Award-winning actress Janet McTeer has been added to the cast of MobLand, a new British crime drama series written by Ronan Bennett and co-written by Jez Butterworth. Set against the background of a sprawling London crime syndicate, the series launched on Paramount+ and boasts a high-profile ensemble cast, including Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren, and Pierce Brosnan.
In MobLand, McTeer portrays an enigmatic character named Kat, as charming as she is violent. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter on March 17, 2025, Kat is a force in the worldwide criminal network, terrorizing from Beijing to London.
While the full extent of her narrative remains to be seen, her debut suggests high-stakes coalitions, calculating machinations, and an untamed role in the greater gangland drama. As McTeer's character exists as a figure crime lords don't want to cross, Kat may become one of the series' most important and powerful characters.
Who is Janet McTeer and what role is she playing in MobLand?
Janet McTeer OBE is a veteran English actress with a career spanning four decades, known for her reputation and commanding presence in both classical and modern parts. Born in Wallsend, Newcastle upon Tyne, and raised in York, McTeer trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) before embarking on her professional career in the mid-1980s.
She quickly gained recognition for her stage work, winning both an Olivier Award and a Tony Award for her critically acclaimed performance in A Doll's House in 1997.
On screen, McTeer received Academy Award nominations for Tumbleweeds (1999) and Albert Nobbs (2011), with other credits including Wuthering Heights, The Menu, and The Divergent Series. She is also known for standout performances in Ozark, Jessica Jones, The Honourable Woman, and Into the Storm, the latter earning her an Emmy nomination.
In MobLand, she enters a world of crime with a character that blurs the boundaries between diplomacy and violence, promising a performance that leverages both her gravitas and edge.
Kat, McTeer's character, is presented as a woman of power who commands respect and terror in international criminal communities. Information regarding her affiliations is limited, but she has a reputation, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
She isn't with the Harrigan family at the beginning of the series, but her possible influence on the growing violence between competing syndicates makes her a wild card in the narrative. Her beauty hides a merciless effectiveness, such that her interactions, be they with allies or enemies, are charged and meaningful.
As the series unfolds, Kat's alliances, motives, and tactics are likely to be revealed in greater clarity.
What is MobLand about?
MobLand centers on the Harrigans, an Irish, London-based crime clan embroiled in a battle for control both within the family and with a competing gang, the Stevensons. The series tracks Harry Da Souza, played by Tom Hardy, the longtime fixer for the Harrigans, as he navigates growing tensions and tries to protect the family from internal treachery and external danger.
With the syndicate teetering on collapse from within, Harry's services become vital to keeping the show on the road or at least to slowing the inevitable collapse.
At its center, the series is about loyalty, legacy, and control, and how a family is held together not only by blood but by criminal necessity. Patriarch Conrad Harrigan (Pierce Brosnan) runs things, and his wife, Maeve (Helen Mirren), is the strategist from behind the scenes.
Their children, who have varying opinions on the family enterprise, add to the increasing instability. From business conflict to psychological warfare, MobLand blends organized crime with interpersonal drama, delivering a slow-burning narrative interrupted by outbursts of violence and strategic maneuvering.
MobLand is directed by several directors, like Guy Ritchie, Anthony Byrne, and Daniel Syrkin, infusing its visual presentation with a rich blend of gritty stylization and realistic drama. With its character-driven plot and variable allegiances, MobLand diverges from typical crime movies in the level of layered observation of power struggles, manipulation, and family dissolution.
Who else stars in MobLand?
Apart from McTeer's Kat and the core trio of Hardy, Brosnan, and Mirren, MobLand boasts a large ensemble cast. Paddy Considine plays Kevin Harrigan, Conrad and Maeve's emotionally unstable son, while Joanne Froggatt portrays Jan Da Souza, Harry's wife and calming presence amidst his chaotic work.
Anson Boon takes on the role of Eddie, Kevin's wayward son, and Lara Pulver plays Kevin's wife, Isabella. Jasmine Jobson is introduced in the series as Harry's close friend Zosia, and Mandeep Dhillon takes on the role of Seraphina, a half-sister who is figuring out her place within the family ranks.
The Stevenson clan, the Harrigans' major competitors, consists of Geoff Bell as Richie Stevenson and Annie Cooper as his wife, Vron. Other cast members include Lisa Dwan as the Harrigans' attorney, O'Hara Delaney, Daniel Betts as older son Brendan Harrigan, and Emily Barber as Alice, a member of Jan's therapy group who is connected to her subplot.
The large cast also features characters from law enforcement, competing operations, and global criminal organizations, constructing an intricate world where each character serves a purpose.
With the introduction of Kat into this world, her dealings with characters such as Conrad, Maeve, and Harry might upset the power balance in unexpected ways.
Interested viewers can watch MobLand on Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video.