Disney+ and Hulu basically handed us a gift when they decided to adapt Jilly Cooper’s most iconic "bonkbuster." If you’ve been living under a rock, Rivals is a messy, glamorous, and utterly ruthless look at the 1980s independent television wars in the fictional UK county of Rutshire. It’s got shoulder pads big enough to have their own zip codes and more scandals than a tabloid editor's fever dream. But honestly? The real reason this show works isn’t just the nostalgia—it’s the Rivals tv show cast.
The casting directors didn't just pick famous faces. They found people who could actually embody that specific brand of British upper-class arrogance mixed with genuine 80s grit. It’s a huge ensemble. Keeping track of who is sleeping with whom and who is trying to bankrupt whom requires a spreadsheet, but the actors make it feel effortless.
Alex Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black: The Man You Love to Hate
Let's talk about the elephant in the room. Rupert Campbell-Black is a legendary character in British literature. He’s a Tory MP, a showjumper, and a world-class womanizer. He is, quite frankly, a bit of a nightmare. Alex Hassell had a massive mountain to climb here because readers have had a very specific image of Rupert in their heads since 1988.
Hassell brings this specific kind of feline grace to the role. You might recognize him from The Boys or The Tragedy of Macbeth, but here, he’s doing something different. He manages to play Rupert’s vanity without making him a caricature. It’s all in the smirk. When he’s squaring off against Tony Baddingham, you can practically feel the testosterone vibrating off the screen.
Critics were initially skeptical. Could anyone actually be "Rupert"? But Hassell’s performance leans into the character's vulnerability just enough that you don't immediately want to throw a brick at your TV. He makes the rivalry feel personal, not just professional.
David Tennant’s Villainous Turn as Tony Baddingham
Then we have David Tennant. If Hassell is the cool, effortless aristocrat, Tennant is the high-strung, ambitious striver. As Tony Baddingham, the controller of Corinium Television, Tennant is at his absolute best when he’s being worst.
He’s got this frantic energy. Tony is a man who came from relatively little and built a media empire, and he is terrified of losing it. Watching Tennant play a character who is so deeply insecure despite his wealth is fascinating. He’s the antagonist, sure, but he’s also the engine of the plot. His obsession with destroying Rupert is what drives the whole show forward.
Tennant has talked in interviews about how much he enjoyed the sheer "80s-ness" of the production. The suits are sharp, the hair is sprayed to within an inch of its life, and the ego is massive. It’s a departure from his more heroic roles like Doctor Who, reminding everyone that he’s arguably one of the best character actors working today.
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The Women Who Actually Run Rutshire
While the men are busy measuring their egos, the women in the Rivals tv show cast are the ones actually holding the pieces together—or blowing them up.
Aidan Turner plays Declan O'Hara, the idealistic journalist, but it’s the women around him who steal the scenes. Victoria Smurfit plays Maud O'Hara, and she is a revelation. She’s a former actress who is bored out of her mind in the countryside, and Smurfit plays that "caged bird" energy with a lot of humor and a bit of tragedy.
Katherine Parkinson as Lizzie Vereker
Katherine Parkinson is usually known for her comedic timing in things like The IT Crowd, but as Lizzie, she’s the heart of the show. She’s a romance novelist trapped in a truly miserable marriage to a man who doesn't appreciate her. Her chemistry with the rest of the cast is subtle. She’s the person the audience identifies with most because she feels like a real human being dropped into a world of peacocks.
Bella Maclean as Taggie O’Hara
If there’s a breakout star in this ensemble, it’s Bella Maclean. Taggie is Declan’s daughter, and she’s the moral compass of the story. It’s a difficult role because "the nice girl" can often be boring. Maclean doesn’t let that happen. She’s tough, she’s capable, and her evolving relationship with Rupert is one of the more complex layers of the show. She doesn't just fall for his charm; she challenges it.
The Supporting Players and the "Who’s Who" of British TV
The depth of this cast is kind of insane. You turn a corner and there’s Danny Dyer.
Dyer plays Freddie Jones, a self-made electronics millionaire who is desperately trying to fit in with the "old money" crowd. It is, perhaps, the most perfect casting choice in the history of television. Dyer brings his natural Cockney charm but layers it with this poignant desire to be accepted. When Freddie gets snubbed by the aristocrats, you actually feel for the guy.
Then you’ve got Claire Rushbrook as Lady Monica Baddingham. She’s Tony’s wife, and she’s the one who has to deal with his tantrums and his affairs. Her performance is quiet, but she has some of the sharpest lines in the script. It’s a masterclass in saying a lot with a very small look.
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- Emily Atack as Sarah Stratton: She plays the ambitious, slightly chaotic Sarah with a lot of bravery. It’s a bold, physical performance.
- Luke Pasqualino as Bas Baddingham: He brings the younger generation's energy, playing Tony’s playboy brother.
- Nafessa Williams as Cameron Cook: As the American executive brought in to shake things up, she provides a necessary outside perspective on the weirdness of the British class system.
Why the Chemistry Works
The thing about a Jilly Cooper adaptation is that it can’t be polite. If it’s polite, it fails. The Rivals tv show cast had to be willing to be messy.
According to behind-the-scenes reports, the cast spent a lot of time together in the Cotswolds during filming, and you can see that camaraderie. There’s a scene early on where everyone is at a dinner party, and the overlapping dialogue and sniping feel completely natural. It doesn't feel like actors hitting marks; it feels like a group of people who have known (and hated) each other for twenty years.
The show also deals with the darker side of the 80s—the sexism, the rampant smoking, the casual cruelty. The cast doesn't shy away from that. They don't try to make their characters "likable" by 2024 standards. They play them as they were written, which is far more interesting.
The Evolution of the Rivalry
At its core, the show is about the power struggle between Rupert and Tony. But the cast expands that into a web of smaller rivalries.
You have the professional rivalry between Declan O’Hara and the corporate machine. You have the social rivalry between the "new money" Joneses and the established gentry. Every actor in the ensemble has a specific person they are trying to outdo. This creates a constant sense of tension that makes the show binge-worthy.
Even the smaller roles, like the secretaries or the production assistants, are cast with actors who bring a sense of history to their parts. It makes Rutshire feel like a lived-in place rather than a set.
Misconceptions About the Show's Tone
Some people expected Rivals to be a spoof. Given the source material's reputation for being "trashy," there was an assumption the acting would be campy.
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It isn't.
The cast plays it straight. That’s the secret sauce. By treating the drama with sincerity, the humor becomes much funnier. When David Tennant’s character has a meltdown over a television license, he plays it like a Shakespearean tragedy. That’s why it works. If he were winking at the camera, the stakes would vanish.
How to Follow the Cast Beyond the Show
If you’ve finished the series and need more of these actors, they have extensive back catalogs that are worth checking out.
- Alex Hassell: Look for him in The Miniaturist or The Boys (he was Translucent).
- Aidan Turner: Obviously Poldark is the go-to, but his work in The Suspect shows his range in thrillers.
- Katherine Parkinson: Humans is a great way to see her do serious sci-fi drama if you only know her from comedies.
- Bella Maclean: Keep an eye on her. She’s the one everyone will be casting in lead roles for the next five years.
Final Insights on the Rivals TV Show Cast
The success of Rivals isn't just about the sex or the 80s outfits. It’s a character study disguised as a soap opera. The Rivals tv show cast managed to take characters who could have been one-dimensional archetypes and gave them souls.
To get the most out of your viewing experience, pay attention to the background characters in the large party scenes. The casting is so dense that even the background actors are often established British talent.
If you're planning to dive into the show or rewatch it, keep an eye on the power dynamics in the O'Hara household. While the Campbell-Black vs. Baddingham feud gets the headlines, the internal collapse of the O'Hara family is where the best acting actually happens.
For those looking to dive deeper into the world of Jilly Cooper, the next logical step is reading the book Rivals or its predecessor Riders. You’ll find that while the show takes some creative liberties, the actors have captured the "spirit of Rutshire" almost perfectly. Check out the official Disney+ "Making Of" featurettes if you want to see how the cast handled the intense horse-riding and 80s makeup sessions.