Next of Kin cast: All actors & characters

Here’s your guide to the cast of Next of Kin, the 2018 British drama series that’s been enjoying a new life after dropping on BritBox.

From Red Rose to Happy Valley, 2023 has seen numerous UK shows travel across the pond and build fanbases in America. And thanks to BritBox, the BBC and ITV’s subscription streaming service, even more British box sets have been making the trip to the US of A.

This week, it’s the turn of Next of Kin, a tense thriller created and written by husband-and-wife team Paul Rutman and Natasha Narayan. Although the six-part mini-series originally aired in the UK in January 2018, it just dropped on BritBox – and US viewers have been busy binge-watching the episodes. 

So, with Next of Kin now streaming, here’s everyone you need to know in the cast, including the actors and the characters they play.

Contents

• Mona Harcourt: Archie Panjabi
• Guy Harcourt: Jack Davenport
• Kareem Shirani: Navin Chowdhry
• Danish Shirani: Viveik Kalra
• Mrs Shirani: Shabana Azmi
• Rahana Shirani: Farzana Dua Elahe
• Ani Shirani: Kiran Sonia Sawar
• Omar Shirani: Mawaan Rizwan
• Hamoud: Elie Haddad
• Detective Townsend: Enzo Cilenti
• DS Stanley Hart: Sope Dirisu
• ACC Vivien Barnes: Claire Skinner

Next of Kin cast & characters

Before we get into it, here’s the official synopsis for Next of Kin: “Whip-smart GP Mona Harcourt lives a charmed life at the heart of a loving family living in London. But she is left grief-stricken when her much-loved brother is brutally murdered whilst working for a medical charity overseas.

“As the death brings buried family secrets to light, Mona is drawn deep into a tangle of betrayal, conspiracy and murder. One way or another, she must find a way of protecting herself, her family and her career as they are all put at risk…”

Mona Harcourt: Archie Panjabi

Archie Panjabi plays Mona Harcourt, the main character in the Next of Kin cast. Mona is a mom, wife, and the “whip-smart GP” whose brother is killed while carrying out humanitarian work in Pakistan.

Panjabi has also appeared in East is East, The Good Wife, Shetland, Blindspot, and Departure. 

Guy Harcourt: Jack Davenport

Jack Davenport plays Guy Harcourt, Mona’s husband, father to their son, and a political lobbyist whose work comes into question as the events of the series unfold and details about Kareem’s death come to light. 

Davenport is best known for his roles in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, as well as Why Women Kill, The Morning Show, and Kingsman: The Secret Service. 

Kareem Shirani: Navin Chowdhry

Navin Chowdhry plays Kareem Shirani, Mona’s brother. He’s also a family man, and one who cares deeply about others. He runs a charity in Lahore, where he provides healthcare to the local community. Tragically, he is murdered before making it home to visit his family in the UK. 

You may recognize Chowdhry from Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, The End of the F***ing World, Teachers, and Eastenders, to name a few. 

Danish Shirani: Viveik Kalra

Viveik Kalra plays Danish “Danny” Shirani, Kareem’s teenage son from a previous marriage. Mona goes to check in on him at his university following the news of his dad, only to find he is gone. 

Kalra’s other acting accolades include Blinded by the Light, Beecham House, Voyagers, and Three Months.

Mrs Shirani: Shabana Azmi

Shabana Azmi plays Mrs Shirani, Mona and her siblings’ mom who lives with the Harcourts in their London home. She’s confident, smart, and a protective mother and grandmother. 

Azmi’s extensive acting career in the Hindi film industry has seen her star in more than 150 films, including Ankur, Fire, Arth, and Neerja. She’s also appeared in international projects such as Halo.

Rahana Shirani: Farzana Dua Elahe

Farzana Dua Elahe takes on the role of Rahana Shirani in the Next of Kin cast. Rahana is Kareem’s second wife and the mother of their daughter.

A number of Elahe’s other acting accolades include Honour, Our Girl, Into the Badlands, and The Hundred-Foot Journey.

Ani Shirani: Kiran Sonia Sawar

Kiran Sonia Sawar plays Ani Shirani, the youngest of Mona’s siblings and a character who is loving and kind.

You may remember Sawar for her role in the iconic Black Mirror episode ‘Crocodile’. She also starred in Meg 2: The Trench, Murdered By My Father, and I Am. 

Omar Shirani: Mawaan Rizwan 

Mawaan Rizwan plays Omar Shirani, another of the Shirani siblings who has a daughter and is a cheeky chap in the family.

Rizwan starred in Murdered By My Father alongside Sawar. He’s also one of the writers for Netflix’s hit TV series Sex Education. 

Hamoud: Elie Haddad

Elie Haddad plays Hamoud in the Next of Kin cast, a shadowy figure who is linked to the events involving Kareem. 

Haddad has taken on roles in the likes of Game of Thrones, The Bureau, Fearless, and Baptiste. 

Detective Townsend: Enzo Cilenti

Enzo Cilenti plays Detective Townsend, who becomes involved with the case after having to notify Mona and her family about the news of Kareem. 

Cilenti has appeared in Heart of Stone, The Girlfriend Experience TV series, Greed, Les Misérables, Luther, Game of Thrones, The Martian, and Guardians of the Galaxy, to name a few. 

DS Stanley Hart: Sope Dirisu 

Sope Dirisu plays DS Stanley Hart, a detective who is tasked with looking into Danny’s disappearance. 

Dirisu is best known for his roles in Gangs of London, His House, Black Mirror, Humans, and His Dark Materials. 

ACC Vivien Barnes: Claire Skinner

Claire Skinner takes on the role of ACC Vivien Barnes in the Next of Kin cast. She comes into the series as an official who is dealing with a terrorist attack in London. 

Skinner has starred in Ted Lasso, The Pale Horse, Sleepy Hollow, Bridget Jones’s Diary, and Outnumbered. 

That’s everything we know about the cast of Next of Kin. You can check out some of our other upcoming TV & Movie hubs below:

Dumb Money | Saw X | Sex Education Season 4 | Killers of the Flower Moon | Five Nights at Freddy’s | Dune: Part Two | The Marvels | Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes | Suits Season 10 | The Lincoln Lawyer Season 3 | The Bear Season 3