Robert Carlyle joins the cast of Line of Duty
He will appear in the upcoming seventh series
Line of Duty fans were left thrilled last year, when the BBC and show creator Jed Mercurio finally confirmed a seventh series, after years of rumours!
Now, with filming due to begin in the Spring, it has been revealed that Trainspotting and The Full Monty actor Robert Carlyle has been cast as a guest series lead in the new series.
Is Robert Carlyle in Line of Duty?
It was announced on Thursday 19th February that Robert will take on the role of Detective Constable Shaun Massie in series seven, which is due out in 2027.
Detective Constable Shaun Massie is a Specialist Rifle Officer (SRO), a veteran marksman, operating with Tactical Operations Unit 7 (TO-7) to take down Organised Crime Groups. A gruff loner, Massie keeps himself to himself, but when his boss, TO-7's commanding officer DI Dominic Gough, is accused of being a sexual predator, Massie's otherwise detached demeanour changes drastically.
On joining the Line of Duty cast, Robert Carlyle said: “Having been a huge admirer of Jed Mercurio’s work for many years, I’m delighted to be given the opportunity to join such an exceptional cast for series 7 of Line of Duty. The scripts for the series are excellent and will absolutely maintain the quality that the audience have come to expect from this fantastic show. DC Massie is an extraordinary character and I look forward to bringing him to life.”
Jed Mercurio added: "On Line of Duty we've been honoured by the glittering guest leads who've joined the cast over the years. We couldn't be more thrilled that Robert Carlyle will star in series 7 as Specialist Rifle Officer Shaun Massie. I've been a huge fan of Robert's work for many years and it will be a career highlight to work with him. Robert always brings mesmerising power and depth to every role; I know viewers will be on the edge of their seats wondering what his character will do next, and why."
Who else is in the cast?
It's already been announced that Martin Compston, Vicky McClure and Adrian Dunbar will return in their roles as Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming, and Ted Hastings, with Robert Carlyle the first new cast member to be announced for series seven.
Robert follows in the footsteps of previous Line of Duty guest series leads Kelly Macdonald, Stephen Graham, Thandiwe Newton, Daniel Mays, Keeley Hawes and Lennie James.
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: "Sometimes a piece of casting feels so right that you just can't imagine anyone else. Robert Carlyle is one of our greatest actors and the perfect fit for the phenomenon that is Line of Duty."
Simon Heath, World Productions’ CEO and Creative Director, says: “It’s one of the privileges of Line of Duty to have the opportunity to work with so many actors I’ve admired over the years. As a young script editor starting out in the 90s, I was blown away by Robert’s stunning performances in Trainspotting and Cracker, so it’s a particular thrill to be working with him now.”
When is the new series out?
There's no set start date just yet, but the BBC has now confirmed we won't see series seven until 2027.
The plot for series seven was announced last year, with the BBC saying: 'AC-12 have been disbanded and rebranded the Inspectorate of Police Standards. Anticorruption work has never been more difficult and in this challenging climate Steve Arnott, Kate Fleming, and Ted Hastings are assigned their most sensitive case so far'.
Check out the biggest TV shows created by Jed Mercurio:
Cardiac Arrest (1994-1996)
Written under the pseudonym John MacUre, Cardiac Arrest was Jed's first television drama, released in 1994 whilst he was still a doctor. The show, which followed the lives of junior doctors working in a hospital, had three series between 1994-1996, with Jed taking inspiration from his own time working within a hospital.
Bodies (2004-2006)
Jed's next big high-profile series arrived in the form of another medical drama in 2004, titled Bodies. The series was based on Jed's 2002 novel of the same name. The show, which first aired on BBC Three, follows a registrar called Rob Lake (Max Beesley), as he starts in a new post in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department, under the guidance of consultant Roger Hurley (Patrick Baladi).
The show ran for three series between 2004-2006, starring the likes of Neve McIntosh, Keith Allen, Susan Lynch, Tamzin Malleson and Preeya Kalidas.
Line of Duty (2012-Present)
Perhaps Jed's biggest and most-loved show to date! Line of Duty is a thrilling crime drama which stars the likes of Vicky McClure, Adrian Dunbar and Martin Compston working in the Anti-Corruption (AC-12) unit of the police. First landing in 2012, the series was so popular it went on to land five further series, with 36 episodes in total, starring some huge names such as Stephen Graham, Neil Morrissey, Keeley Hawes, Daniel Mays, Will Mellor and Thandie Newton.
Despite Jed saying series six would be the last in 2021, on 18th November 2025, Jed and the BBC confirmed Line of Duty will be returning for a seventh series, with filming beginning in Spring 2026.
CR:IT:IC:AL (2015)
CR:IT:IC:AL, or Critical as it's also known, was another medical drama written by Jed. Airing on Sky One in 2015, the drama was set in a fictional major trauma centre, following a team of doctors and nurses as they are forced to make life-changing decisions in order to save their patients. Starring Lennie James and Catherine Walker, the drama was axed after just one series.
Bodyguard (2018)
One of the biggest dramas to grace our screens in 2018 was Jed's six-part series Bodyguard! Featuring Richard Madden as PS David Budd and Keeley Hawes as Home Secretary Julia Montague, the high-octane drama had viewers on the edge of their seats as PS Budd attempted to protect the Home Secretary, whilst getting set up for a bomb attack on the Capital.
Despite the series finale of Bodyguard gaining a whopping 17 million viewers, BBC bosses and Jed are yet to renew the show for a second series, leaving fans gutted. Speaking in 2023, main actor Richard Madden said: "I don't know if there's a space for it, but we've always left the door open... I'm not really sure where I take that character, but as the years go by, I think that's what might make it interesting... to pick up with David Budd, you know maybe 6-7 years later and see what's happened in his life since."
Bloodlands (2021)
Jed acted as a producer on BBC One drama Bloodlands in 2021. The series, which was filmed and set in Northern Ireland followed police officer DCI Tom Brannick (James Nesbitt) investigate crimes while trying to hide a dark secret from his past. The show was quickly renewed for a second series, which aired in 2022, but its since been axed.
Trigger Point (2022-Present)
Another popular show that is produced by Jed's company HTM Television is Trigger Point. Starring Vicky McClure has EXPO officer Lana Washington, the first series hit our screens in 2022 and was met with immediate praise from fans and critics. The series was quickly renewed for a second series, which aired in early 2024, and now we know a third AND fourth series is coming! Filming for series three took place earlier in 2025, with series four production now in full swing.
DI Ray (2022-2024)
Jed worked on police drama series DI Ray as an Executive Producer as part of his HTM Productions company. Parminder Nagra stars as main character Detective Inspector Rachita Ray and has so far enjoyed two successful series. Series one aired in 2022, with the second instalment arriving in 2024. There's so far been no official announcement about a third series.
Payback (2023)
Jed worked as the Executive Producer on 2023 ITV drama Payback, starring Morven Christie and Peter Mullan. Beginning in 2023, the six-part series follows a character called Lexie Noble, played by Morven Christie, as she becomes entangled in a perilous police operation to topple a notorious crime lord, Cal Morris, played by Peter Mullan.
The show was met with positive reviews, gaining a score of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, with viewers also choosing to binge all six episodes in one sitting. Despite this, there's been no word on a second series.
Speaking about his input into the scrips, Jed said: "Well, I'm an executive producer on the project so I give feedback and guidance as part of the usual editorial process but all the physical writing was Debbie's - in the way that if I write a show like Line of Duty people are giving me feedback and I then make changes to the script. So that's how it worked; Debbie was doing all the writing, we had a brilliant editorial team and I was one part of that."
Breathtaking (2024)
Jed worked alongside real-life NHS doctor Rachel Clarke in order to create hard-hitting drama Breathtaking in 2024. The three-part series, which was adapted for television by Jed and Rachel, shows the challenges NHS staff had during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, and features Joanne Froggart as the main character.
Jed Mercurio commented during filming: "Everyone at HTM Television has felt privileged to dramatise Rachel Clarke's hauntingly illuminating memoir of health workers struggling to cope with the extraordinary challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. I'm honoured to have collaborated with Rachel and Prasanna on this important drama, and thrilled to be working with a cast led by Joanne Froggatt and crew led by director Craig Viveiros."