New year, new Netflix mystery series. 2026 starts off with a bang, courtesy of Run Away, a thriller adapted from Harlan Coben's novel of the same name. Coben, who is also the mind behind Netflix hits Fool Me Once and The Stranger, is known for his dark mysteries and wild twists, and Run Away promises to be no different.
The show stars James Nesbitt as Simon Greene, a man who, on the surface, has the perfect life with his loving wife and their three children. But when his daughter Paige (Ellie de Lange) develops an addiction to drugs and runs away, that perfect facade begins to crack. After he spots Paige in a park, looking disheveled and presumably under the spell of a controlling boyfriend, Simon begins investigating the violent underworld that has captured his daughter. If he wants to save his daughter and his family, Simon will have to look outside the lines and face his own dark past.
Intrigued? Good. Before jumping into the juicy mystery, here's a who's who of the Run Away cast, so you can be sure to keep your list of suspects straight.
James Nesbitt as Simon Greene
Simon Greene is a loving father of three whose life is turned upside down when his eldest daughter, Paige, runs away. When he sees her in a park, he becomes desperate to get her back. But after Paige's boyfriend, who Simon suspects is abusing Paige, is found dead, Simon becomes more than a desperate father—he's also a suspect.
James Nesbitt, 60, is a prolific Irish actor who has been gracing screens big and small since 1984. Over the course of his impressive career, Nesbitt has been nominated for two BAFTA Awards—the first for Best Actor for his performance in Bloody Sunday (2002) and the second for his lead role in the TV series The Missing. Fans of Irish television might know him best as DS Tommy Murphy, whom he played for five seasons on Murphy's Law (2003–2007), but others might recognize him as Bofur from The Hobbit trilogy.
Ruth Jones as Elena Ravenscroft
Elena Ravenscroft is a private investigator working with the police on Paige's case. In her investigation, she strikes up an alliance with Simon Greene in his quest to discover what happened to his daughter. Of course, not even a friendly working relationship can keep her from investigating him, as well.
Ruth Jones, 59, is a celebrated writer and actor, perhaps best known as co-creator and star of the comedy Gavin & Stacey, in which she starred opposite co-creator James Corden. The show ran for three seasons, from 2007 to 2010, and featured a 2019 Christmas special and a 2024 finale that earned Ruth a BAFTA TV Award for Female Performance in a Comedy.
Minnie Driver as Ingrid Greene
Ingrid Greene is Simon's wife. In Coben's original novel, Ingrid is stricter than her husband, especially when it comes to Paige and her substance abuse. She suggests cutting their daughter off, despite Simon's desperation to find her.
Minnie Driver, 55, is an Oscar-nominated actress who got her big Hollywood break in 1998, when she starred in Good Will Hunting opposite Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Since then, the London-born actress been a staple of American film and television, appearing in projects of all genres. She voiced Jane in Disney's Tarzan (1999) and recently joined the cast of Emily in Paris.
Alfred Enoch as Isaac Fagbenle
Isaac Fagbenle is a detective who crosses paths with Simon while investigating the murder of Aaron Corval (Thomas Flynn), Paige's boyfriend, who is found dead after Simon sees him with Paige in the park.
Alfred Enoch, 37, began as a child actor, appearing in all eight Harry Potter films as Dean Thomas. He later starred in ABC's hit drama How to Get Away with Murder. Enoch has also been known to take the stage in England, and in 2021, starred in a production of Romeo and Juliet at the Globe Theater.
Ellie de Lange as Paige Greene
Paige Greene is her parents's pride and joy, but things go downhill after she enters university, where she starts using drugs. Eventually, she runs away, leaving her family in disarray. Her parents believe that she's fallen under the influence of a controlling and dangerous boyfriend, but she might be hiding more than they know.
Ellie de Lange, 28, began her career in the Netherlands, appearing in various TV shows before jumping to British television. She's best known for appearing in Wolf Hall and The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and completed production on her first short film earlier this year.
Lucian Msamati as Cornelius Faber
Not much is known about the character of Cornelius Faber, but he does feature in the first look photos released by Netflix, so he likely has some connection to Paige's case. Whether or not he is good or bad remains to be seen.
Lucien Msamati, 49, is an actor of the stage and screen. Just last year, he starred in a West End production of Waiting for Godot and the Oscar-nominated film Conclave.
Jon Pointing as Ash
Ash is a member of a mysterious and violent cult that may be tied to Paige's disappearance.
Jon Pointing, 39, is a British TV actor who is best known for starring in the comedy Big Boys, as well as the dark comedy Sweetpea, co-starring Fallout's Ella Purnell.
Maeve Courtier-Lilley as Dee Dee
Dee Dee is another member of the mysterious cult that Paige seems to have gotten involved in.
Maeve Courtier-Lilley, 24, got her first on-screen credit in 2021 and has been working steadily ever since. She is perhaps best known for her supporting role in Gran Turismo and recently appeared in the Netflix holiday movie Champagne Problems.
Adrian Greensmith as Sam Greene; Ellie Henry as Anya Greene
Sam and Anya Greene are Paige's younger siblings whose lives are turned upside down when Paige runs away.
Adrian Greensmith, 24, is an American actor who previously starred in Shelter, another show co-created by Harlan Coben. Ellie Henry, 24, previously appeared on the British teen soap, Hollyoaks
