Hostage season 1 cast and characters: Meet the stars behind the show and the roles they play

Directed by Isabelle Sieb and Amy Neil, Hostage season 1 is a British political thriller that premiered exclusively on Netflix on August 21, 2025. The series revolves around British Prime Minister Abigail Dalton and French President Vivienne Toussaint as they band together to face an impossible crisis after the former’s husband is kidnapped and the latter is blackmailed.

Produced by Netflix and Binocular Productions, the series stars Julie Delpy and Suranne Jones in the lead roles. Based on an original story by Matt Charman, Hostage is the latest political thriller on Netflix that takes place immediately after Dalton is newly elected as Britain’s latest Prime Minister. However, after her husband is kidnapped in French Guiana, things quickly escalate into an international crisis.

Not only that, Toussaint is being blackmailed to stop her from helping the newly elected British PM. Jones and Delpy are joined by an ensemble cast that includes Ashley Thomas as Alex Anderson, James Cosmo, Corey Jehnny Beth, and Lucian Msamati, among others.

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Hostage season 1 cast and characters

Julie Delpy as Vivienne Toussaint

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Julie Delpy stars as Vivienne Toussaint in Hostage season 1, a formidable and calculating French President. However, after her political rival's husband is kidnapped, she finds herself being blackmailed and drawn into a dangerous conspiracy. This forces her to work alongside British Prime Minister Abigail Dalton throughout the miniseries as she reassesses her priorities and allegiances.

A French-American actress, filmmaker, and screenwriter, Delphy is best known for her work across European and American cinema. She gained international fame for her role in the critically acclaimed Before trilogy alongside Ethan Hawke.

Delphy also earned two Oscar nominations for co-writing two of the films in the series; Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013). Beyond that, she has also directed several films, including 2 Days in Paris (2007) and My Zoe (2019).

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Suranne Jones as Abigail Dalton

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Suranne Jones portrays Abigail Dalton in Hostage season 1, Britain's first female Conservative Prime Minister, whose new reign is thrown into crisis mode after her husband is kidnapped during a state visit. It forces the newly elected PM to navigate both a personal crisis and an international political crisis while balancing her own personal and political turmoil.

Jones is a British actress who rose to prominence through her work on television and on stage. She first gained recognition for her role as Karen McDonald in Coronation Street (2000-2004), before achieving critical acclaim for lead roles in Doctor Foster (2015-2017) and Gentleman Jack (2019-2022).

Her performances have earned her several BAFTA nominations and a BAFTA win for her role in Doctor Foster, alongside a catalogue of other awards.

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Corey Mylchreest as Matheo Lewis

"Hostage" UK Screening - Arrivals - Source: Getty

Corey Mylchreest stars as Matheo Lewis in Hostage season 1. He is President Toussaint's mysterious and troubled stepson. His complex relationship with his stepmother brings about various complications for the President in Hostage season 1. As the series unfolds, his true motivations and potential involvement in the conspiracy become increasingly evident, forcing Toussaint to question where his loyalties actually lie.

Mylchreest is a rising British actor who recently gained attention for his portrayal of young King George in Netflix's Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023). A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he made his debut in 2021 across various short films before making his official debut in Netflix’s The Sandman in 2022.

Since then, he has starred in several theatre and television productions, including My Oxford Year, Fantastic Friends, and Romeo & Juliet, amongst others.

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Lucian Msamati as Kofi Adomako

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Kofi Adomako (Lucian Msamati), Prime Minister Dalton's loyal and astute Chief of Staff, becomes her most trusted ally during her biggest crisis after being elected as Prime Minister. Throughout Hostage season 1, his savvy and intelligence prove invaluable as he helps Dalton navigate the trauma of her husband's kidnapping and the complex manoeuvring required to resolve the situation.

Msamati is a British-Tanzanian actor with a career spanning theatre, film, and television. He made his debut in the 1997 television series Knock, but gained recognition for his role as Salladhor Saan in HBO's Game of Thrones.

He also earned critical acclaim for his performance as Lucian Mafeo in the BBC's His Dark Materials. Beyond that, his career includes becoming the first black actor to portray Iago at the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as starring as Ed Dumani in the series Gangs of London.

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Other actors featured in Hostage season 1

Hostage season 1 also features a variety of actors who contribute to the plot across the five-episode miniseries. The additional cast includes:

• James Cosmo as Max
• Ashley Thomas as Dr Alex Anderson
• Mark Lewis Jones as General Livingston
• Isobel Akuwudike as Sylvie Anderson
• Martin McCann as John Shagan
• Jehnny Beth as Adrienne Pelletier
• Sophie Robertson as Saskia Morgan
• Sara Powell as Kathy MacIntyre
• Hiftu Quasem as Ayesha
• Pip Carter as Dan Ogilvy

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Interested viewers can watch Hostage season 1 on Netflix.