and Frankie Wilson as Brian Robinson McAvoy and Robinson led the crew breaking into the Brinks-Mat security warehouse—unexpectedly getting away with £26 million worth of gold bullion. McAvoy, already known as a prolific armed robber, is believed to have masterminded the job. Robinson recruited the gang’s inside man—a security guard at Brink’s-Mat and his own brother-in-law—giving them critical access. The repercussions of the heist quickly spiraled far beyond anything they had anticipated.
- 4.
Kenneth Noye | The Fence
Jack Lowden as Kenneth Noye Noye is the “fence” who steps in once the gold bullion is stolen. His job: turn the chunky gold bars into something untraceable and easier to sell. Noye is the crucial intermediary between the actual robbers and the gold merchant John Palmer.
- 5.
John Palmer | The Smelter
Tom Cullen as real-life gold merchant, John Palmer Palmer is a gold dealer based in Bristol with his very own smelting shed at home—which comes in handy. It’s in this shed that Palmer melts down the shiny, pure bullion bricks, mixing them with copper, brass, even old jewelry. The process disguises the Brink’s-Mat gold, allowing it to be sold to legitimate precious metal dealers, with the cash proceeds ready to be laundered.
- 6.
Gordon Parry & Edwyn Cooper | The Money Launderers
Sean Harris (left) and Dominic Cooper as characters Gordon Parry and Edwyn Cooper. Cooper and Parry are the duo who turn dirty gold money into clean cash. Gordon Parry, a real estate developer, and Edwyn Cooper, a slick solicitor with a side hustle helping crooked cops, create a system of offshore shell companies and foreign bank accounts to funnel the ill-gained money. By moving the cash through multiple jurisdictions, they obscure its origins—a groundbreaking scheme at the time. The money is then used to buy and quickly flip undeveloped property in central London, moving vast sums with striking efficiency. Parry is a real figure from the Brink’s-Mat case, while Cooper is a composite based on several white-collar players involved.
