Midsomer Murders, the popular ITV detective drama, has undoubtedly had its share of outrageous murders. Whether it’s drowning in a vat of cider, eaten alive by a boar, or skewered with a pitchfork, the show always exercises creativity in the demise of another poor resident of Midsomer County. Fortunately, Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby and his Detective Sergeant are on the case, having solved hundreds of grisly crimes over twenty years on the air.
Some of these murderers and their victims are familiar faces. Read on for ten more actors you had no idea were on the show.
James Cosmo
The Game Of Thrones actor portrayed Jack McKinley in “The Axeman Cometh.” McKinley was the lead guitarist of DCI Barnaby’s favorite rock band, Hired Gun. After getting off on the wrong foot, the two men played the guitar together in a heartwarming scene.
Cosmo currently portrays Farder Coram in the HBO adaptation of His Dark Materials. He’s had a long and successful film career with roles in Wonder Woman, Braveheart, and The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe. Of course, he may best be known for his TV work; he played Jeor Mormont, Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, for 12 episodes on Game Of Thrones.
Toby Jones
The voice of Dobby the Elf in the Harry Potter movies also had a recurring role as Dr. Dan Peterson, a pathologist who covered for Dr. Bullard when the latter was unavailable. Jones appeared in four episodes of Midsomer Murders: “Strangler’s Wood,” “Dead Man’s Eleven,” “Death Of A Stranger,” and “Judgment Day.”
Jones portrayed Truman Capote in the 2006 biopic, Infamous. His other credits include Arnim Zola in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Charles Edwards
Known for his role as Lady Edith’s lover in Downton Abbey, Charles Edwards plays Ned Fitzroy, an aristocrat willing to go to great lengths to protect the family name in “Blood Wedding.” He gets into a memorable swordfight with his romantic rival before narrowly missing DS Jones when the copper intervened.
More recently, Edwards portrayed an older Martin Charteris, Queen Elizabeth’s private secretary, in Season 3 of The Crown. It was not his first role as a member of the royal household; he played Princess Diana’s private secretary, Patrick Jephson, in the 2013 film, Diana.
Harry Haddon-Paton
Another actor who played Lady Edith’s beau (and her eventual husband) is Harry Haddon-Paton, who appeared in the episode “Written In The Stars.” Paton played Lawrence Jansen, the competitive and high-strung head of the Midsomer Stanton Observatory, and suspect in a series of murders that draw Barnaby and Jones to the local astronomy scene.
Haddon-Paton appeared more recently as a young Martin Charteris in Seasons 1 and 2 of The Crown. He also lent his voice to video games, breathing life into Dr. Edgar Swansea in Vampyr and The Red Prince in Divinity: Original Sin 2. And, of course, he reprised his role as Bertie Pelham for Downton Abbey: The Movie.
Robert Bathurst
In “The Flying Club,” Barnaby and Jones investigate the murder of a flying instructor who fell to his death from a small plane. Robert Bathurst plays Perry Darnley, head of the local flying club whose family has had a long history in aeronautics. Darnley spends most of the episode under investigation as the victim’s business partner and getting henpecked by his more ambitious wife, Miranda.
Incidentally, Bathurst’s character in Downton Abbey was yet another love interest of Crawley middle child, Lady Edith. Is this a sign that he will appear as Martin Charteris in later seasons of The Crown?
Peter Capaldi
Before the Twelfth Doctor and Malcolm Tucker, Peter Capaldi played a demanding choir instructor in “Death In Chorus,” which saw DS Jones go undercover as a tenor with the Midsomer Worthy choir. Capaldi’s character, Lawrence Barker, relentlessly pursued perfection at the expense of everything else, including his marriage.
“Death In Chorus” was Midsomer Murder’s 50th episode, and the cast and crew celebrated with champagne after filming wrapped. Perhaps this anniversary is why viewers were treated to memorable character beats like Jones’s vocal talents and Dr. Bullard saving the day.
Michelle Fairley
“The Noble Art” begins at a viewing party where Midsomer native John Kinsella wins a prestigious boxing match in New York. While the mood is celebratory, a web of intrigue threatens to disrupt the peace and leads to a string of murders that Barnaby and Jones must solve as the bodies pile up.
Michelle Fairley plays Iris Holman, a nosy busybody who is both in love with her boss and blackmailing him. Fairley is best known for her work as Catelyn Stark in Game Of Thrones. She also played Hermione Granger’s mother in Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows and Dr. Ava Hessington in Suits.
Julian Ovenden
Another Downton Abbey alumnus, Julian Ovenden, played Ben Viviani in “Dark Secrets” before taking a turn as one of Lady Mary Crawley’s suitors. Viviani was a seemingly regular resident of Midsomer Parva, about to embark on a new life with his fiancee until the murder of a social worker unearths secrets from his family’s past.
Though he is best known as Charles Blake, Ovenden is an accomplished musician and opera singer, having performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras. He first appeared on British TV as Andrew Foyle over five seasons on Foyle’s War. More recently, he portrayed Robert Kennedy in Season 2 of The Crown.
Henry Cavill
Proving that Midsomer Murders can be a stop on the way to Hollywood stardom, Henry Cavill played local troublemaker Simon Mayfield in “The Green Man.” Cavill would later make it big in the DC Extended Universe, starring in Man Of Steel, Batman vs. Superman: Dawn Of Justice, and Justice League. With Superman under his belt, Cavill is back in the public eye as Geralt of Rivia in the Netflix fantasy series, The Witcher.
“The Green Man” is also DS Troy’s final episode before he is transferred to Northumbria to take up his promotion to Detective Inspector. Troy leaves for bigger and better things but later returns in “Blood Wedding” for Cully’s wedding.
Olivia Colman
Last but not least, the star of The Crown appeared in the Midsomer Murders episode, “Small Mercies.” Colman plays Bernice, the girlfriend of the local hotel owner, who also works as a chambermaid. Her innocent and straightforward demeanor endears her to her partner but alienates his daughter, creating a tension-filled home.
Colman is a prolific actress who has had significant roles in Hot Fuzz, Peep Show, Fleabag, and The Night Manager. She played DS Ellie Miller alongside David Tennant in Broadchurch and won an Oscar for her performance as Queen Anne in The Favourite. She is currently portraying Queen Elizabeth II in Seasons 3 and 4 of The Crown.
