Who’s In The ‘House Of Guinness’ Cast? The Guinness Family Tree Explained

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight’s new series, House of Guinness, follows one of Europe’s most influential dynasties: the Guinness family. As you watch the show, read on to discover who’s in the House of Guinness Season 1 cast and which characters are based on real-life aristocrats from that era.

Set in 19th-century Dublin and New York, the story begins following the death of Sir Benjamin Guinness, the matriarch of the Guinness family and the driving force behind the successful brewery. Now that he’s gone, “the far-reaching impact of his will on the fate of his four adult children, Arthur, Edward, Anne, and Ben, as well as on a group of Dublin characters who work and interact with the phenomenon that is Guinness,” per Netflix.

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The historical drama is inspired by the real-life Guinness family, and many of the show’s characters are based on actual members of the clan, including Sir Benjamin’s four children. However, some characters are fictional and created specifically for the series.

“Here are a lot of the human beings who really existed at this time,” Knight told Netflix’s Tudum. “They were members of the Guinness family, people who worked with them and for them, and what I’ve tried to do is bring those characters to life as faithfully to the real thing as possible.”

Meet The House of Guinness Cast On Netflix

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the House of Guinness cast, including family members, friends, foes, romantic interests and more.

Anthony Boyle as Arthur Guinness

Who is Arthur Guinness? Anthony Boyle portrays Arthur Guinness, inspired by the real-life son of Sir Benjamin Guinness. Eton-educated, Arthur spent most of his twenties in London and harbors aristocratic pretensions. He is more poised and confident than his younger brother Edward.

“We find Arthur not feeling all that emotional on the day of his father’s funeral,” Boyle revealed to Tudum. “His siblings are crying and really emotional. But he’s masking his anxiety, his anger, and his emotions. It’s what he always does. He’s a complicated guy.”

Known for: Masters of the Air, Manhunt, Derry Girls, Say Nothing

Louis Partridge as Edward Guinness

Who is Edward Guinness? Enola Holmes star Louis Partridge plays the youngest sibling in the Guinness family. Based on Edward Guinness, the third son of Sir Benjamin, he spent his teens learning the family trade and believes he should lead the brewery empire. However, he’s not as naturally charismatic with the upper-class as his older brother, Arthur.

“Edward, he is very principled,” Partridge told Tudum. “I like that he really knows what he thinks. He’s assertive and he can be strong when he needs to be.”

Known for: Enola Holmes film series, Disclaimer, The Lost Girls

Emily Fairn as Anne Plunket

Who is Anne Plunket? Emily Fairn portrays Anne Plunket, the eldest of the Guinness siblings. She was forced to marry a minor aristocrat, and she finds herself unhappy in her marriage, craving a greater purpose within the family and in the business. Her character draws inspiration from the real-life Anne Guinness.

“She’s the only girl [in the family], which is tricky because in the 1800s, women had very little power,” Fairn said to Tudum. “She begins to grow despite her circumstances. There is so much she is battling against, and she’s trying her best to be strong and powerful despite all of this.”

Known for: The Responder, Saturday Night, Black Mirror

Fionn O’Shea as Benjamin Guinness

Who is Benjamin Guinness? Benjamin Guinness, played by Fionn O’Shea, is the overlooked middle brother in the family. Amidst his struggles with gambling and substance abuse, deep down, he’s always had a sweet, romantic side. He’s also inspired by Benjamin Guinness, Sir Arthur’s second son.

“When we first meet Ben, he’s battling a lot of demons,” O’Shea explained to Tudum. “He has never really been given a chance to be someone within the family. He feels like a ghost in his own home — ignored, overlooked.”

Known for: Normal People, Dance First, Lilies Not For Me

James Norton as Sean Rafferty

Who is Sean Rafferty? James Norton stars as Sean Rafferty, the foreman of the Guinness factory. A ruthless leader with undeniable charisma, Rafferty will do whatever is necessary to protect the family and their business. He was Edward’s mentor, but now tensions exist between him and the siblings in the wake of their father’s death.

“Rafferty’s religion is now his work. There is really only one God in his life — and it’s himself,” Norton told Tudum about his character. “He runs the show. He’s the fixer, the caretaker, the man who keeps everything on the road — the heart and soul of the brewery. Sean keeps order, but if he needs to dip into disorder to make things run, he will.”

Known for: Happy Valley, Bob Marley: One Love, Rogue Agent, Things Heard & Seen

Niamh McCormack as Ellen Cochrane

Who is Niamh McCormack? Niamh McCormack plays Ellen Cochrane, the sister of Patrick Cochrane. She’s more intelligent and level-headed than her brother. She’s also a devout Irish Republican who despises the English and the Protestant cause.

“She’s strong, fierce, passionate — and, as a woman in 1800s Ireland, she didn’t have much of anything, especially in terms of political power or respect,” McCormack told the streamer. “But she does a lot with what she has, and her influence makes a big impact.”

Known for: Everything Now, The Witcher, The Magic Flute

Jack Gleeson as Byron Hedges

Who is Jack Gleeson? In House of Guinness, Jack Gleeson portrays Byron Hedges, a family cousin who works closely with Edward in Season 2. Born to a wealthy mother and a Catholic rebel father, Byron was used to playing both sides. He’s sent to New York to help create relationships for the family business. There, he’s confronted by anti-Irish Catholic firefighters.

Byron is “someone with a foot in both camps. He uses that to make himself valuable,” says Gleeson. “When the audition came in, I read the scene, and Byron just felt like a really lively character. You could tell he was a really well-rounded guy.”

Known for: Game of Thrones, In the Land of Saints and Sinners, Sex Education, The Sandman

Dervla Kirwan as Aunt Agnes Guinness

Who is Aunt Agnes Guinness? Dervla Kirwan portrays Aunt Agnes Guinness, based on the Guinness siblings’ actual aunt. Following her brother’s death, she becomes instrumental in guiding the family through both business matters and personal challenges.

“As a Victorian woman, her raison d’être is to protect the family’s reputation. Which, given the children she’s essentially inherited, is a very difficult job,” Kirwan told Tudum.

Known for: True Detective: Night Country, Smother, The Stranger

Seamus O’Hara as Patrick Cochrane

Who is Patrick Cochrane? Seamus O’Hara plays Patrick Cochrane, Ellen’s fiery brother and leader of the Fenians, a revolutionary nationalist group operating throughout Ireland, America, and Britain. Devoted to Irish independence, he wants more than ever to bring down the Guinness family. But despite his volatile nature, he’ll always have a soft spot for his sister.

“Patrick is interested in disrupting the status quo. He wants to bring down the Guinness family and the ascendancy,” O’Hara said.

Known for: Blue Lights, An Irish Goodbye

Michael Colgan as Reverend Henry Gratton

Who is Reverend Henry Gratton? Michael Colgan’s Reverend Henry Gratton is a missionary preacher who is a loyal servant to the Guinness clan. He has his own personal relationships with each of the siblings, including Arther, whose pretentious attitudes align with his views on this world.

“Potter is very old school,” McElhatton noted to Tudum. “He served their father, raised the children. He’s everywhere and knows where the bodies are buried.”

Known for: Say Nothing, The Regime, Marcella

Danielle Galligan as Lady Olivia Hedges

Who is Lady Olivia Hedges? Danielle Galligan portrays Lady Olivia Hedges, also inspired by the 19th-century aristocrat of the same name. Though she comes from an impoverished aristocratic family, she is adamant about maintaining her sophisticated and lavish lifestyle.

“Lady Olivia … she’s a dream role. She’s so multifaceted and goes on such a journey throughout the story,” Galligan said to Tudum. “She’s vivacious, ambitious, hedonistic, very forward in her thinking — and in her conduct. She’s obviously a woman in a man’s world, but she tries to use the constraints of her station to her advantage. She bends the rules to make the most out of a bad lot.”

Known for: Shadow and Bone, Obituary, Lakelands

Ann Skelly as Adelaide Guinness

Who is Adelaide Guinness? Ann Skelly plays Adelaide Guinness, a witty and independent cousin of the Guinness family, inspired by the real-life aristocrat. Though uninterested in the men of her era, she cannot escape the pressures of marriage, and her family wants her to be with Edward.

“I loved finding the relationship with Anne, who is brilliant,” Partridge told Tudum. “She’s got a real quirkiness about her that I think comes out through the character.”

Known for: The Nevers, The Sandman

David Wilmot as Bonnie Champion

Who is Bonnie Champion? David Wilmot plays Bonnie Champion, the calculating racketeer who controls Guinness barrel distribution. He’s also entangled in Dublin’s underground world, including sex work, gambling and drugs. Bonnie has no issue with selling secrets for the right price.

Known for: Station Eleven, Bodkin, The Wonder, Rebellion

Hilda Fay as Sultan

Who is Hilda Fay? Hilda Fay portrays Sultan, a mysterious healer from the Irish countryside who crosses paths with Anne Guinness.

Known for: The Woman in the Wall, Spilt Milk, Float Like a Butterfly

House Of Guinness is streaming on Netflix. Watch the official trailer below.