Line of Duty season 7 confirms Trainspotting icon in major lead role as “extraordinary character”

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Line of Duty is famous for consistently featuring brilliant guest stars throughout its run.

Past seasons of the show have featured fantastic performances from actors like Kelly Macdonald, Stephen Graham, Thandiwe Newton, Daniel Mays, Keeley Hawes, and Lennie James. Now, the cast for season 7 has been revealed!

Robert Carlyle, the actor famous for films like Trainspotting, The Full Monty, and 28 Weeks Later, is joining the cast as a new character, Detective Constable Shaun Massie. Filming for the new season begins this spring.

Carlyle will appear alongside returning cast members Martin Compston, Vicky McClure, and Adrian Dunbar in the next season. He’ll play a highly skilled marksman – a Specialist Rifle Officer and veteran – who works with the TO-7 unit to combat organized crime.

The BBC describes Massie as a quiet, solitary man who prefers to keep to himself. However, when his superior, DI Dominic Gough, is accused of sexual assault, Massie’s calm and distant personality undergoes a significant shift.

Carlyle expressed his excitement about joining the show, stating he’s been a long-time fan of creator Jed Mercurio and is thrilled to work alongside the talented cast in the seventh series of Line of Duty.

The show’s writing is top-notch and will definitely keep the high standards fans love. I’m really excited to play the character of DC Massie and bring him to the screen.

As a huge fan of Line of Duty, I was so excited to hear the news! The show has always attracted amazing guest stars, and they’ve really outdone themselves this time. I’m thrilled Robert Carlyle is joining the cast as Specialist Rifle Officer Shaun Massie for series 7 – he’s going to be fantastic.

I’ve admired Robert’s work for a long time, and I’m thrilled to have the chance to work with him – it’s a real career achievement for me. He consistently delivers captivating and nuanced performances, and I’m confident audiences will be completely hooked, eager to see what happens with his character and understand his motivations.

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Season 7 will feature a major change: the anti-corruption unit AC-12 has been shut down and replaced with a new team called the Inspectorate of Police Standards.

Fighting corruption is tougher than ever, and now Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming, and Ted Hastings face their most delicate case yet, according to the show’s description.

Some viewers weren’t happy with the reveal of Ian Buckells (played by Nigel Boyle) as the show’s main villain, and there’s been talk this week about potentially revisiting that storyline. However, this hasn’t been officially confirmed yet.

Watch Martin Compston talk to TopMob about Line of Duty’s return below:

Line of Duty seasons 1-6 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

Don’t miss out on Line of Duty! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app now for daily TV recommendations and exclusive content.

Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs writes about TV dramas for TopMob, covering shows on streaming services and traditional channels. Before becoming a writer, he worked in public relations, first at a business-to-business agency and then at Fremantle, an international TV production company. He has a bachelor’s degree in English and Theatre Studies, and a Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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2026-02-19 14:08