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ITV's Until I Kill You is the kind of TV show that sticks in your brain for weeks, months, even years after viewing. Based on the horrifying true story of Delia Balmer who was repeatedly assaulted and almost killed by her boyfriend John Sweeney in 1990s London, the show has received rave reviews for its confronting, unflinching portrayal of the horrors of domestic abuse.
Based on Balmer's memoir, Living With a Serial Killer, the show follows Delia's journey from the early, hopeful days of her relationship with John, to his terrifying assaults, to the horrible months she spent fearing his return. Ultimately, we discover that John has killed at least two women in the past.
As the spiky Delia, Anna Maxwell Martin gives a brilliant, nuanced performance that serves as a reminder of the importance of unlikeable heroines. After all, victims of assault aren't always ‘nice.’ “I find Delia a fascinating and complex person," Martin told The Guardian. "I’ve never had any interest in the audience sympathising with or liking my character. I think that’s shown in the work I’ve done.”
Meanwhile, rounding out the Until I Kill You cast is Endeavour's Shaun Evans as John Sweeney, Downton Abbey's Kevin Doyle as David, and Amanda Wilkin as Leah.
Here, we go through the Until I Kill You cast in full, including where you've seen them before.
The new series is inspired by Delia's 2017 memoir.
Until I Kill You cast and characters
Anna Maxwell Martin as Delia Balmer
Anna Maxwell Martin takes on the complex role of Delia Balmer. As she told The Guardian, she chose not to meet the real-life Delia until the series had been almost entirely shot. “I can’t really say why, I just never have before when I played real people," she explained. "You are studying people, their mannerisms and so on. If you were sat in a room with them, you might end up staring at them in a fairly weird way. For this, I watched tapes of Nick Stevens interviewing her, which was really useful.”
Martin is a seasoned star of British film and TV, having appeared in The Bletchley Circle, Motherland, Line of Duty, Death Comes to Pemberley, Becoming Jane and Bleak House, for which she took home a BAFTA.
Shaun Evans as John Sweeney
Shaun Evans steps into the role of serial killer John Sweeney. It marks a notable shift from his previous work. “It’s interesting because obviously you’re the antagonist and to be candid, I was kind of repelled when I read it and I thought ‘Oh I don’t know if I fancy that,'” he told Radio Times of his first impressions of the role. “But then I thought there’s actually something quite funny in that, interesting territory and you want to be professionally challenged. It’s a delicate balance, isn’t it?”
You may know him best as Endeavour Morse from the Endeavour series. His other work includes Vigil, Whitechapel, Dread and Being Julia.
Kevin Doyle as David
Kevin Doyle is another familiar face of the British television world having starred as the loveable Molesley in the Downton Abbey series and films. You may also recognise him from Vera, Sherwood, The Witcher, Happy Valley or Silent Witness. Here, he plays David, Delia's supportive partner whom she meets in episode 3 after being attacked by John.
Amanda Wilkin as Leah
Leah is Delia's best friend in the series. She's played by Amanda Wilkin, a British actor known for Spent, Am I Being Unreasonable?, Finding Alice, The Split and Holby City. She's also a well-known playwright, who took home the Verity Bargate Award in 2020 for her play Shedding a Skin, which she performed at the Soho Playhouse.
Lucy Thackeray as WPC Jane Barker
Lucy Thackeray plays WPC Jane Barker, the only female police constable assigned to Delia's case. She also visits her in hospital after she is attacked. Thackeray has previously appeared in Call the Midwife, Topboy and Casualty, along with a number of theatre productions at the Globe, Soho Theatre and Salisbury Playhouse.
Laura Morgan as DC Christine Webb
Laura Morgan plays DC Christine Webb. You may have previously seen her in films like 2022's See How They Run or 2021's Operation Mincemeat. She has also appeared in a number of shows including Culprits, Homeland, Black Mirror, Victoria and The Hollow Crown.
