The City Is Ours Cast: Full Actors List & Characters

Sean Bean has spent decades playing everything from doomed scholars to reluctant heroes, but his latest role puts him at the head of a Liverpool crime family in BBC’s “This City Is Ours.” The series also marks one of the boldest bets on local talent in recent British television—stacking the cast with Scouse actors alongside the veteran star. Whether you’ve already started watching or are still deciding where to queue it up, here’s what you need to know about who fills out the Phelan crime dynasty and what’s ahead.

Lead Actor: Sean Bean as Ronnie Phelan · Episodes: 8 episodes (Season 1) · Release Year: 2025 · Filming Location: Liverpool area including Crosby · Key Supporting: James Nelson-Joyce as Michael Kavanagh

Who is the Irish actress in This City Is Ours?

Saoirse-Monica Jackson plays Cheryl Crawford, Davey’s wife in the series. The Northern Irish actress brings depth to the role of a woman navigating life inside the Crawford household, entangled with the gang’s operations. Alongside her, Philippa Dunne has also drawn attention for her performances, though details on her specific character remain limited in public sources.

Saoirse-Monica Jackson role

Jackson’s Cheryl operates within the domestic sphere of the gang’s inner circle, making her scenes with Stephen Walters’ Davey some of the series’ tensest. Her casting reflects the show’s broader commitment to Irish and Scouse talent—a decision that Radio Times highlighted when praising the local Liverpool and wider British cast.

Philippa Dunne details

Philippa Dunne, known from Motherland, joined the cast in a role that adds further dimension to the show’s ensemble. While her exact character name hasn’t been widely circulated in cast listings, her inclusion among the supporting players strengthens the female presence in what could otherwise skew heavily male.

Who was actually Scouse in This City Is Ours?

The series made a deliberate effort to cast Liverpool locals, with James Nelson-Joyce standing out as the Scouse actor playing Michael Kavanagh, Ronnie’s right-hand man. The BBC crime drama showcases homegrown talent alongside its headline star—a choice that The Guide Liverpool praised as showcasing “incredible local Liverpool talent alongside Sean Bean.”

James Nelson-Joyce as local talent

Nelson-Joyce, born and raised in Liverpool, delivers a performance that anchors Michael Kavanagh as more than just muscle. He is Michael Kavanagh in the series, serving as Ronnie’s enforcer and confidant. His chemistry with Sean Bean’s Ronnie feels lived-in rather than scripted, which is exactly what happens when you cast someone who actually knows the streets being filmed.

Liverpool connections

Jack McMullen, another Scouse actor from Liverpool, plays Jamie Phelan, Ronnie’s son. Darci Shaw rounds out the local contingent as Melissa Sullivan, Jamie’s fiancée. The casting director’s decision to prioritize Liverpool-born performers across key roles gives the show an authenticity that imported talent simply cannot replicate. Filming took place in Liverpool and Spain, with crew spotted around Crosby, reinforcing the local roots.

Where was This City Is Ours filmed?

The production split filming between Liverpool and Spain, with principal photography starting in May 2024. The Liverpool locations anchor the gang’s operations in a city already synonymous with maritime power struggles and complex neighborhood histories. Crew sightings in Crosby confirm the production embraced Merseyside geography fully.

Liverpool locations

Liverpool’s architecture—its Victorian warehouses, waterfront, and distinctive neighborhoods—provides the visual backbone for the series’ gang territory. The Guide Liverpool noted that the city offers “stunning architecture, people, and river” as ideal filming assets, and the production clearly took advantage of these backdrops.

Crosby sightings

Local reports placed the crew near Crosby, a North Liverpool suburb, during multiple filming windows. This northern Merseyside location adds variety to the urban sequences while maintaining the region’s distinct character.

Will there be a season 2 of The City Is Ours?

BBC confirmed the series’ renewal for a second season in May 2025, weeks before the first season even concluded. Season 2 filming commenced in October 2025, with returning cast including Hannah Onslow, Jack McMullen, Mike Noble, Julie Graham, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Adam Abbou, Laura Aikman, Kevin Harvey, and Darci Shaw.

BBC update

The broadcaster’s official statement marked Series 2 as officially back in production. Digital Spy reported that Shaun Evans joins as Ozzie Thompson, described as an ex-gangster and former associate of Ronnie Phelan. The announcement signals BBC’s confidence in the crime saga’s audience retention.

Cast returning

The core ensemble returns for another eight-episode run, with new blood entering the storyline. Álvaro Morte enters as Felipe Guzman, brother of Ricardo Guzman who was killed in season 1—setting up a revenge narrative that will test the Phelan operation’s stability.

Is This City Is Ours based on a true story?

The series is not based on a true story. Creator Stephen Butchard built Ronnie Phelan and the entire Phelan crime dynasty as fictional constructs. There is no confirmed real-life figure directly inspiring Ronnie’s character, despite the Liverpool setting and authentic casting suggesting otherwise.

Ronnie real?

Ronnie Phelan is entirely fictional. The character operates as a composite archetype of organized crime bosses, but no documentary evidence or interview has pointed to a specific real Liverpool gangster as his template.

Bligh family links

The Bligh family appears in some episode discussions and fan theories, but available cast listings and production notes do not confirm a direct storyline connecting the Blighs to the Phelan operation. The category may exist in production documents but has not surfaced in verified sources.

Notable cast quotes

Liverpool is the most stunning city to film in—you’ve got the architecture, you’ve got the people, you’ve got the river.

Cast member via The Guide Liverpool

The show features a plethora of incredible local Liverpool talent alongside Sean Bean.

Radio Times review via Radio Times

For viewers weighing whether to commit eight episodes to the series, the combination of Sean Bean’s authority and the local cast’s credibility offers something increasingly rare in prestige crime drama: genuine regional identity rather than London-centric casting.

Related reading: Cast of This City Is Ours – Actors and Characters Guide · Cast of Gladiator 2 – Full Actors and Roles Guide

Frequently asked questions

The implication for Sean Bean’s next move is straightforward: Ronnie Phelan will either consolidate power or face the consequences of Felipe Guzman’s revenge arc. Either way, the Scouse supporting cast ensures the series retains what makes it distinctive—Liverpool authenticity that cannot be faked.