Star of BBC’s The Capture to join ITV’s “propulsive” thriller with Adolescence star Ashley Walters

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Ben Miles, known for his role in The Capture, has joined the cast of ITV’s upcoming space thriller, First Woman. The series stars Andrea Riseborough, an Academy Award nominee, as Claire Reith, an astronaut who goes missing while on a mission to the moon. Ashley Walters, from Adolescence, plays Claire’s husband, Ben, and is determined to uncover the truth about her disappearance.

ITV has added several new actors to the cast of First Woman, joining the previously announced leads. Alongside Miles, known for his roles in The Crown and Andor, the series will also feature Kathryn Gallagher (from You), Fra Fee (Unchosen), Jimmy Akingbola, Shazad Latif, and Christian Ochoa Lavernia.

These new additions join the already announced cast members, including Riseborough, Walters, Jennifer Ehle, and Alex Hassell, completing the ensemble.

ITV revealed more about the new characters: Miles will play Peter Talbot, the leader of the mission, and Akingbola will be Dr. Henry Evans, the astronaut responsible for the moon base’s life-sustaining nuclear reactor.

Fee plays Dr. Declan McAllister, a determined astronaut who often clashes with Claire. Gallagher is Lucy Miller, a NASA astronaut who now works at Mission Control. Lavernia is Gabriel Ross, the commander leading the moon mission, and Latif plays Inesh Vidhani, a wealthy billionaire.

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The new thriller, First Woman, is fast-paced and exciting. It’s written by Lydia Yeoman, George Oakes, and Ben Schiffer, and directed by Philip Martin, who also worked on popular shows like The Crown and Scoop.

The movie centers around Claire, a biologist played by Riseborough, who makes history as the first woman on the moon as part of a major research project. When she goes missing, everyone suspects foul play, focusing on her fellow astronauts and a competing Chinese lunar base.

The story asks: can Ben find out what happened to his wife after she vanished, despite being thousands of miles away?

The story quickly jumps between Earth – specifically Mission Control in the UK – and the Moon, creating a thrilling race against the clock. The astronauts still on the lunar surface are facing mounting stress, and Ben desperately hopes to be reunited with his wife. However, the situation raises a key question: how truly well do any two people know each other?

Last month, while discussing the project, actress Andrea Riseborough – who received an Oscar nomination in 2023 for her role in To Leslie – shared that she’d always been fascinated with space. As a child, she often imagined the emptiness, stars, and immense scale of it all, and how those concepts inspired poetry.

As a fan, I honestly couldn’t ask for a more wonderful team to tackle this project than Philip and Ashley. They’re just so kind, brave, and have amazing vision! I’m really hoping everyone who comes along for the ride enjoys it as much as I think they will – I’m absolutely buzzing with excitement and can’t wait to see what they create!

Walters said it was a real honour to be involved in such a dynamic and exciting show, alongside a team she’s long admired.

I’m drawn to projects that spark discussion and encourage creative thinking, and this one definitely fits the bill.

A release date for First Woman hasn’t been announced yet.

The latest issue of Living Legends, a beautifully illustrated 100-page tribute to Sir David Attenborough, is now available! You can find it at newsstands or purchase it online.

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2026-05-07 20:19