5 reasons you should be watching MobLand, according to its cast

Think your family’s got drama? In new blockbuster crime series MobLand, they settle arguments with knives, not WhatsApp groups - and Dame Helen Mirren’s the one in charge.

The slick new crime drama from Guy Ritchie and Top Boy creator Ronan Bennett isn’t your typical story of gangsters and guns. Set in the heart of London’s underworld, MobLand drops you into the inner circle of the Harrigans, a crime family who live like royalty and kill like it's business as usual.

Leading the charge in the tale of warring crime families are Pierce Brosnan as dad Conrad Harrigan, a dangerously charismatic crime kingpin with ice in his veins, and Helen Mirren as Maeve, the family’s no-nonsense matriarch who could run a boardroom (or an arms gang). Add Tom Hardy as their confident and loyal fixer, Joanne Froggatt as his fiercely loyal wife, Lara Pulver as icy Bella Harrigan, and breakout turns from Anson Boon and Mandeep Dhillon as key players in the crime dynasties - and you’ve got a star-studded cast built primed for chaos.

MobLand is funny and vicious in equal measures - set amid sprawling country estates as much as the gritty streets of London, and with the kind of moral ambiguity that’ll leave you rooting for the villains. We sat down with the cast to get the behind the scenes secrets on the on-set chaos, even starrier plans for season two, and why Helen Mirren might be the most terrifying mob boss of all time.

1. It’s savage, stylish and if the knives don’t Get You, the charm will kill you

There’s violence in MobLand, but it’s the kind that sneaks up on you. “He finishes someone off by stomping on his neck - like squashing a bug,” says Anson Boon, of one of Pierce Brosnan’s most shocking moments in the series. The Pistol star explains. “I watched it and was like, Oh my gosh. That is awful!”

After Life star Mandeep Dhillon explains that it’s the contrast that makes it hit especially hard: “It’s very funny and has its light-hearted sides, and then totally shocks you when you’re in a false sense of security with something very dark.” She adds, “They live like royalty but do the most awful things… It’s more dangerous at the top.”

“It’s funny because these characters are so charming and alluring - but you know that they’ll screw you over at the drop of the hat. None of them can be trusted,” shares Spooks’ Lara Pulver.

And then there’s Pierce Brosnan, whose character’s duality left everyone reeling. “Pierce and Helen both do these brilliant character switches. It’s so juicy and fun to watch,” says Downton Abbey star Joanne Froggatt. In fact, in one scene she remembers, “I have this scene with Pierce and he’s really scary, really scary… and then he just goes, ‘Right, okay, off we go then,’ and he’s lovely and warm. Then he walked out and did this thing that wasn’t in the script, where he just started whistling, like your granddad might. It was so dark and eerie - it was just brilliant.”

Even off-set, his presence was surreal. Pulver shares: “He turned up on set and got out of his car in his suit, with his sunglasses on. One of our runners just went, ‘Oh my Gosh, you look like a movie star’ - I was like, he is a freaking movie star! It was really adorable.”

2. It’s packed with Guy Ritchie energy

Guy Ritchie’s name isn’t just on the project, it’s etched into its DNA. “He’s almost his own brand now,” says Joanne Froggatt. “If you put the Guy Richie stamp on it, there’s certain things you know you’re going to get.”

“It’s the twinkle, isn’t it?” agrees Lara Pulver, “The moments where you go from dark, to twinkle.”

“It was our job to colour in the rest,” explains Lara Pulver, “Grit, wit, something a bit edgy, something very truthful. You still want to be able to care about these people, even though they're chaotic and messy.”

“They’re not lovable, but you love to watch them,” adds Froggatt.

3. Dame Helen Mirren is the ultimate mob boss

Forget Vito Corleone or Tony Montana. Dame Helen Mirren rules MobLand - and the entire cast would willingly join her criminal empire. On who would make the best mob boss, there’s no doubt between them - it’s Mirren, through and through.”Helen Mirren,” says Anson Boon, without a second thought.

“She’s pretty naughty. She’s so fun. She just comes out with these one-liners… she commands so much respect because she’s so good at what she does. She has such a presence,” confesses Boon, “I’d work for her, if she was a crime boss. She could recruit me.”

“She’d handle business,” agrees Mandeep Dhillon. “Absolutely. I’d work for her.”

“She’s a boss", nods Joanne Froggatt. “Hands down,” adds Lara Pulver.

4. The cast bonded over Taylor Swift and green beans

For all its blood and tension, the set of MobLand wasn’t without its silliness. Anson Boon found himself in a scene that turned even more surreal between takes: “We were doing this dinner party scene which gets very violent and dangerous, at this seemingly ordinary, lovely family dinner party. I was drinking from a wine glass of water during the scene, and I was thinking, why does this grape juice taste like green beans? It tasted like a soggy roast dinner.” The answer? Tom Hardy. “I realised Tom kept throwing things in my drink between every take.”

Joanne Froggatt had a dinner party moment of realisation too: ”I did Downton Abbey for many years, and there were a lot of dinner parties in that - and I did sit there and go, wow! They wouldn't have this at the Abbey!”

There were more laughs off-set, too. “On the last day of the shoot, Lara turned into a DJ in the makeup trailer. At half seven in the morning, we were all dancing in the makeup trailer to Taylor Swift and the mimosas came out,” Froggatt reveals, before clarifying, “We didn’t have any mimosas, actually. We were good. We were too tired.”

“It’s not what you'd expect from the masculine MobLand!” she adds.

5. They’re dreaming big for season two

The cast aren’t done with MobLand - and if they get their way, season two could bring in some serious heat. “It really does feel like we’ve just started,” says Dhillon. “The book is not closed yet, we’re not done with these characters,” adds Boon.

So, with an already A-list cast, who would be their dream picks to join the ensemble for a second season? “Gary Oldman. He would be so good in it. He’s my favourite actor,” shares Boon.

“We need to get Al Pacino,” muses Pulver. “That would be very cool - an Al Pacino-Pierce Brosnan face off!” adds Froggatt, eyes lighting up at the showdown.

But, fans won’t have to wait until then to see more stars join the cast though, teases Pulver: “Fantastic British stock. I don’t think they’ve been announced yet.” Boon adds, “There are a few surprises that you'll learn as the season goes on - people that come into really important roles, really great actors. We won't spoil it for you now, but you should be excited.”

MobLand is available to stream on Paramount+ now.