'Trainspotting's Kelly Macdonald is new 'Line Of Duty' cop

Albertina Lloyd
·Contributor
Updated
Kelly Macdonald participates in Britbox's "The Victim" panel at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on Thursday, July 25, 2019, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)
Kelly Macdonald will play a police inspector under investigation in the hit BBC show (Credit: AP)

Kelly Macdonald is to star in the new series of hit police drama Line Of Duty.

The Hollywood star - who had her breakthrough role in Trainspotting - will play Detective Chief Inspector Joanne Davidson, the latest police officer under investigation by anti-corruption unit AC-12 in the sixth series of the award-winning BBC show.

Line Of Duty writer and showrunner Jed Mercurio said: Everyone involved in Line Of Duty is thrilled Kelly Macdonald is joining us for Series 6, playing AC-12’s most enigmatic adversary yet.”

Read more: Jed Mercurio reveals 'less than a dozen people' know H's real identity

Macdonald will join Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar who star as the AC-12 team DS Steve Arnott, DS Kate Flemming and Superintendent Ted Hastings.

McClure tweeted: “Can’t wait to get back to work and a huge welcome to the phenomenal Kelly Macdonald!!”

Controller of BBC Drama Piers Wenger said: “We’re delighted that Kelly Macdonald is coming on board for series six. She’s one of the UK’s most versatile actors and we’re excited for viewers to see what Jed’s scripts have in store for her when she joins the Line of Duty team.”

Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston will be back in Line Of Duty next year (Credit: BBC)
Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston will be back in Line Of Duty next year (Credit: BBC)

Madonald, 43, lives in the UK with the two children she shares with ex-husband, Travis bassist Dougie Payne.

After getting her big break in Trainspotting in 1996 aged just 20 she took Hollywood by storm, with roles in the Coen brother’s award-winning 2007 movie No Country For Old Men and starring in HBO series Boardwalk Empire.

Her most recent roles was in acclaimed Scottish crime drama The Victim, which aired on BBC One earlier this year.

Read more: Shock ending of BBC drama 'The Victim' starring Kelly Macdonald stuns viewers

The last series of Line Of Duty saw Stephen Graham star as DS John Corbett, an undercover police officer who was investigated by AC-12, and the identity of the elusive ‘H’ - the corrupt police officer and crime lord - again went undetected

Previous guest stars have included Thandie Newton, Keeley Hawes and Lennie James.

Filming on the new series will begin next year.

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