Miss Austen cast and character guide: Who plays whom in the PBS historical drama?

Let’s be honest—whenever there’s a period drama based on Jane Austen or her life, we’re in. But Miss Austen on PBS isn’t your typical bonnet-and-ballroom story. It takes a quieter yet compelling path, focusing on Jane Austen’s beloved (and fiercely protective) sister, Cassandra. And that means we’re diving deep into family drama, emotional loyalty, and—wait for it—burned letters!

Adapted from Gill Hornby's book, Miss Austen takes place in 1830 with an elderly Cassandra on a mission: to fetch and burn her deceased sister Jane's personal letters before others get to read them. Why? That is where the true mystery lies. The show jumps between timelines, unveiling long-guarded secrets and re-introducing us to Jane Austen's world through new, emotionally nuanced eyes.

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Now let's look more closely at the cast of Miss Austen bringing these well-rounded characters to life!

Keeley Hawes as Cassandra Austen (Older)

Veteran actress Keeley Hawes takes on Cassandra Austen in her older age, and she is every inch the pillar of this tale. Cassandra is not only a supportive sister in this case; she is a woman weighted with memory, regret, and the burden of Jane's legacy.

With subtle intensity, Hawes charts Cassandra's emotional landscape, from grief to steely resolve. She presents us with a character who is not always likable but is very human.

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Synnøve Karlsen as Young Cassandra Austen

Synnøve Karlsen (yes, of Medici and Clique) plays young Cassandra in Miss Austen, showing us the person she was before time and sorrow moved in. Bright-eyed and forceful, Karlsen's Cassy is warm, assured, and optimistic.

The difference between the two Cassandras is what propels the show's emotional trajectory, and that contrast is made all the more satisfying by Karlsen's performance.

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Patsy Ferran as Jane Austen

To portray Jane Austen is no minor challenge, particularly when audiences already have opinions. Patsy Ferran does it with quiet understatement more than bravado. She plays Jane not as a literary idol but as an inquisitive, intelligent, sometimes obstinate woman making sense of love, heartbreak, and the limited possibilities of her era.

There's subtle chemistry between Ferran and Karlsen, but a significant one—it is not a brash performance but a resonating one.

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Rose Leslie as Isabella Fowle

You might know Rose Leslie as Game of Thrones's Ygritte or Downton Abbey's Gwen, but here she appears as Isabella Fowle—an emotional fulcrum in Cassandra's mission. Isabella is Cassandra's late friend's daughter, and the letters reside in her house.

As tensions escalate, Isabella embodies the younger generation's perspective, one less fixated on manipulating the past. Leslie brings sensitivity and just the right amount of suspicion to the role.

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Jessica Hynes as Mary Austen (Older)

Jessica Hynes, with her chameleon-like ability to play any part, brings mature Mary Austen to the screen in Miss Austen—a woman ensconced in her own energies of bitterness, pragmatism, and judgment.

As Jane's sister-in-law, every opinion is valuable, and her inclusion in Cassandra's quest creates tension and a few hard-won truths. Hynes performs a solid role that infuses the emotional depth of the Austen family.

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Liv Hill as Young Mary Austen

Liv Hill provides a glimpse into Mary's adolescence in Miss Austen—a girl formed by social expectation and competition. Her appearances provide important insight into how the Austen family dynamic developed, and how insecurities of youth turned into long-standing resentments. Hill brings depth to a character usually relegated to Austen mythology.

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Calam Lynch as Tom Fowle

As Cassandra's betrothed, Tom Fowle is one of the Miss Austens' most emotionally resonant characters. Portrayed by Calam Lynch (Bridgerton viewers may recognize him!), Tom is debonair, honorable, and, alas, short-lived. His demise has a lasting effect on Cassandra, and seeing Lynch in this role adds heartbreaking depth to her subsequent behavior.

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Max Irons as Henry Hobday

Max Irons portrays Henry Hobday in Miss Austen, an artistic and romantic character who was fictionalized for the series. Hobday's entry sheds new light on Jane's love life and artistic pursuits. Irons portrays him with a quiet vulnerability, providing insight into what could have been if Jane's life had taken a different turn. His role provides speculative emotional richness to Jane's otherwise reserved life.

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Alfred Enoch as Dr. Lidderdale

Yes, it's How to Get Away with Murder's Alfred Enoch! Here he plays the character of Dr. Lidderdale in Miss Austen, a small but not unimportant one. His job is to help locate the action in the era of 1830, imparting facts on health, roles for women, and social norms. It's a small but keenly observational piece of the storytelling jigsaw.

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Phyllis Logan as Mrs. Austen

As the Austen family matriarch, Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey alum) is nicely subtle in bringing Mrs. Austen to life. She's a mother who cares passionately about her children's futures, particularly her daughters', as circumstances in the period were limited. Logan's performance brings out the generational tensions and unspoken sacrifices of Regency motherhood.

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Kevin McNally as Mr. Austen

Kevin McNally adds a reflective presence to Mr. Austen, the unobtrusively supportive father of Jane and Cassandra. Low-key but heartfelt, his performance emphasizes how important the support of a father was to Jane's writing life. He appears in flashbacks, providing emotional stability during the sisters' most influential years.

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Mirren Mack as Dinah

Completing the cast is Mirren Mack in the role of Dinah in Miss Austen, a supporting role who crosses paths with Cassandra's modern-day quest. While not specifically attached to Jane's timeline, Dinah's character echoes the same themes of secrecy, womanhood, and truth. She's a reminder that even the quietest voices in history can be heard loudly.

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There's something beautifully personal about Miss Austen. It's not sweeping romances or dazzling ballroom dances—but legacy, loss, and the stories we leave behind. With its outstanding cast and rich characters, the series pulls back the curtain on the Austen family in a way we don't often get on television.

Every actor brings a piece of history to life—not dramatically, but thoughtfully. And for Jane Austen fans, this cast guide may be the beginning of something more.

Also read: Pride and Prejudice spinoff: BBC greenlights new period drama titled The Other Bennet Sister