Wicked Little Letters Cast & Character Guide

Summary A standout with a stellar ensemble, Wicked Little Letters mixes black comedy and mystery for a unique storyline.

Olivia Colman shines as Edith Swan, targeted with hate mail, while Anjana Vasan's PC Gladys Moss adds depth.

Handwriting inconsistencies raise doubt in the case, leading to a compelling investigation in the dark comedy setting.

A black comedy-meets-mystery film, Wicked Little Letters' memorable cast of characters helps it stand out from films with similar genre mashups. Directed by Thea Sharrock (Me Before You) and penned by award-winning comedian Jonny Sweet, Wicked Little Letters stars Olivia Colman as Edith Swan, a spinster who begins to receive nasty hate mail amid the growing 1920s suffragette movement in Britain. Scandalized by the letters, Edith's father, Edward (Timothy Spall), suggests they contact the local constabulary for help. However, the Swans already have a prime suspect in mind: their foul-mouthed neighbor, Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley).

When Edith testifies that she and Rose are former friends, it's revealed that Rose, a single mother, beat one of Edward's party guests months prior. After the incident, child protective services rushed to Rose's house to check in on her and her daughter, Nancy (Alisha Weir). Believing Edith called CPS, Rose ended their friendship. The whole ordeal certainly provides Rose with a motive to send Edith scathing letters, but, after noticing some handwriting inconsistencies, PC Gladys Moss (Anjana Vasan) isn't convinced that Rose is involved. Undoubtedly, Olivia Colman's under-the-radar dark comedy is bolstered by its stellar ensemble.

Wicked Little Letters Cast Wicked Little Letters Characters Olivia Colman Edith Swan Jessie Buckley Rose Gooding Anjana Vasan PC Gladys Moss Timothy Spall Edward Swan Joanna Scanlan Ann Gemma Jones Victoria Swan Malachi Kirby Bill Lolly Adefope Kate Eileen Atkins Mabel Hugh Skinner Constable Papperwick Paul Chahidi Chief Constable Spedding Alisha Weir Nancy Gooding Jason Watkins Mr. Treading Richard Goulding Mr. Scales Tim Key Father Ambrose Jonny Sweet Daily Mail Reporter Krishni Patel Winnie Moss Antony Somers CPS Man

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Olivia Colman As Edith Swan

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Active Since: 2000

Actor: One of Hollywood's most beloved and celebrated contemporary actors, Olivia Colman had her first big moment on the British series Broadchurch, though she broke through thanks to her incredible performance in The Favourite as Queen Anne — a role that earned her an Oscar. Since then, the four-time BAFTA-winning, three-time Golden Globe-winning, and two-time Emmy-winning actor has gone on to appear in TV hits like The Crown, The Bear, and Marvel's Secret Invasion, among many other projects.

Notable Movies & TV Shows Olivia Colman's Role The Favourite Queen Anne The Crown Queen Elizabeth II Broadchurch DS Ellie Miller The Bear Chef Andrea Terry Secret Invasion Sonya Falsworth

Character: A spinster and devout Christian in Littlehampton, Edith Swan becomes the target of hate mail in Wicked Little Letters — hence the film's title. The development is rather distressing for her, which sends Edith on a mission to uncover the truth about her former friend Rose.

Related Where To Watch Wicked Little Letters Online: Is It Streaming On Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Or Hulu? Wicked Little Letters is a British black comedy mystery based on a true story, and there are plenty of options for those wondering where to watch it.

Jessie Buckley As Rose Gooding

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Active Since: 2008

Actor: The Laurence Olivier Award-winning actor has also received Oscar and BAFTA nominations for her outstanding performances. In 2020, the veteran stage actor had a breakout moment in Netflix's I'm Thinking of Ending Things, leading to starring roles in Alex Garland's Men and Sarah Polley's Women Talking.

Notable TV Shows & Movies Jessie Buckley's Roles I'm Thinking of Ending Things Young Woman Men Harper Marlowe Women Talking Mariche Chernobyl Lyudmilla Ignatenko Fargo Oraetta Mayflower

Character: Buckley plays Rose, a single mother and Irish migrant who was once Edith's friend. Now Edith's neighbor, Rose is known for her penchant for foul language, which makes Edith think that Rose is the one behind the titular Wicked Little Letters.

Related Olivia Colman's Best Movies Ranked Olivia Colman is one of the greatest actresses working today, switching between comedy and drama with such movies as The Father and The Favourite.

Anjana Vasan As PC Gladys Moss

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Active Since: 2011

Actor: A Laurence Olivier Award-winning actor, Vasan rose to prominence in the US for her BAFTA-nominated starring turn in We Are Lady Parts. Before then, she also appeared in the fourth and final season of Killing Eve as an assassin named Pam and starred in a harrowing episode of Black Mirror called "Demon 79."

Notable TV Shows & Movies Anjana Vasan's Roles We Are Lady Parts Amina Black Mirror Nida Huq Killing Eve Pam Cyrano Sister Claire Spider-Man: Far From Home Reporter

Character: In Wicked Little Letters, Vasan plays police officer Gladys Moss, a keen detective with an eye for detail. After noticing a few key differences between Rose's handwriting and the writing on the letters, she becomes skeptical, though her misogynistic superior forbids her from continuing the investigation. Of course, that doesn't stop Gladys from pursuing the truth.

Related Wicked Little Letters Review: Swear-tastic, Scattershot Comedy Falls Short Of True Greatness Despite strong performances from an A-list cast, the movie fails to live up to its ultimate potential – despite the very funny subject matter.

Timothy Spall As Edward Swan

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Active Since: 1978

Actor: A prolific character actor on both stage and screen, Spall is known for collaborating with filmmaker Mike Leigh as well as for his award-winning role in Mr. Turner. For many movie-goers, Spall's most recognizable role is that of Peter Pettigrew in the Harry Potter movies. The BAFTA nominee has also appeared in Hamlet, The Last Samurai, Enchanted, Sweeney Todd, Alice in Wonderland, The King's Speech, and Spencer, among many other film and TV projects.

Notable TV Shows & Films Timothy Spall's Roles Mr. Turner J. M. W. Turner The Sixth Commandment Peter Farquhar Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Peter Pettigrew The King's Speech Winston Churchill The Last Samurai Simon Graham

Character: Timothy Spall plays Edith's controlling father, Edward, who becomes obsessed with pinning the letters on Rose, who, previously, beat one of Edward's guests at his birthday party. The ever-intense Edward seeks out the help of the constable and his team.

Related Men: 10 Best Jessie Buckley Performances, According To Letterboxd The star of Alex Garland's Men has delivered many critically acclaimed performances. Here are Jessie Buckley's best films, according to Letterboxd!

Joanna Scanlan As Ann

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Active Since: 1997

Actor: Nominated three times at the BAFTAs for her work on Getting On, Scanlan is a huge name in British television. In terms of Hollywood roles, the actor has appeared in many big-name films, including Girl With a Pearl Earring, Notes on a Scandal, The Invisible Woman, and Bridget Jones's Baby. In 2020, Scanlan won a BAFTA for her starring role in After Love.

Notable TV Shows & Films Joanna Scanlan's Roles Girl With a Pearl Earring Tanneke Notes on a Scandal Sue Hodge The Invisible Woman Catherine Dickens Bridget Jones's Baby Cathy, Make-up Lady After Love Mary

Character: One of Edith's remaining friends, Ann is very sympathetic to PC Gladys' investigation and offers to help her uncover the truth about what's really going on with the letters.

Related Timothy Spall's 10 Greatest Roles, According To IMDb IMDb ranks Timothy Spall's best movies & TV roles, a brilliant actor known for his role in Harry Potter, but with a long list of highly-rated credits.

Gemma Jones As Victoria Swan

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Active Since: 1962

Actor: The BAFTA Award-winning Gemma Jones got her start on the stage, but rose to prominence on the screen after she appeared in the Academy Award-winning period drama Sense and Sensibility alongside Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson, and Alan Rickman. A mainstay in the Harry Potter series and a returning actor in the Bridget Jones movies, Jones has also appeared in Ammonite, Gentleman Jack, Rocketman, and The Crown.

Notable TV Shows & Films Gemma Jones' Roles Sense and Sensibility Mrs. Dashwood Bridget Jones Pamela Jones Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Madam Poppy Pomfrey Ammonite Molly Anning Gentleman Jack Aunt Anne Lister

Character: In Wicked Little Letters, Gemma Jones plays Edith's much gentler and innocent mother, Victoria, who finds the foul language in the letters to be quite shocking and distressing for her family.

Related Olivia Colman’s New The Crown Replacement Show Couldn’t Be More Different From Her Queen Elizabeth Role Oscar & Emmy winner Olivia Colman may have found a critically acclaimed television replacement after her role as Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown.

Wicked Little Letters Ensemble

Other Key Characters In The Black Comedy-Meets-Mystery Film

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Malachi Kirby as Bill: Best known for appearing in the Black Mirror episode "Men Against Fire" as well as his BAFTA-winning performance in Small Axe: Mangrove.

Lolly Adefope as Kate: Adefope's most recognizable projects include Hulu's comedy series Shrill and the BBC comedy Ghosts.

Eileen Atkins as Mabel: This three-time Oliver Award-winning actor also nabbed an Emmy and a BAFTA for her performance in Cranford.

Hugh Skinner as Constable Papperwick: In addition to starring in sitcoms like The Windsors, Skinner has appeared in musical movies like Les Misérables and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

Paul Chahidi as Chief Constable Spedding: This Tony and Olivier award nominated actor has also appeared in Good Omens and The Serpent Queen.

Alisha Weir as Nancy Gooding: The 14-year-old actor is best known for her roles as the title characters in the films Matilda the Musical (2022) and Abigail (2024).

Jason Watkins as Mr. Treading: After winning a BAFTA for his leading role in The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, Watkins appeared in Netflix's The Crown.

Richard Goulding as Mr. Scales: Although he's most well-known for his stage roles, Goulding also appeared in films like The Iron Lady and TV shows like The Crown.

Tim Key as Father Ambrose: A comedian, poet, and actor, Key has appeared in projects like The End of the F***ing World and Drunk History: UK.

Jonny Sweet as Daily Mail Reporter: An award-winning comedian, Sweet also has a writing credit on Wicked Little Letters.

Krishni Patel as Winnie Moss: Newcomer Patel's first feature-film role is Winnie Moss in Wicked Little Letters.

Antony Somers as CPS Man: Somers has appeared in projects like Krypton, Bodies, and The Nevers.

Wicked Little Letters is now streaming on Netflix.