Posted in: BBC, TV | Tagged: line of duty

Line of Duty: Robert Carlyle Joins Series 7 Cast in Major Role

Iconic actor Robert Carlyle will be a major season-long guest star on Line of Duty Series 7 as a cop who discovers his boss is dirty.

The great Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting, The Full Monty, 28 Weeks Later and most recently, Watson) has been cast as a guest series lead in the new series of Line of Duty. The BAFTA-winning actor will play Detective Constable Shaun Massie in the next instalment of Jed Mercurio's hit crime thriller when it films this spring. Made for the BBC by World Productions, Line of Duty series seven is coming to BBC iPlayer and BBC One next year.

Joining returning series leads Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar, Carlyle is the first new cast member to be announced for series seven. He follows in the footsteps of previous Line of Duty guest series leads Kelly Macdonald, Stephen Graham, Thandiwe Newton, Daniel Mays, Keeley Hawes and Lennie James.

On joining the Line of Duty cast, Carlyle said, "Having been a huge admirer of Jed Mercurio's work for many years, I'm delighted to be given the opportunity to join such an exceptional cast for series 7 of Line of Duty. The scripts for the series are excellent and will absolutely maintain the quality that the audience have come to expect from this fantastic show. DC Massie is an extraordinary character and I look forward to bringing him to life."

Mercurio said, "On Line of Duty, we've been honoured by the glittering guest leads who've joined the cast over the years. We couldn't be more thrilled that Robert Carlyle will star in series 7 as Specialist Rifle Officer Shaun Massie. I've been a huge fan of Robert's work for many years, and it will be a career highlight to work with him. Robert always brings mesmerising power and depth to every role; I know viewers will be on the edge of their seats, wondering what his character will do next, and why."

Simon Heath, World Productions' CEO and Creative Director, said, "It's one of the privileges of Line of Duty to have the opportunity to work with so many actors I've admired over the years. As a young script editor starting out in the 90s, I was blown away by Robert's stunning performances in Trainspotting and Cracker, so it's a particular thrill to be working with him now."

Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: "Sometimes a piece of casting feels so right that you just can't imagine anyone else. Robert Carlyle is one of our greatest actors and the perfect fit for the phenomenon that is Line of Duty."

As previously announced, in series seven AC-12 has been disbanded and rebranded as the Inspectorate of Police Standards. Anticorruption work has never been more difficult, and in this challenging climate, Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming, and Ted Hastings are assigned their most sensitive case so far.

Detective Constable Shaun Massie (Carlyle) is a Specialist Rifle Officer (SRO), a veteran marksman, operating with Tactical Operations Unit 7 (TO-7) to take down Organised Crime Groups. A gruff loner, Massie keeps himself to himself, but when his boss, TO-7's commanding officer DI Dominic Gough, is accused of being a sexual predator, Massie's otherwise detached demeanour changes drastically.

Line of Duty series seven is written and created by Mercurio, who will also direct episodes 4-6. It is made by World Productions, part of ITV Studios, which is handling international distribution. Jennie Darnell will direct the first three episodes, and Ken Horn will produce. Executive producers are Mercurio, Simon Heath for World Productions and Nick Lambon for the BBC. The show will once again film in Belfast and is made with support from Northern Ireland Screen.

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