In recent years, the UK has provided the world with some fantastic comedy. Whether it's Ghosts or Stath Lets Flats, the amount of hilarity oozing from the British Isles in the 2020s is phenomenal. One such show that has taken the world by storm is The Outlaws, penned by Stephen Merchant (The Office) and Elgin James (Little Birds). Based in Bristol, UK, the hometown of Merchant, a group of seven very different individuals all find themselves, for various reasons that the show's first season details, doing community service together.
Vigilantly watched by their supervisor Diane (Jessica Gunning), the crew, through no actual deliberate actions of their own, all get embroiled in a plot involving a local crime syndicate and become stuck at the epicenter of drug-based gang warfare. With its unique comedic style and genuine dramatic tension, it is no surprise the show has done well enough to earn a third season. With filming now underway, here is a cast and character guide for The Outlaws Season 3.
Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for The Outlaws Season 2
Rhianne Barreto as Rani
Rani might just have the strongest character arc of all the characters in The Outlaws, beginning life as an academic whizz kept under the watchful eye of her strict parents, and ending Season 2 as a freedom-chasing rebel. Rhianne Barreto's performance is wonderful, as she moves seamlessly between moments of humor to those of touching sadness. That sadness is epitomized by her ending in Season 2, as she chooses not to board the train with Ben to Weston-Super-Mare, and opts instead to steal a convertible and ride off into the sunset, or more likely a life of crime.
As one of nine children, Barreto always had to battle for the spotlight growing up, which made her a shoo-in once she decided to chase a life of acting. She won the Breakthrough Performance award at the 2019 Sundance Festival for her role in Share and hasn't looked back, with her role as Rani certainly her most notable to date. She is also set to star in the upcoming Paramount+ drama The Blue.
Stephen Merchant as Greg
Greg is the bumbling accountant who seems to always end up on the wrong side of situations, whether it's his fault or not. Merchant's performance is a laugh-a-minute, providing some of the show's most memorable moments. However, it is his up-and-down friendship with Lady Gabriella (more on her later) that really caught the heart of fans, and made up most of his character arc throughout Season 2. At the end of the second season, Greg looks the happiest of the bunch, after finally standing up to his cruel bosses and quitting his job, as well as arranging a date with his workplace crush on the way out. This really was a moment of triumph for fans, with many citing this as the most heartwarming scene of Season 2's finale.
Stephen Merchant has had a wonderful career in comedy, from his days as the other half of Ricky Gervais to his star turns in some of Hollywood's biggest movies like Logan and Jojo Rabbit. With shows like The Office (UK) and, of course, The Outlaws under his belt, it is no wonder why Stephen Merchant is considered one of the best comedic writers working in the UK today. Merchant is set to voice Croc in the 2024 animation The Ark and the Aardvark, starring alongside the likes of Miles Teller (Whiplash) and Aubrey Plaza (Safety Not Guaranteed). Here's what Merchant told Collider about how he realized the show had become a success:
This was the first project I’ve done, where I did start to get a real response from social media, that it was connecting with people. In the UK, the show aired week to week, unlike on Amazon, where it drops all at once. I don’t think we anticipated how much the audience would engage with the characters and would take them under their skin. We imagined that it was a show in which you might root for one or two characters, but perhaps you would dislike the others. It was interesting how people were beginning to connect with characters that they would otherwise perhaps not have liked or engaged with, normally. It’s a very disparate group of people who are from different sides of the political spectrum. People seemed to be engaging with the characters and empathizing with them and understanding them, which was one of our hopes for the show, but it was very pleasing to get that feeling on social media that it was working.
Gamba Cole as Christian/Benjamin
As the second half of the show's "will-they, won't-they" couple with Rani, Ben is the catalyst that drives the crime aspect of the narrative. After getting considerably out of his depth in an attempt to make some money for himself and his little sister, Ben accidentally involves the rest of his community service gang in trouble. Up until the last few scenes of Season 2, it seems as if the future looks bright for Ben and Rani, but after Rani's last-minute change of heart mentioned earlier, the future suddenly looks uncertain, with our parting image of Ben being his look of defeat as his train leaves the platform.
Born in Bristol, Gamba Cole was a must-have for The Outlaws casting team, with the show only adding to his already impressive filmography. Cole has previously worked on the likes of Death in Paradise, A Discovery of Witches, and Gone Too Far!, with The Outlaws certainly acting as his most notable role so far.
Clare Perkins as Myrna
Myrna's character arc throughout The Outlaws is impressive, with her desperate need to be morally correct often outweighing the moral integrity itself. By the end of Season 2, and with the help of her former foe John, Myrna has settled and found a way to come to terms with the guilt-ridden demons that have haunted her thoughts. In the Season 2 finale, Myrna finally steps down as the leader of Bristol Justice Collective and passes the torch to her colleague, Claire. Myrna feels like the most resolved of the characters returning for Season 3, so it will be interesting to see how she integrates herself into the upcoming narrative.
Clare Perkins has had a successful career in acting, with roles ranging from format shows like EastEnders and Holby City to award-winning films such as Ken Loach's Palme d'Or winning Ladybird, Ladybird, and Saul Dibb's Bullet Boy. She has had a wonderful career off-camera too, with many fantastic performances on both stage and on the radio. Perkins is set to appear as Helen in the upcoming Christian Cooke drama Embers.
Darren Boyd as John
Acting as the antithesis to Clare Perkins' Myrna, John is the embodiment of the right-leaning middle-class man. John is a character that is fairly loathsome to begin with but, upon learning of his desperate urge to impress his despondent dad, and with his tough exterior beginning to show cracks throughout Season 2, we come to appreciate him better upon the rolling of the credits on the finale. John finishes Season 2 with a relative flourish, finally deciding, with the help of his wife, to sue his father for workplace bullying and unfair dismissal, all while deciding to seek help for his mental health problems. John acts as an example in The Outlaws of many middle-aged men in modern society, and his eventual acceptance of his mental health problems is a key point of conversation that the show nails on its first go.
Darren Boyd has had a wonderful career in British acting, appearing in the likes of The Salisbury Poisonings, Killing Eve, and Four Lions to name just three. His impressive acting range has led to success in both comedy and drama, making him an actor who has rarely been out of work for the past 25 years.
Eleanor Tomlinson as Lady Gabriella
Lady Gabriella is wildly rich, born into incredible wealth. Her relationship with her father, played by Richard E. Grant, hangs by a monetary thread, with Lady Gabby's destructive antics leading to him eventually turning off the financial tap. Lady Gabby is the representation of a generation obsessed with social media stars, with her sweet on-screen persona contrasted by her wild behind-closed-doors lifestyle. During season 2, Lady Gabby's life seems lost, with only her unlikely friendship with Greg eventually saving her. By the end of the finale, similar to John, Lady Gabby faces up to her issues, attending a narcotics anonymous meeting and finally coming to terms with her cocaine addiction. Lady Gabby is certainly a fan-favorite, with the confirmation of her role in season 3 delighting many fans.
Eleanor Tomlinson has a filmography that would make many actors jealous, ranging from her first Hollywood role in The Illusionist alongside Edward Norton (Fight Club) to her roles in the likes of Jack the Giant Slayer and the 2010 Tim Burton remake of Alice in Wonderland. Most recently, Tomlinson appeared in the Disney+ miniseries A Small Light about the story of Miep Gies, who helped to hide Anne Frank's family during World War II.
Of course, there are bound to be many more fantastic stars who may join the cast in Season 3 of The Outlaws, with the full cast list sure to excite any and all fans. Unfortunately, the timeless Christopher Walken is yet to be announced as returning to the show. His character, Frank, is a fan-favorite who will certainly be missed if he really isn't coming back. The Outlaws Season 3 is yet to receive an official release date, so stay tuned to Collider for more updates!
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