Prisoner 951 is a dramatic retelling of the real-life story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian woman who was arrested and held in Iran for six years while visiting family.
The series also tells the story of her husband, Richard, and his years-long fight to get her freed. It’s a powerful drama based on the couple’s own experiences, brought to life by writer Stephen Butchard and director Philippa Lowthorpe.
Narges Rashidi stars as Nazanin, and Joseph Fiennes plays Richard. Nicholas Farrell and Alastair Mackenzie also appear in the series. Let’s take a look at who these actors portray and where you might recognize them from.
Keep reading to learn about the actors in Prisoner 951, and see photos comparing them to the people they portray.
Prisoner 951 cast: Who stars in the four-part BBC drama?
Okay, so I was checking out the cast of ‘Prisoner 951,’ and I wanted to share who plays who. Below, I’ve got the main actors and their characters, plus a little reminder of where else you might recognize them from. It’s always fun to see familiar faces, right?
- Narges Rashidi as Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
- Joseph Fiennes as Richard Ratcliffe
- Ella Varavipour as Baby Gabriella
- Mana Sayyah as Young Gabriella
- Ava Rose as Older Gabriella
- Bijan Daneshmand as Baba
- Behi Djanati-Atai as Mamani
- Kavé Niku as Mohammad
- Nicholas Farrell as John
- Marion Bailey as Barbara
- Simon Armstrong as Uncle Geoff
- Catherine Bailey as Rebecca
- Shaun Yusuf McKee as Lim
- Armin Karima as Interrogator Seyed
- Zanyar Mohammadi as Interrogator Yazdi
- Hamid Azari as Young Prosecutor
- Claudia Harrison as Penny Madden
- Astrid Whettnall as Monique Villa
- Tristan Sturrock as Jason
- Freddie Stevenson as George
- Alastair Mackenzie as Tobias Ellwood MP
- Sam Troughton as Oliver Denton
- Farzana Dua Elahe as Tulip Siddiq MP
- Melika Foroutan as Narges
- Banafshe Hourmazdi as Farah
- Elham Karimpour as Shirin
- Sima Rostami as Samira
- Vivienne Gibbs as Liz Truss MP
- Christopher Colquhoun as James Cleverly MP
Narges Rashidi plays Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is a British-Iranian woman who was arrested and held in Iran from 2016 to 2022 while visiting family. She was imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit.
You might recognize Narges Rashidi from shows like Hanna and Gangs of London, or the films I Came By and Havoc. She’s an actress with Iranian roots who was born and raised in both America and Germany.
Joseph Fiennes plays Richard Ratcliffe
Richard Ratcliffe is the husband of Nazanin Ratcliffe and dedicated years to advocating for her release and return home.
You might recognize Joseph Fiennes from movies like Elizabeth, Shakespeare in Love, Enemy at the Gates, Killing Me Softly, and Hercules. He’s also appeared in TV shows including Flashforward, Camelot, American Horror Story, and The Handmaid’s Tale. He’s currently reprising his stage performance as Gareth Southgate in the upcoming BBC series, Dear England.
Bijan Daneshmand plays Baba
Who is Baba? Baba is Nazanin’s father.
You might recognize Bijan Daneshmand from his appearances in several popular TV shows. He’s been in series like The Night Manager, EastEnders, Suspicion, Tehran, House of the Dragon, The Diplomat, Brassic, and Coronation Street.
Behi Djanati-Atai plays Mamani
Who is Mamani? Mamani is Nazanin’s mother.
I recognize the name Behi Djanati-Atai – where have I seen her before? She’s a French actress with Iranian roots, and she’s appeared in shows like Tehran and Kabul.
Kavé Niku plays Mohammad
Who is Mohammad? Mohammad is Nazanin’s brother.
Where have I seen Kavé Niku? Niku has had roles in series including Tehran and Black Mirror.
Nicholas Farrell plays John
Who is John? John is Richard’s father.
You might recognize Nicholas Farrell from a wide range of popular TV shows and films. He’s appeared in series like Poirot, Waking the Dead, Torchwood, Father Brown, Call the Midwife, The Crown, Gentleman Jack, Everything I Know About Love, The Gold, Endeavour, Bodies, Fool Me Once, and The Count of Monte Cristo. On the big screen, he’s been in films including Chariots of Fire, Othello, Pearl Harbour, The Iron Lady, Grace of Monaco, Testament of Youth, Legend, and Munich: The Edge of War.
Marion Bailey plays Barbara
Who is Barbara? Barbara is Richard’s mother.
You might recognize Bailey from a number of TV shows and films. They’ve appeared in series like The Bill, Him & Her, Temple, Britannia, The Crown, Endeavour, This is Going to Hurt, Obsession, All the Light We Cannot See, and Murder Before Evensong. Their film credits include Vera Drake, Mr Turner, The Lady in the Van, Allied, and Peterloo.
Alastair Mackenzie plays Tobias Ellwood MP
Tobias Ellwood used to be a Member of Parliament for the Conservative party. When Nazanin was arrested, he was the government minister responsible for the Middle East and North Africa.
You might recognize Alastair Mackenzie from a number of popular TV shows and films. He’s appeared in series like Monarch of the Glen, Black Mirror, Borgen, Wolf Hall, The Loch, Cold Feet, Deep Water, Unforgotten, Professor T, The Crown, Vigil, Andor, and The Bombing of Pan Am 103. He’s also been in films such as Peterloo and Outlaw King.
Farzana Dua Elahe plays Tulip Siddiq MP
Tulip Siddiq is the Labour Member of Parliament for Hampstead and Highgate, the area Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe lives in. She actively worked to secure Nazanin’s release.
You might recognize Farzana Dua Elahe from her appearances in popular TV shows like EastEnders, Silent Witness, Broadchurch, Our Girl, and Vera, and films including Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and The Hundred-Foot Journey.
Christopher Colquhoun plays James Cleverly MP
James Cleverly is a Conservative Member of Parliament. He previously served as a Minister of State, first for the Middle East and North Africa, and later including North America, from 2020 to 2022.
You might recognize Christopher Colquhoun from his appearances in several popular TV shows. He’s been in series like Casualty, Coronation Street, Fleabag, Vera, Absentia, The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Sandman, Patience, and Coldwater.
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2025-11-23 11:55