Black Doves Adds Your Favorite ’90s Scream Queen to Season 2—Meet the New and Returning Cast

Black Doves is back, and it’s just as action-packed as ever. Netflix’s deadly, dark, and irreverently funny spy thriller follows a covert intelligence organization as it uncovers and sells secrets among the rich and powerful. Season 1 brought us Keira Knightley as the fearless agent Helen; Sarah Lancashire as her icy spymaster, Reed; and Ben Whishaw as an assassin and Helen’s longtime friend.

That first season closed with many loose ends, so it wasn’t a huge surprise when it was announced that we’d be seeing Helen and Sam in action again. Now, season 2 has brought the pair back to our screens, with a handful of fresh faces to add to the drama. This time around, Sam appears as a washed-up hit man taking low-paid jobs, while Helen is still working for the Black Doves—something that proves to be complicated given her husband, Wallace (played by Andrew Buchan), is now prime minister.

All episodes of the new season dropped on Netflix on November 5. If you’re eager to get to know the cast and characters more closely—and are wondering where you might have seen those new faces before—then read on.

The Returning Cast

Keira Knightley as Helen Webb

As an agent of the Black Doves, Helen Webb is tasked with gathering highly sensitive information obtained via her politician husband, Wallace. But keeping up the image of a good spouse, mother, and spy all at once becomes increasingly difficult to maintain, and Helen grows conflicted about her life of betrayal. You’ll know Keira Knightley, of course, from her career of starry roles in everything from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean to Pride & Prejudice, Bend It Like Beckham, and Love Actually.

Ben Whishaw as Sam Young

Helen’s close friend, a previously high-flying hit man, an ex-employee of the Black Doves, Sam Young attempted to leave behind his former life—but that was easier said than done. Now he’s taking low-paid jobs and drinking alone in bars, before he finds himself roped into business with Helen once again. You’ll know Whishaw from his role in Daniel Craig’s James Bond films—Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time to Die—as well as A Very English Scandal and The Hour.

Sarah Lancashire as Reed

Relentless and cold, the spymaster Reed is Helen’s handler at the Black Doves and does not mess around. In season 2, we see new, more vulnerable sides of her character unfold via glimpses of her younger self and flashes to the past events that came to define her. You’ll recognize Lancashire from her role in Happy Valley.

Andrew Buchan as Wallace Webb

Wallace Webb is Helen’s husband and the father of her two children, and he’s completely unaware of her career as a Black Dove. In season 2, his own career has taken off and he becomes the U.K.’s prime minister—a move that comes with highly strict security measures in the backdrop of rising tensions in his marriage. Buchan has also starred in Industry, The Crown, and Carnival Row.

Ella Lily Hyland as Williams

Another assassin, Williams, worked for the crime leader Lenny in the first season of Black Doves. This time around, she’s moved on and formed a partnership with Eleanor, following the death of her previous partner, as well as a friendship with Sam. Hyland has starred in Towards Zero, A Thousand Blows, and Tall Tales and Murder.

Gabrielle Creevy as Eleanor

As Williams’s partner, Eleanor is another fast-footed assassin with a refreshing sense of humor. Creevy has also starred in Amadeus, The Guest, and Operation Mincemeat.

The New Cast and Characters

Ambika Mod as Laila

Laila is an assassin with a fun, nonchalant, and lighthearted personality—a contrast to Helen, whom she clashes with at the start of season 2. You’ll know Ambika Mod for her roles in This Is Going to Hurt and as the co-lead of Netflix’s One Day adaptation.

Babou Ceesay as Mr. Conteh

Mr. Conteh is a senior at Black Doves and is hungry for power. As the fabric of the institution is put under pressure and he is sent to investigate Reed, Conteh becomes increasingly prominent for Helen and her associates. Ceesay has also starred in Alien: Earth.

Sam Riley as Patrick

Cruelly minded and understated in tone, Patrick works for a rival organization to Black Doves, the same group that presents an appealing get-out for Sam when he needs it the most. Riley also starred in the comedy-horror Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as well as Firebrand.

Neve Campbell as Cecile Mason

Hard-headed with tunnel vision, Cecile Mason is a U.S. defense envoy, arriving at 10 Downing Street to work on relations between the president and the prime minister ahead of a major peace summit. Campbell was a star of the Scream movies, as well as Party of Five and Wild Things.

Sylvia Hoeks as Katia Chernov

Glamorous and sharp-minded, Katia Chernov is the wife of Russian oligarch Alexi Chernov and becomes swept up in the mysteries in the new series. She’s played by Sylvia Hoeks, who has also starred in Blade Runner 2049 and The Girl in the Spider’s Web.

Goran Kostić as Alexi Chernov

A well-connected Russian oligarch with immeasurable influence and power, Alexi Chernov is a force to be reckoned with in season 2, with fingers in some of the most fragile cases. He’s played by Goran Kostić, whom you may recognize from Ant-Man and the Wasp or Canary Black.