Joseph Mawle plays Jesus A charismatic preacher whose arrival in Jerusalem from Galilee during Passover presents a threat to the Jewish and Roman authorities
James Nesbitt plays Pontius Pilate The Roman Governor of Judaea
Esther Hall plays Claudia Pontius Pilate's wife
Mark Lewis Jones plays Marcus Pilate's military aide
Ben Daniels plays Caiaphas The High Priest of the Jerusalem Temple, spiritual leader of the Jews
Laura Fraser plays Abigail Caiaphas's pregnant wife
Denis Lawson plays Annas
A former High Priest and Caiaphas's father-in-law
John Lynch plays the Sagan Head of the Jerusalem Temple Guard
Stephen Graham plays Barabbas An insurgent
David Oyelowo plays Joseph of Arimathea An influential adviser to Caiaphas who has seen Jesus preaching in Galilee
Penelope Wilton plays Mary Jesus's mother
Paloma Baeza plays Mary Magdalene A widow who has been travelling through Galilee with Jesus
Paul Nicholls plays Judas A member of Jesus's entourage also in the pay of the Temple Guard
Daniel Evans plays Matthew A former tax collector, now one of Jesus's disciples
Darren Morfitt plays Peter The disciple perhaps closest to Jesus
Jamie Sives plays John He and his brother James see themselves as Jesus's bodyguards
Dean Lennox Kelly plays James John's brother, and one of Jesus's inner circle
Tom Ellis plays Philip Another of Jesus's disciples
Eoin Geoghegan plays Andrew One of Jesus's younger followers