Shetland star joins new gangster drama with impressive cast
The BBC has announced the star-studded cast of its upcoming drama, Mint, which is billed as a “darkly comic and unconventional drama about a crime family’s inner life”.
Emma Laird (The Brutalist, Mayor of Kingstown) stars as Shannon, the naïve and fiercely romantic daughter of the area’s dominant crime family, while Sam Riley (Firebrand, Rebecca) plays her gangster father Dylan, Laura Fraser (Patience, Breaking Bad) plays matriarch Cat, and Lewis Gribben (Shetland, Somewhere Boy) plays her older brother, Luke.
Meanwhile, Lindsay Duncan (TrueLove, Sherwood) portrays the indomitable family matriarch, grandma Ollie.
What is Mint about?
Shannon, who is desperately searching for love in the shadow of her gangster family, has grown up protected within the surreal yet violent confines of the “family business”. But things are set to change once Arran, played by newcomer Ben Coyle-Larner (better known as musician Loyle Carner), arrives on the scene.
The synopsis continues: “A story about soaring romance and crushing heartbreak, love, infatuation, darkness and tragedy, Shannon is trying to find herself whilst dealing with the plain weirdness of living alongside the lawless world of the criminal elite, and pursuing her own version of power.”
© Channel 4The series is produced by the Oscar-winning House Productions (Sherwood, Conclave, The Iron Claw) and indie film producers Fearless Minds (The Critic, Soulmates).
It marks the TV debut for writer, director and executive producer Charlotte Regan, who said she was an “emotional wreck” over the “incredible” cast.
“I had a little cry the other day thinking about how incredible this cast are,” she said in a statement. “Absolute emotional wreck. But I honestly can’t imagine these characters being brought into the world by better human beings. Every single one of them is going to smash it and I feel so grateful to have them all onboard.”
Filming on the eight-part series is underway in Glasgow. A release date has yet to be announced.
More upcoming BBC dramas to look forward to
The BBC has a number of exciting dramas in the works, including Sally Wainwright’s Riot Women, the eight-part historical drama King and Conquerer, which stars James Norton, and the second series of heist drama, The Gold. Watch the trailer for series one of The Gold below.
