'The Duchess': Meet Katherine Ryan, Rory Keenan, Steen Raskopoulos and the cast of the Netflix comedy
Right after Katherine Ryan's first Netflix special 'In Trouble' aired, Ryan already had the idea for 'The Duchess' in her head. She approached Netflix with the idea of a sitcom treatment of her own life as a "fabulous single mom living in London". Season 1 of the series will follow Katherine as she debates whether she should have a second child with her estranged and troubled baby daddy even as her current boyfriend wants to take their relationship to the next level. According to Netflix, the series is a 'Catastrophe'-like, single-cam comedy set in London. Here are the main cast members of this Netflix original TV series.
Katherine Ryan as Katherine
Katherine Ryan plays the lead in the story of a "disruptive single mother", called Katherine, navigating the ups and downs of parenthood. She has a loving but unconventional relationship with her 11-year-old daughter. Since her daughter, Olive, is her greatest love, she debates a second child with her greatest enemy -- Olive’s dad. Can two wrongs make another right? Speaking of the character, Ryan has said: "She's fashionable, she loves being a mother... she's not sad about it — it's me, yes." Besides being the lead for the show, Ryan has not only written the script, but is also the executive producer. Ryan is a Canadian comedian, writer, presenter, and actress based in the United Kingdom. A career comedian, she has appeared on numerous UK panel shows like 'Mock The Week', '8 Out of 10 Cats', 'Would I Lie to You' and 'Have I Got News For You'. In 2015, she replaced Steve Jones as the presenter of 'Hair' on BBC Two. She has also released two stand-up specials on Netflix and acted in sitcoms 'Campus' and 'Episodes'.
Rory Keenan as Shep
The show will also star Rory Keenan as Katherine's ex, Shep, a failed musician, who is also Olive's father. Despite hating Shep, Katherine is contemplating having another baby with him because Olive brings such joy to her life. Rory Keenan is an Irish actor who appeared in 'Peaky Blinders' as Donal. He is a well-known theater actor, frequently performing in the West End. His most recent TV appearance has been as Leopold in the BBC's 'Versailles'.
Steen Raskopoulos as Evan
Australian comedian Steen Raskopoulos stars in the show as Katherine's current boyfriend, Evan. Though Katherine does have a habit of embarrassing him in front of deliverymen by discussing anal sex, he is also serious about moving in with her. Raskopoulos is best known for his live character solo sketch shows playing John Mahogany in BBC Three's 'Top Coppers'. He was also in the Australian version of 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' and is one half of the award-winning improvisation duo 'The Bear Pack'.
Michelle de Swarte as Bev
Michelle de Swarte also stars in the sitcom as Katherine's bestie, Bev. Not much has been revealed about the character but she is possibly part of Katherine's 'party hard' lifestyle as the trailer shows, who also tries her best to dissuade her from having another child. Michelle de Swarte has made a name for herself as a stand up comic, actress, writer and presenter. She presented the Emmy-nominated series 'Woman' with Gloria Steinem. She has also appeared on a number of panel shows for Channel 4, BBC, ITV and Comedy Central. Her career as a runway model was cut short after she removed her shoes while walking for the Gucci Fall/Winter 2002 Ready-to-Wear fashion show, where the catwalk was covered in faux sheepskin but she has continued to model in print campaigns for numerous brands.
'The Duchess' airs on September 11 on Netflix.