Who is starring in Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?: Meet the cast of the Agatha Christie adaptation

Fans have been eagerly awaiting the new Agatha Christie adaptation hitting the screens on April 9.

The three-part adaptation of the 1934 novel Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? is directed by Hugh Laurie and is a quintessentially baffling Agatha Christie whodunnit story.

It tells the story of Bobby Jones and his socialite friend Lady Frances Derwent, who discover a man’s body while playing golf. The pair then take it upon themselves to solve the mystery and find the killer.

The miniseries was first shown on Britbox in April 2022, but is finally getting a TV broadcast a year after its initial release.

The first episode comes to ITV1 on Easter Sunday at 9pm and the second episode follows on Easter Monday, April 10, before the third episode wraps up on April 11.

The sensational story drew a slew of names, but who exactly will star in the highly anticipated crime drama?

LUCY BOYNTON

Lucy Boynton, best known for her role as Mary Austin in the Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, will star as Lady Frances Derwent.

The 29-year-old actress, who is in a relationship with Rami Malek, will try to solve the mystery and find the killer in the thrilling murder mystery story.

Previously, Lucy said of her role, “I’m so excited to be working with Hugh and Will, and on this story from one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to get started.’

It’s not her first Agatha Christie mystery, as she previously starred in Kenneth Branagh’s Murder on the Orient Express in 2017.

Based on the 1934 Hercule Poirot novel, Lucy starred as Countess Helena Andrenyi in the new adaptation, directed by Kenneth Branagh.

Lucy made her acting debut as the young Beatrix Potter in Miss Potter before starring in TV projects Ballet Shoes, Sense and Sensibility and Mo.

WILL POULTER

Lucy will star alongside Hollywood actor Will Poulter, who will play her boyfriend Bobby Jones, who will try to help her character solve the murder.

The Reverend’s son, Bobby, and socialite Lady Frances are childhood friends who serve as Agatha’s sleuths as they are determined to solve the mystery when a man falls off a cliff to his death.

After his role in the series was revealed, Will said, “I am deeply honored to have been given the opportunity to co-lead this project with Lucy and to bring the exciting story of Agatha Christie to life under the guidance of Hugh.’

Will first rose to fame as Eustace Scrubb in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and has landed a slew of high-profile roles.

He appeared in fantasy adventure franchise The Maze Runner, starred in the comedy film We’re The Millers and most recently appeared in the 2021 drama Dopesick.

Will is also venturing into the Marvel Universe as he gears up to make his highly anticipated MCU debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

He will star as the golden-haired and skinned Adam Warlock, a powerful artificial creature created by the Sovereign to destroy the Guardians.

HUGE LAURIE

In addition to writing and directing the series, the multi-talented Hugh, 63, has also taken on a small role in the three-part adaptation.

He makes a cameo appearance as the mysterious Dr James Nicholson in two episodes alongside the star-studded cast.

About directing Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? spoken, Hugh described it as “a bit like trying to make a Rubik’s Cube with people pelting your face with hot gravel”.

Hugh recently admitted that the fictional Lady Frances Derwent was his “first crush” when speaking to Daily Mail’s Weekend Magazine about the project.

He said, “She was kind of my dream because she was so much fun. She was feisty, she had a sense of adventure, she was funny and fearless.

She comes from a privileged background, but she treated every character she met as if they were all in it together. I loved that, and I kind of rediscovered the crush while writing the story.

Every week on TV we see an old detective working on his latest case, but with these two we have characters whose innocence and guts are part of the advantage they have. They are not cynical, they are smart and quick-witted.

‘The charm of the story is that you see how heroes form. do they fall in love? Or have they always been in love, but just didn’t know it?

“I think that’s more likely, and they were the only two to realize it until the end of the adventure.”

He also said of Agatha’s literary work in a statement: ‘The hairs on the back of my neck have not sat well from the first time I grasped the beauty of the essential mystery.

“Since then I’ve fallen deeper and deeper in love with the characters and feel immensely honored to have been given the opportunity to retell their story in this form.

“I’ll wear a tie on set and give it all I’ve got.”

Hugh is no stranger to a thriller as he previously starred in the gripping drama The Night Manager as villain Richard Roper alongside Tom Hiddleston.

Perhaps best known as one half of the comedy act Fry and Laurie, he appeared in the classic sitcom Black Adder, while also starring in the hit medical drama House.

EMMA THOMPSON

British acting legend Emma Thompson also signed on to play Lady Marcham in the miniseries.

She only has a small part in the show, making a cameo appearance alongside The Borrowers star Jim Broadbent.

Emma probably got involved in the show through her good friend Hugh, who she starred with in Sense and Sensibility.

Emma previously revealed that she dated Hugh when they were at Cambridge University together and they have remained close over the years.

She previously joked about their romance: “He was rowing in the Oxford and Cambridge boat race. He was huge and ate steak all the time.’

Hugh also gave a moving speech when Emma received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010.

He gushed, “Everything she did just oozed talent. She said talented things, she wore talented clothes, she rode a talented bike, she made talented spaghetti. She really is a remarkable person, a very good friend, and I couldn’t be prouder.’

BAFTA award-winning star Emma has starred in a range of iconic films including Nanny McPhee, Love Actually, Men In Black, Johnny English and the Harry Potter franchise.

She recently starred as the formidable headmistress Miss Trunchbull in Tim Minchin’s Matilda The Musical and was nominated for a Best Actress BAFTA for Good Luck to You, Leo Grande.

REST OF THE CAST

The star-studded cast also includes Daniel Ings, best known for his roles in I Hate Suzie, 2014’s Lovesick and brand new BBC drama The Gold.

He stars as Roger Bassington-ffrench in the classic Agatha Christie mystery and will appear in all three episodes of the miniseries.

Meanwhile, Richard Dixon takes on the role of Leo Cayman and Alistair Petrie plays Rev. Richard Jones.

Conleth Hill, who starred as Varys in Game Of Thrones, also appears in the cast as Dr. Alwyn Thomas.

The actor, 58, is also known for his role in Doctor Who, having recently starred in an adaptation of Graham Norton’s novel Holding.

Other crime series roles include Maeve Dermody, Jonathan Jules, Miles Jupp, Paul Whitehouse, and Joshua James.