In season four of the popular police procedural drama,Line of Duty, fans were shocked when Steve Arnott was attacked by a man wearing a balaclava, who was also thought to have kidnapped and killed several women, and was aptly nicknamed 'Balaclava Man'. Although the season four finale revealed that the mysterious figure was in fact one in a group of criminals, the BBC has confirmed that the man behind the kidnappings will be played by Stephen Graham in season five.
Stephen has joined the cast
Stephen, who is best known for his roles in Taboo and This is England, will play John Corbett, while Rochenda Sandall will play Lisa McQueen, and the pair will be "two pivotal figures" in the crime group that was uncovered in season four. Speaking about the role, Stephen said: "It's an honour to have been asked to be part of the Line of Duty team. I’m especially looking forward to working with Martin Compston and Vicky McClure again," while Rochenda added: "I am honoured to be working with such a talented team of people, and to be working side-by-side with Stephen Graham, who I have watched and admired onscreen since I was young."
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Vicky McClure, who plays DS Kate Fleming, revealed that she was delighted to be back for a new series, saying: "Thanks to such a fantastic response from the Line of Duty audience, it feels extra special to be back filming series five. I absolutely love working with Martin and Adrian, and Jed [Mercurio] has without a doubt stepped it all up a gear this series. His writing just gets better and better." Jed was also behind the BBC One hit Bodyguard, and admitted he was relieved to be working on Line of Duty once more. "After the hysteria surrounding Bodyguard, it's a relief to be back in the day job," he explained. "I'm delighted to be working with the old gang and welcoming our brilliant newcomers led by Stephen Graham and Rochenda Sandall."
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