page_title: Broadchurch (series 2)
section_title: Casting
hierarchical_section_title: Broadchurch (series 2) / Production / Casting
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Charlotte Rampling au dîner des révélations des César du cinéma
context_page_description: The second series of the British crime drama Broadchurch began airing on the ITV broadcast network in the United Kingdom on 5 January 2015. The eight-episode series focused on the continuing fallout of the murder of 11-year-old Danny Latimer in the fictional, close-knit coastal town of Broadchurch in Dorset, England. The series focuses on the effect of Joe Miller's trial on his wife, former DS Ellie Miller; the Latimer family's struggle to achieve a normal life during Joe's trial; and new revelations that former DI Alec Hardy is protecting a witness in the failed Sandbrook child murder case.
  Although Broadchurch was conceived as a trilogy, the second series was only announced on 22 April 2013 as series one ended. Writing occurred over most of the following year, with series creator and lead writer Chris Chibnall using a plot-development process he used for the first series. The return of series stars Olivia Colman and David Tennant and some of their returning co-stars was reported by the media in late 2013, although both returning and new cast members were not formally announced by ITV until May 2014. Filming began in late May 2014 under the supervision of four directors.
context_section_description: Actor Matthew Gravelle was the first member of the series one cast to be asked to return for series two. Chris Chibnall asked him if he would appear in a "courtroom drama" follow-on to Broadchurch the next year, and Gravelle instantly agreed. Only his wife, actress Mali Harries, knew of his participation.
  According to Olivia Colman, Chris Chibnall telephoned the series one cast in April 2013 and secured their verbal assent to return for another season. But it wasn't clear who would be returning. Jodie Whittaker said the cast was told during the week between episodes seven and eight of series one that Broadchurch was being brought back for a second season. But Chibnall did not tell the actors who would be returning for series two.
  David Tennant and Olivia Colman both agreed to star in series two. Neither actor was obligated to return, but without them, Chibnall said, "We would not have done it, absolutely. Luckily they wanted to come back because they weren't contracted to." Chibnall initially expressed his opinion that Tennant would be unable to return, due to both Tennant's heavy work schedule as well as character Alec Hardy's health problems. Attitude magazine went so far as to call Tennant's return "unlikely". Nevertheless, Colman and Tennant's participation was first reported by the Daily Mirror in late October 2013. Colman confirmed her participation on 5 November 2013. Tennant denied being cast on the show in February 2014, saying "I'm still waiting" to hear if his character would be in the second series, but his participation was attested to in March 2014 by co-star Jodie Whittaker. Colman and Tennant's casting was officially announced by ITV on 12 May 2014 by the Radio Times.
  Other returning cast members included Andrew Buchan ("Mark Latimer"), Arthur Darvill ("Rev. Paul Coates"), Jodie Whittaker ("Beth Latimer"), Charlotte Beaumont ("Chloe Latimer"), Joe Sims ("Nigel Carter"), Carolyn Pickles ("Maggie Radcliffe"), Jonathan Bailey ("Olly Stevens"), Pauline Quirke ("Susan Wright"), Tanya Franks ("Lucy Stevens"), Simone McAullay ("Becca Fisher"), and Adam Wilson ("Tom Miller"). Darvill confirmed his casting for series two on 17 September 2013. Buchan and Whittaker's participation was announced on 12 May 2014. Beaumont's return was reported on 30 May 2014 when Metro printed photographs of her filming a scene with other cast members. Sims' casting was finally revealed in late August 2014, when the media reported he was shooting scenes for series two. Actor Will Mellor's character (alleged psychic Steve Connolly) and actress Vicky McClure's character (journalist Karen White) do not return in series two. Actor Matthew Gravelle's return was never confirmed prior to airing.
  Casting for Broadchurch series one was overseen by casting directors Kelly Valentine Hendry and Victor Jenkins of VHJ Casting. New series two cast members included James D'Arcy, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Eve Myles, Charlotte Rampling, Meera Syal, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. None of the new characters were connected to the Latimer murder or any other homicide, Chibnall said. Rampling was named to the cast on 12 May, and Chibnall said her "character is an integral part of the new story". He decided to ask Rampling to join the cast after seeing her perform in a video art piece directed by Steve McQueen. ITV announced that D'Arcy, Jean-Baptiste, Myles, and Waller-Bridge were joining the series on 21 May 2014. Rampling, who lives in France, had seen series one on French television and was a fan of the programme. "The sense of community, the idea of solidarity in a small town — all that is broken when suspicion starts to creep in. There is something very human about it. You don't know what happens in real life when people suffer this kind of tragedy. People go off and live their lives. But here we can actually accompany them and go through the grieving process with them."
  Eve Myles' agent called her on 15 February 2014, just four days after Myles gave birth to her daughter, Sienna, telling Myles of the opportunity to audition for Broadchurch. Myles auditioned o
caption: The role of a barrister in the Crown Prosecution Service was written specifically for Charlotte Rampling
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