Ministry of Time Adds Adeel Akhtar, Ciarán Hinds and Eight More to BBC Cast

The Ministry is staffing up. Adeel Akhtar, Ciarán Hinds and Hong Chau lead ten new cast members joining the BBC drama Ministry of Time, Deadline reported on 21 September 2026.

The six-part series, meaning the story plays out across six episodes, already has its two leads. Aoife Hinds plays Sophy and Billy Howle plays Graham.

Family sits at the centre of the new announcements. Ciarán Hinds will play Peter, Sophy's father. Hélène Patarot will play Channary, Sophy's mother. That is a family affair. Ciarán Hinds is the real-life father of Aoife Hinds.

Akhtar will play Quentin Ackerly, described as Sophy's handler at the Ministry. Hong Chau joins as Adela, the Vice-Secretary of Expatriation. Tamara Lawrance plays Simellia, listed as a “bridge” working alongside Sophy.

The rest of the intake fills out the wider world. Emily Fairn plays Margaret Kemble, one of Commander Gore's fellow expats. Josh Finan is Captain Arthur Reginald-Smyth and Aisling Loftus is Anne Spencer. Tawfeek Barhom plays the Brigadier, with Nahuel Pérez Biscayart as Salese.

Behind the camera, the series is based on Kaliane Bradley's debut novel of the same name. Alice Birch is adapting it for television. Aneil Karia is lead director and Frances du Pille is producer, according to the report.

Ministry of Time is produced by A24 for BBC iPlayer, the BBC's streaming service, and BBC One. A24 also holds the international distribution rights, meaning it handles sales outside the United Kingdom. Filming is taking place in and around London.

For viewers, this means the shape of the show is now clear. A small central pair, a family around them, and a large official machine above them all.