Line of Duty season 7: Robert Carlyle cast in hit BBC drama

Robert Carlyle is joining the Line of Duty family after being cast as one of the high-profile guest stars for the hit show’s forthcoming new series.

The Scottish Trainspotting actor will join the ranks of previous famous faces Lennie James, Keeley Hawes, Stephen Graham and Thandiwe Newton to appear on the acclaimed BBC drama when it returns for a seventh run next year.

Filming is scheduled to start next month in Belfast, with lead trio Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar all returning as police officers hunting down their corrupt colleagues.

Carlyle, also known for British comedy The Full Monty and horror sequel 28 Weeks Later, will play Detective Constable Shaun Massie, with creator Jed Mercurio stating: “I know viewers will be on the edge of their seats wondering what his character will do next, and why."

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The actor himself said of his casting: “The scripts for the series are excellent and will absolutely maintain the quality that the audience have come to expect from this fantastic show. DC Massie is an extraordinary character and I look forward to bringing him to life.”

Massie is described as a veteran marksman, operating with Tactical Operations Unit 7 (TO-7) to take down Organised Crime Groups. He is dragged into controversy when his boss, Detective Inspector Dominic Gough, is accused of being a sexual predator, which is investigated by the central trio in their “most sensitive case so far”. The actor playing Gough is yet to be announced.

The press release for series seven reads: “Is Gough’s case a deliberate distraction from a bigger threat still operating in the shadows?” with the BBC stating, when Gough comes under suspicion, “Massie's otherwise detached demeanour changes drastically”.

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Earlier this week, it was reported that Line of Duty will also reintroduce the controversial plotline surrounding the enigmatic “H”, the corrupt copper at the centre of the anti-corruption unit’s search.

The identity of “H” was revealed as Nigel Boyle’s bumbling DSI Ian Buckells in the 2021 finale, which proved divisive among viewers. The twist was that Buckells was not a “criminal mastermind”, as AC-12 believed “H” was, but instead an individual who did small favours for several organised crime groups.

Boyle addressed the fan outcry at the time, stating: “There’s always going to be some element of disappointment. You can’t have every series end with a big shoot out. Sometimes a subtler message is more important.”

Line of Duty first aired on BBC Two before moving to BBC One for its second season.

The series six finale became the biggest drama episode – excluding soaps – since modern records began in 2002, as 17 million viewers tuned in to find out the identity of “H” across 28 days.