Black Mirrorhas officially returned for its seventh season, and “Bête Noire” brought the franchise back to its roots by featuring a plethora of upcoming British actors. While it’s far too early to judge the reception of season 7, there is no doubt it contained some excellent performances and huge names, as award-winning actors such asCriston Milioto, Will Poulter, Peter Capaldi, and Paul Giamatti all starred in various episodes.Black Mirror’s “USS Callister” sequelwas also the first time the series followed up on a previous episode, showing this installment wasn’t afraid to get creative and try something new.
Bête Noireplayed more into the thriller elements that feature in so many ofBlack Mirror’s best episodes, creating a unique story that certainly left an impression. The cast did a great job of creating an increasingly unsettling atmosphere as Marie tried to expose Verity for her strange behavior, resulting in several stand-out performances. Although the episode isn’t filled with huge names,Bête Noireseems like it could help produce a few breakout stars, as its young cast had great chemistry and combined to create a memorable outing that should do wonders for their careers.
Siena Kelly as Marie
Born in 1996
Actor:Born in London, England, Siena Kelly plays the leading role inBlack Mirrorseason 7’sBête Noire. She is most well-known for her work on British TV shows, starring in projects such asDomino DayandAdult Material.Having been nominated for a Best Supporting Actress BAFTA in 2021, Kelly has continued to feature in drama shows as her career has evolved,withBlack Mirroreasily being her biggest role yet. She has even loaned her voice to aDoctor Whopodcast series, showing Kelly has been all around the British circuit prior to her latest gig.
Domino Day
Character:Siena Kelly plays Maria, the main protagonist ofBête Noire. Maria works as an R&D developer at a chocolate company and is a respected member of her workforce. While she seemingly has a pretty happy life living with her boyfriend and feeling content at her job, Verity’s arrival turns it upside down. She spends much ofBête Noiretrying to prove Verity isn’t as she seems while her life unravels around her until she makes an interesting discovery duringBlack Mirrorseason 7, episode 2’s ending.
Rosy McEwen as Verity
Born in 1994
Actor:Like Kelly, Rosy McEwen was also born in London, although she has been more involved in movies than TV. McEwen did feature in shows likeThe AlienistandClose to Me, but she is more familiar with feature-length projects such asBlue Jean,Vesper, andRabbit Trap. The actress has also done live theater work and continues to show versatility, having been part of horrors, sci-fi, and dramas. Therefore, being involved inBlack Mirror’s experimental seventh seasonshould only help bring her more mainstream attention and add to an already promising resume.
Blue Jean
Jean Newman
Character:Rosy McEwen depictsBête Noire’s main antagonist, Verity, who gets hired at the same company Maria works for, having gone to school together years prior. Despite being overqualified and a computer expert, Verity happily signs on as a new hire and works under Maria, seeming eager to learn. While she presents herself as a relatively sweet and innocent member of the team, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to MeEwen’s character, who turns Maria’s world upside down through her dark secret.
Ben Bailey Smith as Gabe
Born August 03, 2025
Actor:Having been acting longer than most ofBête Noire’s cast, Smith has a variety of projects to his name, including huge shows likeAndorandFleabag. He was also born in London and, alongside his acting accolades,Smith also has a successful music career where he goes by the alias Doc Brown. In addition to his triumphs in front of the screen, Smith has also tried his hand at writing on projects such as4 O’Clock ClubandDoc Brown - Jimmy Wiggz, highlighting the wealth of experience he has in the entertainment industry.
David Brent: Life on the Road
Dom Johnson
Character:Smith plays one of Bête Noire’s most frequently recurring supporting characters, Gabe. Gabe runs the R&D wing of Ditta and is the boss of both Maria and Verity. He is relatively fair and often tries to play peacemaker yet usually ends up taking the side of Verity as she has the evidence to back up her claims during her disputes with Maria. Although he grows more impatient with the protagonist, he still treats her with respect and wants what’s best for her, no matter how difficult it becomes.
Michael Workeye as Kae
Actor:Another London-born actor, Michael Workeye has made a pretty solid impression over the few years he’s been acting. Alongside featuring in a few shorts and miniseries, Workeye appeared in the hit 2024 romance show,My Lady Jane. Although he was only in a handful of episodes, Workeye’s Archer was arguably one ofMy Lady Jane’s best characters, potentially having an influence on landing hisBlack Mirrorrole. While he is still relatively new to the scene, his future looks bright as he has several other projects in the works, showing he has plenty of promise.
Sitting in Limbo
Ahmed
Character:Workeye’s character, Kae, is one of very few in Bête Noire who isn’t a part of Maria’s work, yet he still appears frequently since he plays the role of Maria’s boyfriend. While supportive, Kae isn’t afraid to challenge Maria, as he often questions why he is so against Verity. Additionally, he encourages her not to phone a grieving husband and is clearly worried about his girlfriend’s changing behavior. He has a fun, vibrant personality, spending his free time playing video games while doing his best to support Maria despite her growing stress.
Black Mirror: Bête Noire Cast & Character Guide
Bête Noire Features A Variety Of Exciting Talent
Ben Ashenden as Nick -Nick is Maria’s quirky colleague, the type who is always up for a laugh, which sometimes causes problems. While he has a pretty strong friendship with the protagonist, his bold personality becomes a growing frustration for Maria. He only features sporadically throughout the episode, but he is a brief source of comedy, despite playing a relatively minor role overall. Ashenden has been acting for well over a decade, even appearing in themulti-billion-dollarJurassic Worldfranchise.
Hannah Griffiths as Luisa -While she barely gets the chance to take center stage, Luisa often appears in the background of the scenes inside the Ditta office. Although we don’t really get a huge chance to explore her relationship with Maria, it doesn’t seem to be the strongest based on what the episode showcases.Luisa’s most memorable scene comes when she confronts the office about her almond milkafter someone else drinks it, despite putting her name on the carton.
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Amber Grappy as Yudy -Yudy is the kitchen head of Ditta, tasked with making the products to be sampled and eventually sold. She has a friendly personality and is passionate about her work, often keeping her head down and staying out of any disputes, only speaking up when it impacts her own reputation. While Grappy has appeared in numerous TV projects over the years, she is best known for her theatre work.
Elena Sanz as Camille -Camille leads the taste test in Bête Noire, proving she can control and manage a small group of people. Outside of this, her role is relatively limited, with it being unclear what exactly her main job is inside Ditta.
Ravi Aujla as Mr. Ditta -Ravi Aujla appears in a single scene as Mr. Ditta, who is presumably the founder and/or CEO of the company that Maria works at. He tries Maria’s new product and approves of her work, appearing to be a relatively critical but also fair judge when it comes to assessing his employees' work inBlack Mirror’sBête Noire.
