The main cast of Obsession includes Richard Armitage as William Farrow, Charlie Murphy as Anna Barton, Rish Shah as Jay Farrow and Indira Varma as Ingrid Farrow. Pippa Bennett-Warner, Sonera Angel, Marion Bailey and Anil Goutam complete the key supporting cast.
Netflix’s Obsession is built around one destructive relationship and the family members who are pulled into its consequences. Richard Armitage plays William Farrow, a respected London surgeon who begins an affair with Anna Barton, the woman his son plans to marry. Charlie Murphy plays Anna, while Rish Shah and Indira Varma portray the two people closest to William who have the most to lose.
The British limited series premiered on Netflix on April 13, 2023. It contains four episodes and adapts Josephine Hart’s 1991 novel Damage, which was previously made into a 1992 film starring Jeremy Irons and Juliette Binoche. Directors Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn keep the new version focused on the Farrow family and the secrecy surrounding William and Anna.
This guide explains who plays whom, how the characters are connected and where viewers may have seen the actors before. Major ending spoilers are avoided.
Obsession cast and characters at a glance
| Actor | Character | Role in the story | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Armitage | William Farrow | A successful surgeon whose attraction to Anna becomes an all-consuming fixation | The Hobbit, The Stranger, Stay Close |
| Charlie Murphy | Anna Barton | Jay’s girlfriend and William’s secret lover, who carries unresolved trauma from her past | Happy Valley, Peaky Blinders, Halo |
| Rish Shah | Jay Farrow | William and Ingrid’s son, who is preparing to build a future with Anna | Ms. Marvel, Do Revenge, The Long Goodbye |
| Indira Varma | Ingrid Farrow | William’s wife and the mother of Jay and Sally | Game of Thrones, Rome, Obi-Wan Kenobi |
| Pippa Bennett-Warner | Peggy | Anna’s close friend and confidante | Gangs of London, Chloe, Roadkill |
| Sonera Angel | Sally Farrow | William and Ingrid’s daughter and Jay’s sister | The Third Day, Casualty |
| Marion Bailey | Elizabeth Barton | Anna’s mother, whose history helps explain Anna’s emotional wounds | The Crown, Mr. Turner, Vera Drake |
| Anil Goutam | Edward | Ingrid’s influential father and a member of the family’s political circle | Andor, EastEnders, Top Boy |
Richard Armitage as William Farrow
William Farrow appears to have a secure and enviable life. He is a highly regarded surgeon, is married to Ingrid and has two adult children, Jay and Sally. The stability of that life is important because Obsession does not begin with a man who is obviously looking for an escape. William’s choices are presented as a sudden surrender to desire, followed by an escalating loss of judgement.
His first meeting with Anna happens before she is formally introduced as Jay’s girlfriend. Their instant attraction soon becomes a secret affair. As Anna tries to impose rules and boundaries, William becomes less capable of respecting either. He starts watching, waiting and arranging his life around the possibility of seeing her. The role is less about conventional romance and more about a man confusing possession with intimacy.
Richard Armitage plays William with a deliberately rigid physical presence. His character is controlled in the operating theatre and composed around his family, but that confidence disappears in private. Armitage is best known as Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit trilogy. Netflix audiences will also recognise him from Harlan Coben adaptations The Stranger and Stay Close.
Charlie Murphy as Anna Barton
Anna Barton works in government and is in a serious relationship with Jay. She is confident in public, yet careful about what she reveals. Her guarded behaviour is not simply a device to make her mysterious. The series gradually suggests that secrecy has become one of the ways she protects herself and controls difficult relationships.
Anna is the person who sets the terms of the affair. She decides when William can contact her, where they can meet and how much of her life he is allowed to enter. That structure gives her a degree of power, but it does not make the relationship safe. William’s growing need to know more about her threatens the boundaries she has created.
Charlie Murphy gives Anna a restrained performance that keeps the character difficult to read. She avoids explaining every feeling, which makes small changes in her expression important. Murphy previously played Ann Gallagher in Happy Valley and Jessie Eden in Peaky Blinders. She also appeared in Halo and The Capture.
Rish Shah as Jay Farrow
Jay Farrow is William and Ingrid’s son and Anna’s devoted boyfriend. He is excited to introduce Anna to his family and sees their relationship as the beginning of a stable future. He also values William’s approval, both personally and professionally, which makes the central betrayal especially cruel.
Jay is not written as a rival to his father. He trusts both William and Anna, and that trust creates much of the tension. When he notices inconsistencies, his questions come from concern rather than jealousy. Rish Shah gives the character an openness that contrasts with the secrecy surrounding him.
Shah is widely known for playing Kamran in Marvel Studios’ Ms. Marvel. His other credits include the Netflix films Do Revenge and To All the Boys: Always and Forever, as well as the Academy Award-winning short film The Long Goodbye.
Indira Varma as Ingrid Farrow
Ingrid Farrow is William’s wife and the mother of Jay and Sally. She is affectionate, socially confident and genuinely pleased to welcome Anna into the family. The series does not depict Ingrid as emotionally absent or responsible for her husband’s decisions. William is not pushed into the affair by an obviously broken marriage.
Ingrid senses early that something is unsettled, although she does not immediately understand what she is seeing. Her position makes her more than the suspicious spouse in a thriller. She represents the established life William is willing to damage, and her reactions give the story much of its emotional weight.
Indira Varma is known for playing Ellaria Sand in Game of Thrones and Niobe in Rome. Her screen credits also include Luther, Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Capture. Her ability to convey thought before a character speaks makes Ingrid one of the series’ most convincing figures.
Pippa Bennett-Warner as Peggy
Peggy is Anna’s closest friend and the person who understands more of her history than Jay does. Anna uses Peggy’s flat as a private space, which also places Peggy close to the risks of the affair. Peggy is concerned without becoming a simple moral commentator. She knows that Anna’s behaviour is connected to older emotional patterns, but she cannot make Anna change.
Pippa Bennett-Warner has appeared in Gangs of London, Chloe, Roadkill and See How They Run. Her role is relatively small, but Peggy gives viewers an outside perspective on Anna that the Farrow family cannot provide.
Sonera Angel as Sally Farrow
Sally Farrow is William and Ingrid’s daughter and Jay’s sister. Her family scenes help establish the warmth and familiarity that exist before the affair is exposed. She teases Jay, observes the changing atmosphere around her parents and later reveals information of her own.
Sally matters because the damage in Obsession is not limited to two couples. William’s actions destabilise the wider family, including the child who is not directly involved in the romantic triangle. Sonera Angel has previously appeared in The Third Day and Casualty.
Marion Bailey as Elizabeth Barton
Elizabeth Barton is Anna’s mother. Her appearance brings Anna’s past into the present and helps explain why Anna separates desire, commitment and emotional safety. The series holds back much of this history until late in the story, so Elizabeth becomes important to understanding the behaviour viewers have already witnessed.
Marion Bailey is especially known for playing Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in The Crown. She has also worked extensively with director Mike Leigh, appearing in Vera Drake, Mr. Turner and Peterloo.
Anil Goutam as Edward
Edward is Ingrid’s father and part of the influential world surrounding the Farrow family. His presence reinforces the social and professional standing William risks losing. Edward is not central to the affair, but he helps establish how closely the family is tied to public reputation and political life.
Anil Goutam’s television credits include Andor, EastEnders, Top Boy, Citizen Khan and This Is Going to Hurt.
How the main characters are connected
- William and Ingrid Farrow are married.
- Jay and Sally are William and Ingrid’s adult children.
- Jay is in a serious relationship with Anna and plans to marry her.
- William and Anna begin a secret affair before and after her formal introduction to the Farrow family.
- Peggy is Anna’s closest confidante.
- Elizabeth is Anna’s mother.
- Edward is Ingrid’s father and William’s father-in-law.
Why the cast makes the story work
Obsession depends on viewers believing two things at the same time: William and Anna are drawn to each other with unusual force, and their choices are capable of destroying a family that otherwise appears functional. The performances are most effective when they show the contrast between public composure and private desperation.
Armitage makes William physically tense and increasingly undignified. Murphy keeps Anna controlled, forcing viewers to look for meaning in what she withholds. Shah gives Jay an essential innocence, while Varma creates a fully formed Ingrid even when the script gives her less screen time. Together, the actors make the consequences more credible than the central attraction sometimes feels.
Is Obsession based on a book?
Yes. Obsession is based on Josephine Hart’s 1991 novel Damage. The book was first adapted for the screen in 1992 by director Louis Malle. That film starred Jeremy Irons, Juliette Binoche, Miranda Richardson and Rupert Graves. Netflix’s version updates the setting while keeping the central premise of a powerful man becoming involved with his son’s partner.
How many episodes are in Obsession?
Obsession has four episodes. Netflix lists runtimes of 33 minutes, 41 minutes, 43 minutes and 38 minutes. The complete limited series can therefore be watched in under three hours.
Where can you watch Obsession?
Obsession is a Netflix limited series. It is available through Netflix in supported regions, although individual catalogue availability and age ratings can differ by country.
Still deciding whether the series is worth your time? Read our spoiler-light Obsession Netflix review for a clear verdict on the performances, pacing and story.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the four main actors in Obsession?
The four central actors are Richard Armitage, Charlie Murphy, Rish Shah and Indira Varma. They play William Farrow, Anna Barton, Jay Farrow and Ingrid Farrow respectively.
Who plays William Farrow in Obsession?
Richard Armitage plays William Farrow, a successful London surgeon whose affair with his son’s girlfriend becomes an obsession.
Who plays Anna Barton in Obsession?
Charlie Murphy plays Anna Barton, Jay’s girlfriend and William’s secret lover. Murphy is also known for Happy Valley and Peaky Blinders.
Who plays Jay in Obsession?
Rish Shah plays Jay Farrow, William and Ingrid’s son and Anna’s boyfriend.
Who plays William’s wife Ingrid?
Indira Varma plays Ingrid Farrow. Varma is known for Game of Thrones, Rome and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Who plays Anna’s friend Peggy?
Pippa Bennett-Warner plays Peggy, Anna’s close friend and confidante.
Is Obsession a continuing series?
Netflix describes Obsession as a limited series. Its four episodes tell a complete story, and it was not presented as the first season of an ongoing drama.
Sources used for fact-checking
The article was checked against the following sources. Streaming availability can vary by country.