Where the original cast of Vera are now 10 years on from ITV’s first episode
DIEHARD fans of Vera will have noted the crime drama's cast changes over the years.
But with veteran actress Brenda Blethyn leading the team as Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope, viewers can always be sure of at least one familiar face.
First airing in May 2011, the long-running programme is celebrating ten years on screen, with series 11 currently airing.
Based on the stories of crime writer Ann Cleeves, who exactly were the characters from the show's first airing - and where are the actors who played them now?
DCI Vera Stanhope - Brenda Blethyn
Leading the cast is 76-year-old Brenda as the formidable DCI Vera.
The popular actress has enjoyed a long and varied career, and even worked as a bookkeeper for a bank at one point in her life.
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After treading the boards at the National Theatre, in 1980, Brenda made her television debut in Mike Leigh's film Grown-Ups.
But her major cinema breakthrough came with her role in the 1996 comedy-drama Secrets & Lies, for which she received rave reviews, and won the Best Actress Golden Globe, and was nominated for an Oscar.
She received her OBE in 2003 for services to drama.
While also continuing her role as officer Vera, in 2013 Brenda appeared in Mary & Martha alongside Hilary Swank.
Most recently Brenda starred alongside Jimmy Akingbola in the 2020 sitcom Kate & Koji.
DS Joe Ashworth - David Leon
David co-starred in Vera alongside Brenda from 2011 until 2014.
The 41-year-old joined the cast a year after making his directorial debut on the 2010 short, Man and Boy, which went on to win the award for best narrative short at the Tribeca Film Festival.
His varied career also saw him work as a CITV presenter and play football for Blackburn Rovers before his debut on the series.
After leaving Vera, his roles have included parts in the BBC's In the Dark, The Refugees and Gold Digger.
He's also continued to direct, leading the action in both the short and feature film editions of Orthodox, as well as an episode of Vera in 2017.
David can also be found narrating the observational documentary Our Cops in the North.
DC Kenny Lockhart - Jon Morrison
Morrison, like Brenda, has appeared in all 11 series of the long-running favourite.
The Scottish actor also started off his career in the 70s starring as Currie in the religious drama Adam Smith.
He also made appearances in a range of TV shows including Van der Valk, Bergerac, A Touch of Frost, Taggart and Rebus.
He also has the claim of appearing on police drama The Bill as four different characters.
His credits also include Gary Oldman's 1997 film, Nil by Mouth.
You'll mostly find Jim on Vera now but in 2013 he did appear on talk show The Crime Thriller Club with Bradley Walsh.
DC Holly Lawson - Wunmi Mosaku
Wunmi's career has gone from strength to strength after appearing as DC Holly Lawson in Vera, just a few years after graduating from RADA.
After a year on the ITV series, she has enjoyed a range of roles, but has been back in uniform several times to play DS Halliday in Luther, DC Darego in The End of the F***ing World, DI Vanessa Mercer in Kiri and DCS Greenwood in Fearless.
She won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Gloria Taylor in the TV film Damilola, Our Loved Boy (2016).
Wunmi was also nominated for a BAFTA and won a British Independent Film gong for her role as Rial in the film His House (2020).
Other big screen roles have included Philomena, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
She most recently starred as Hunter B-15 in the Disney+ Marvel series Loki.
Dr Billy Cartwright - Paul Ritter
Ritter already had an established career on both stage and screen before he appeared in the first three series of Vera as pathologist Dr Billy Cartwright.
With a long list of gigs including The Bill, Son of Rambow, Quantum of Solace and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Paul's career history panned between serious drama and comedy, proving he was equally talented in both.
Following Vera, his roles including parts in Cold Feet, Chernobyl, The Last Kingdom, Plebs and The Trial of Christine Keeler.
He's perhaps best know for his part as dad Martin Goodman in Channel 4's Friday Night Dinner which ran from 2011 until 2020.
Ritter died last April at the age of 54 from a brain tumour.
He received a posthumous Bafta nomination for Best Male Comedy Performance for his role as Martin in the Channel 4 comedy.
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