Lockerbie: A Search for Truthtells the shocking true story of a couple’s quest for justice after their daughter is killed in a deadly terrorist attack, and it has a great cast to bring its real-life characters to the screen. The five-part miniseries, airing on Peacock in the U.S. and Sky Atlantic in the UK, is adapted from the 2021 bookThe Lockerbie Bombing: A Father’s Search for Justiceby Jim Swire and Peter Biddulph. It chronicles Swire’s attempts to bring the perpetrators to justice after his daughter Flora is killed on Pan Am Flight 103.
With a total of 270 fatalities, this 1988 bombing was the deadliest terrorist attack in British history. All 243 passengers and 16 crew members on the plane were killed in the bombing, and an additional 11 people died when parts of the aircraft fell into a residential area in the Scottish town of Lockerbie. Mourning the loss of their daughter, Swire and his wife Jane set out to identify the people responsible. As seen intheLockerbietrailer, this limited series is led by a screen legend and some strong supporting players.
Abdelbaset al-Megrahi
Date Of Birth: August 17, 2025
Active Since:1983
Actor:Colin Firth was born in Grayshott, Hampshire, andfirst broke out with his acclaimed performance as Mr. Darcy in the BBC’s 1995 TV adaptation of Jane Austen’sPride and Prejudice. This led to his roles as Geoffrey Clifton inThe English Patient, Lord Wessex inShakespeare in Love, Jack Worthing inThe Importance of Being Earnest, and Jamie Bennett inLove Actually. Firth won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his turn as King George VI inThe King’s Speech. He also played Mark Darcy in theBridget Jonesfranchise andHarry Hart in theKingsmanfranchise.
Pride and Prejudice
1995
2003
2010
2001
Harry Hart
2014
Character:Firth leads the cast ofLockerbie: A Search for Truthin the role of Jim Swire, an English doctor. Swire’s daughter Flora was one of the 270 casualties of the terrorist attack on Pan Am Flight 103. When the official investigation kept hitting bumps in the road,Swire lobbied for solutions and eventually advocated for the retrial of the original convicted suspect, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi. Swire co-wrote the book that the series is based on, so it’s drawn directly from his personal experiences.
Date Of Birth: July 08, 2025
Active Since:1994
Actor:Catherine McCormack was born in Epsom, Surrey, andgot her big break with the role of Murron MacClannough — William Wallace’s childhood friend, who he married in secret— inMel Gibson’s Oscar-winning historical epicBraveheart. She went on to play Alice in the post-apocalyptic horror sequel28 Weeks Laterand Elizabeth Hadley in the Brad Pitt/Robert Redford thrillerSpy Game. Her prior TV roles include Anika inThe Witcher, Alex Tropper inSlow Horses, and Virginia Woolf inLife in Squares. McCormack previously co-starred with Firth when she played the minor role of Olivia in Woody Allen’sMagic in the Moonlight.
2007
2022
Virginia Woolf
2015
Character:McCormack co-stars inLockerbie: A Search for Truthas Jane Swire, Jim’s wife.Jane was similarly distraught over the loss of their daughter in the Lockerbie bombing, and was similarly dedicated to getting to the truth and bringing the perpetrators to justice.Lockerbie: A Search for Truthframes the story through the eyes of this grieving couple.
Date Of Birth: June 29, 2025
Active Since:2007
Actor:Ardalan Esmaili was born in Tehran, Iran, andfirst broke out with the lead role of Esmail in the 2017 Danish drama filmThe Charmer. He played Omar alongside Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Carice van Houten, and Guy Pearce in the 2019 Brian De Palma crime thrillerDominoand Karimi alongside Noomi Rapace in the 2022 Netflix action movieBlack Crab. On television, Esmaili has played Tommy Rantakyrö in 16 episodes ofRebecka Martinsson, Michel Maloof in eight episodes ofThe Helicopter Heist, and Farid in five episodes ofDeliver Me.
2017-2020
2019
Karimi
Character:InLockerbie: A Search for Truth, Esmaili plays Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.Megrahi was the head of security for Libyan Arab Airlines, the director of the Centre for Strategic Studies in Tripoli, Libya, and an alleged Libyan intelligence officer. In 2001, he was convicted on 270 counts of murder for his role in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing. He was sentenced to life in prison while his co-accused, Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah, was found not guilty and was acquitted.
Lockerbie Supporting Cast & Characters
Sam Troughton as Murray Guthrie:Sam Troughton appears in the cast ofLockerbie: A Search for Truthas Murray Guthrie. Troughton has previously played Aleksandr Akimov in HBO’sChernobyl, Much the Miller’s Son in the BBC’sRobin HoodTV series, and Stephen Yarrick in Netflix’s spy thrillerBlack Doves. He also played Maximilien Robespierre in Ridley Scott’sNapoleon.
Mark Bonnar as Roderick McGill:Roderick McGill is played by Mark Bonnar. Bonnar played Bruno Jenkins inCasualty, Detective Finney inPsychoville, DCC Mike Dryden inLine of Duty, and Colin Osborne inUnforgotten. He’s also appeared in video games as Blackbeard inAssassin’s Creed IV: Black Flagand Townsend inBattlefield 1.
Mudar Abbara as Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah:Megrahi’s co-accused, Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah, who was found not guilty and acquitted, is played by Mudar Abbara. Abbara is best known for his guest role as Habid Ali inCasualtyseason 38, episode 9, “Barriers.” He also played Fadi inThe Swimmersand Mo inIn Another Life. He had short film roles as Gael inPavement, Omar inShi Tou, and a taxi driver inBaba.
Guy Henry as Paul Channon:Paul Channon, the Conservative MP for Southend West, is played by Guy Henry. Henry is a prolific British actor who played Cassius inRome, Iain Morris inExtras, and Henrik Hanssen inHolby CityandCasualty. On the big screen, Henry has played Pius Thicknesse in both parts ofHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallowsand was the stand-in forGrand Moff Tarkin inRogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Rosanna Adams as Flora Swire:Flora Swire, Jim and Jane’s 23-year-old daughter who was killed in the attack on Pan Am Flight 103, is played by Rosanna Adams. Adams previously played Lily inDo You Remember?and the native in the short filmAlbion.
Nabil Al Raee as Colonel Gaddafi:Nabil Al Raee appears in the cast ofLockerbie: A Search for Truthin the role of Colonel Gaddafi. Gaddafi is a Libyan revolutionary who ruled Libya from 1969 until he was assassinated by rebels in 2011. Al Raee previously played Nader in200 Metersand Zeinah’s father in the 2023 shortClosure – Tarwedah.
Lockerbie: A Search for Truth
Cast
Dr. Jim Swire’s relentless quest for justice unfolds after losing his daughter in the Pan Am Flight 103 tragedy over Lockerbie. This series follows his transcontinental journey that challenges his trust in the justice system and impacts his stability, family, and worldview.
