Charismatic Palm Beach couple and respected tennis coaches Stan and Joy Delaney seem to be the perfect match, yet appearances are deceptive in Apples Never Fall, the latest mystery drama from Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty.
Having sold their successful business, former tennis coaches Joy (played by award-winning American film favorite Annette Bening) and Stan (The Twelve’s Sam Neill) are now looking forward to spending their golden years in sun-soaked Florida with their four adult children – aspiring life coach Amy (Alison Brie), financier Troy (Jake Lacy), marine worker Logan (Conor Merrigan Turner) and physical therapist Brooke (Essie Randles) – who were all once tennis stars in their own right.
However, after a mysterious wounded woman called Savannah (Georgia Flood) knocks on their door, things soon take a turn when Joy vanishes in sinister circumstances – causing long-buried memories and bitter rivalries to start coming to the surface.
“Stan’s a suspect from the beginning and, as the story unfolds, we learn that he’s capable of anything”, teases Sam about the dark secrets, divided loyalties and dangerous intentions, which lie at the core of this psychological thriller about the seemingly picture-perfect Delaney family. “The mystery is: ‘What has happened to Joy and is it to do with Stan?’”
Filmed on location in Australia, the seven-parter begins by introducing all of the Delaneys before subsequent episodes each turn the spotlight on a different member of the clammed-up clan to tell the story from their perspective.
Here, the cast reveals how their characters fit into the mystery…
Apples Never Fall cast
AMY DELANEY PLAYED BY ALISON BRIE
The eldest child
The eldest of the four Delaney children, self-styled life coach Amy believes she’s an emotionally intuitive free spirit. Her family, however, think she’s an overly sensitive, chaotic drifter who’s unable to hold down a job. Exceptionally close to her mum, she’s the first person to suspect that something terrible has befallen Joy.
“The family don’t talk about their feelings and Amy is shunned when she tries to,” explains the LA-born star whose credits include US comedy GLOW and Julian Fellowes’ period drama Doctor Thorne. “Coming from a competitive tennis background, Delaney love can feel conditional. They also hold grudges. When the stakes become high and intense, you’ll see them fall apart.”
TROY DELANEY PLAYED BY JAKE LACY
The eldest son
Often scathing with his nearest and dearest, the affluent venture capitalist believes he’s calm, cool and collected. But, in reality, the second-oldest Delaney child is a ticking time bomb and his mother’s disappearance is the catalyst for an explosive revelation about his childhood.
“The Delaneys are intensely competitive, but they’re also hurting, broken people. Because Troy has a bond with his mother over a shared trauma, he feels it’s his responsibility to solve her disappearance,” shares Massachusetts-born Jake, who starred in A Friend of the Family and series 1 of hit US comedy-drama The White Lotus. “There’s a lot of self-delusion going on for Troy.”
LOGAN DELANEY PLAYED CONOR MERRIGAN TURNER
The youngest son
In a committed relationship with girlfriend Indira Chaundry (ex-EastEnders star Pooja Shah), second-youngest child Logan appears a laid-back outdoorsy type. But keeping up family appearances is deeply important to him. When Joy vanishes, he’s forced to examine his rose-tinted reasons for defending his volatile father.
“Logan was tapped to be the next big name in tennis. When that didn’t pan out, Stan hoped he’d take over the tennis academy, which also didn’t work out,” reveals Australian actor Conor, whose credits include Netflix’s 2022 factual drama Thai Cave Rescue. “He’s suspicious of Savannah from the get-go and wants to protect his family at all costs.”
BROOKE DELANEY PLAYED BY ESSIE RANDLES
The youngest child
Baby of the family Brooke appears to have life sewn up between her successful physical therapy practice and engagement to restaurateur Gina Solis (Sugar’s Paula Andrea Placido). But Brooke’s perfect facade is shattered when her secrets and lies are exposed in the wake of Joy’s disappearance.
“She grew up believing that her parents’ love was dependent on winning,” explains rising Australian star Essie, whose credits include Speedway Murders. “I can’t give too much away, but Brooke goes on an incredible arc – there’s so much more under the veneer that she likes to present to the world.”
STAN DELANEY PLAYED BY SAM NEILL
The patriarch
Hot-headed dad Stan is unhealthily competitive, both on and off the tennis court. When Joy first goes missing, he lies unconvincingly about her whereabouts and is shifty about a deep cut on his face. Did the tightly-strung tennis professional snap and kill his wife?
“Stan’s an alarming character. He loves his family, particularly Joy, with a great ferocity, but it’s his way or the highway,” reveals Northern Ireland-born New Zealand actor Sam, star of the Jurassic Park movie franchise and cult chillers Dead Calm and Event Horizon. “His extraordinary competitiveness and desire to dominate everything makes him dangerous. His short temper doesn’t help, either!”
JOY DELANEY PLAYED BY ANNETTE BENING
The matriarch
Between her children’s busy schedules and her tetchy husband’s mood swings, retirement is a letdown for the former tennis player and coach. So much so, she welcomes sketchy Savannah into her home with open arms. Soon afterwards, however, it emerges that the doting Delaney matriarch may have just as many skeletons in her closet as the rest of the family…
“As the story begins, Joy feels unknown to her family and Savannah’s presence helps her in a moment where she’s lost and vulnerable,” explains five-time Oscar-nominee Annette, whose credits include films American Beauty and Nyad. “There’s a lot that happened with Stan when the kids were little that’s been hidden and lied about.”
SAVANNAH PLAYED BY GEORGIA FLOOD
The mysterious stranger
When an injured Savannah turns up on Joy and Stan’s doorstep begging for a safe place to hide from her abusive boyfriend, Derek, empty-nester Joy takes an instant shine to the young woman. One night’s stay turns into weeks and, as the interloper takes root at the Delaney residence, her presence shakes the family to its core.
“Savannah doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into when she arrives at the Delaneys. It’s all an improvisation and she feeds off whatever’s happening in front of her,” says Australian actor Georgia, who did a short stint on Home & Away and starred in hit drama Wentworth Prison. “She’s very troubled, but not everything is what it seems…”
The detectives
Detective Elena Camacho, played by Jeanine Serralles (Inside Llewyn Davis, Utopia) and Detective Ethan Remy played by Dylan Thuraisingham (One of Us Is Lying, Sweet Tooth) are led a merry dance as they attempt to untangle the Delaney’s secrets and lies.
Apples Never Fall also stars Nate Mann (Masters of the Air) as Amy’s extremely helpful landlord Simon Barrington, Timm Sharp (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) as Troy’s boss Monty Fortino, and Madeleine Jones (Population: 11) as Troy’s ex-wife Claire Delaney, Katrina Lenk (Ozark) as his co-worker Lucia Fortino, Quentin Plair as attorney Tyler Cruz, Robert Taylor (Longmire, The Newsreader) as William, who takes an interest in Joy when he first meets her, and Giles Matthey (True Blood) as Harry Haddad, Stan’s former tennis prodigy student.
Apples Never Fall - A quick guide to whose viewpoint is told in each episode
Episode 1 – The Delaneys
Retirement is not what Joy and Stan Delaney hoped it would be until a mysterious visitor arrives. When Joy later goes missing, her children suspect foul play.
Episode 2 – Logan
While the search for Joy intensifies, her son Logan is determined to direct the police away from his own family.
Episode 3 – Amy
As the mystery surrounding Joy's disappearance deepens, Amy gathers the community together, hoping to bring her mother home.
Episode 4 – Brooke
During a hurricane, Brooke confronts her personal issues while the detectives pursue a surprising new lead in Joy's disappearance.
Episode 5 – Troy
Troy makes a risky decision while attempting to evade the police, who know that he has critical information about his mother's disappearance.
Episode 6 – Stan
Stan's erratic behaviour generates suspicion as a damning new piece of evidence regarding Joy's disappearance surfaces.
Episode 7 – Joy
When an arrest reveals the truth of what happened to Joy, it shocks the West Palm Beach community and shatters the Delaney family while leaving lingering questions about Joy's fate.
Apples Never Fall is available to watch on BBC iPlayer on Saturday 21 September 2024 at 6am before airing later that evening on BBC1 at 9.25pm.
The US import is based on the best-selling 2021 novel of the same name by author Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers) and revolves around the seemingly perfect Delaney family.
