The Toronto International Film Festival 2022 has come to a close, and one of the films that premiered at the event is Michael Grandage’s LGBTQ+ romantic drama My Policeman, an adaptation of Bethan Robert’s 2012 novel of the same name. The story focuses on three characters and their perspectives: closeted gay policeman Tom Burgess, his wife Marion Taylor, and Tom’s lover Patrick Hazelwood, in 1950s England where same-sex relationships are still illegal and punishable by imprisonment. The movie jumps back and forth in time from the events of Tom and Patrick’s relationship and years later when all of them are much older. And to give a rough idea of the plot; Tom falls in love with Patrick, but, because of social pressure, decides to marry Marion and move on, which he successfully does for a long time at the cost of both their happiness. With Marion well aware of the relationship that took place between her husband and the museum curator, they’re forced to face their past when Patrick comes back into their lives many years later.

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My Policeman was announced back in September 2020, and since then, there’s been a lot of attention brought to the movie following its casting of former One Direction member Harry Styles in the role of Tom, but it’s likely you’ve seen the rest of the cast in other movies or TV shows. Besides Styles, the main cast includes Emma Corrin and David Dawson, with older versions of their characters played by Linus Roache, Gina McKee, and Rupert Everett. You might recognize those names, but in case you don’t, we’re providing a brief guide on the cast and their other roles.

Harry Styles

     Warner Bros. Picture

Everyone knows Harry Styles best as one of five members of the British-Irish boyband One Direction, which found its way to fame through the British talent show The X Factor. Since One Direction’s disbanding, Styles has made his way into films between work on his solo music and gave us his debut role in Christopher Nolan’s 2017 historical war film Dunkirk. He also has a post-credit cameo in the MCU as Starfox in Eternals and just last month had his film Don’t Worry Darling, directed by Olivia Wilde, premiere at Venice International Film Festival. The psychological thrilled had the singer starring opposite Academy Award-nominated actress Florence Pugh. My Policeman is set to be his fourth film credit despite him, as he put it, “having no idea what he’s doing.”

Linus Roache

     NBC

Linus Roache has been appearing in films since the early 80s, but you might recognize him best from both Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, where he played Executive ADA Michael Cutter. He was also Thomas Wayne in another one of Christopher Nolan’s films, Batman Begins, the first movie of The Dark Knight Trilogy. The British actor has appeared in a lot of American TV and films, with him receiving a Golden Globe for his role as Robert F. Kennedy in the biographical film from 2002, RFK. Now, we will be seeing him play an older version of Tom Burgess in My Policeman.

Emma Corrin

     Netflix

Emma Corrin has become famously known for their portrayal of Princess Diana in the Netflix period drama series The Crown. The show follows Queen Elizabeth II through her life and service as Queen of the United Kingdom, with the show depicting different eras in her life chronologically. Season four saw the introduction of Princess Diana and the events that took place around her into the storyline, with Corrin in the role, who at the time was a relatively unknown actor whose only work had been small roles, obscure movies, and short films. The non-binary actor was launched to fame following the release of the season, with Decider declaring them “the best Princess Diana ever seen on screen,” and won multiple awards including a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy nomination for their portrayal of Lady Diana.

Gina McKee

     BBC One

With Corrin in the role of young Marion, Gina McKee will be portraying her older counterpart. McKee has starred in many British television series like Our Friend in the North, The Lost Prince, and The Street, all of which earned her BAFTA nominations. She made an appearance in 1999s romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, Notting Hill, and in BBC/Netflix series, The Bodyguard, as Commander Anne Sampson.

David Dawson

     BBC

Rupert Everett

     Sony Pictures

Playing the role of older Patrick is Rupert Everett, who is best known for his role in the 1997 film My Best Friend’s Wedding where he played George Downes, the gay best friend to lead woman Julianne (Julia Roberts), for which he received a Golden Globe nomination. So, this won’t be the first time the actor, who is gay himself, plays a gay man. The role that saw him achieve his first BAFTA was in 1984’s historical romance, Another Country, where he starred as a gay pupil in a 1930s public school. Besides his roles as a gay man, you would’ve likely seen him (or heard him) in Shrek 2 as the voice of Prince Charming, Inspector Gadget as Dr. Claw, and The Chronicles of Narnia as the voice of Mr. Fox.