Harlan Coben’s Run Away cast and author tease “emotionally devastating ending” and talk “insidiousness” of addiction

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I was in Central Park, sitting near the John Lennon Memorial – Strawberry Fields – and struggling to figure out how to begin a new book. A musician was playing a John Lennon song, and it made me wonder what I’d do if that performer were my missing daughter. Thankfully, my daughter Charlotte is safe and sound – she’s actually an associate producer on the show Run Away. She also wrote for the series and has helped adapt my previous books, Shelter, Stay Close, and Fool Me Once.

Harlan Coben personally oversees the casting for all of his shows – this is his twelfth series with Netflix – reviewing audition videos and giving final approval on every actor.

He prefers to adjust the role to suit the actor, rather than find a different actor to play the role as written. James Nesbitt stars in ‘Run Away,’ a new series written by Danny Brocklehurst, who has worked with him before on other projects like ‘Stay Close’ and ‘Missing You’.

“He gives off good ‘distressed dad’ vibes,” says Coben.

I was on the set of ‘Run Away’ with RT in Dukinfield, and it was so funny talking to Adrian Nesbitt! He was joking about how he always plays these terrible characters – either a really bad cop or a parent who just can’t catch a break. He said, ‘I’m the worst on-screen parent and the worst on-screen cop ever!’ It’s true, though – usually someone ends up dying when he plays a police officer, and in a lot of his parent roles, his kids go missing. He was laughing and said he’d never cast himself in those roles, which is pretty self-aware!

James Nesbitt plays Simon Greene

It’s easy to connect with Simon’s situation – his desperate determination to find his daughter, and the sadness and regret he feels for pushing her away. He’s also a very volatile person. As a parent, this makes him relatable, because you can understand those feelings when thinking about your own children and what you’d do in a similar situation. It really makes you value your own family and life.

Over the years, I’ve naturally started getting offered roles as a parent. But I’m honestly puzzled by why I’m often cast in darker, more troubled parental roles. I had a really happy childhood, so I don’t get why directors see that side of me!

I began my career in comedy and quickly realized I had a natural talent for it. I especially enjoyed playing Jekyll; despite the character’s darkness, Steven Moffat’s writing was brilliantly funny – it was bold, surprising, and that’s a style of comedy I really miss. I think genuinely funny roles are harder to come by, and comedy itself is probably more challenging to write than serious drama. I’d be open to doing a romantic comedy, but I’m not sure audiences are interested in seeing that from someone my age now that I’m 60.

I’m really interested in playing a villain for Harlan Coben, maybe in a suspenseful story located in Ireland. The scenery there would be perfect – the north, especially, has a striking beauty that can also feel a bit ominous.

Minnie Driver plays Ingrid Greene

Addiction is a cruel disease because it affects people from all walks of life. Even with a supportive family, like Paige’s, it can still take hold. I’ve seen this firsthand with many friends – either they’ve struggled with addiction themselves, or a loved one has. I’ve even had partners who battled with it.

I’ve attended a lot of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings with friends to better understand their struggles. It’s amazing how much love, hope, and support there is in those meetings, and it really shows how vital the program is for many people.

We often avoid discussing difficult topics because we’re scared to admit that bad things happen. This is especially true with social media, where everyone tries to appear like their life is perfect. The show explores this, and also focuses on how far parents will go to protect their children.

Ruth Jones plays private investigator Elena Ravenscroft

I’ve noticed Harlan Coben has a huge following – even my 84-year-old aunt Lynne is thrilled I’m involved in this project! I’m a big thriller fan myself, but I have to admit, I struggle with on-screen violence. I often have to remind myself it’s all acting, everything’s staged. Honestly, though, emotional abuse or psychological bullying is even harder to watch – that stuff really gets to me.

Elena’s appearance isn’t what you’d typically expect from a private investigator, and I deliberately chose her glasses to differentiate her from previous roles I’ve played. Before this, she worked as a firearms officer, and filming those flashback scenes felt quite funny – I kept thinking how absurd it was that I, Ruth Jones, was playing that part! But I always try to fully commit to a role, because if I don’t, I’m tempted to make jokes. I really enjoyed the moments where Elena could be a bit more playful in her scenes with Simon [James Nesbitt]. Ultimately, whether it’s comedy or drama, everything needs to feel real. You can always tell when a comedic moment doesn’t quite work.

You know, Harlan Coben is just brilliant at layering mysteries. I admire his skill so much – it’s something I don’t think I could pull off myself! But I get why people love it, and honestly, I love including secrets in my own books too. They just make for a much more engaging read, don’t they?

I don’t focus on potential TV adaptations when I’m writing my books. While one might be possible in the future, it’s still very early to say.

Alfred Enoch plays detective Isaac Fagbenle

I might be being unfair, but I’m not convinced Isaac is a very good detective. He relies heavily on gut feelings and gets too focused on small details. The story mentions he’s handsome, and I’m hoping viewers will accept that without it being explicitly shown.

Honestly, I felt a lot of pressure going into the read-through. I hadn’t bothered to groom myself at all – I looked like I’d been living outdoors for ages! But I did feel a little better knowing the character being objectified was a man, which was a different dynamic than what we often see.

My dad, William Russell, who was one of the original companions on Doctor Who, was a big influence on me. I grew up watching his films and seeing him perform on stage, and that’s when I decided I wanted to be an actor – he really encouraged me. People most often recognize me from How to Get Away with Murder – it’s a suspenseful show similar to Run Away – and Harry Potter. While I didn’t have a large role in Potter, it has such a dedicated fanbase, and people connect me to the character I played, even though a lot of the book content was left out of the films.

The new series, Run Away, will debut on Netflix on January 1st, 2026. A Netflix subscription starts at just £5.99 per month, and you can also watch on Sky Glass or Virgin Media.

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Authors

Laura Rutkowski

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2025-12-29 20:39