UPDATE: |Inside James D’Arcy’s exit and replacement from ITV’s Grace as Cassian Pewe News

New ITV drama Grace will be back on screens

Fans of the ITV drama series Grace may have noticed a change in the cast. The fifth season, which is set to air this evening (April 6), will feature four new gripping stories based on Peter James’ best-selling novels.

The first episode is an adaptation of Dead If You Don’t.

Returning to the show are John Simm and Richie Campbell, reprising their roles as police detectives Roy Grace and Glenn Branson respectively. Sam Hoare will also be back, playing Cassian Pewe.

However, some viewers might recall that Hoare wasn’t the original actor for this character; he took over the role in the third season.

Why was James D’Arcy replaced as Cassian Pewe in Grace?

James D’Arcy, known for his roles in Broadchurch and Agent Carter, originally portrayed Pewe in the second season of Grace. He appeared in the episode titled Dead Man’s Footsteps but won’t be returning due to contractual obligations.

D’Arcy was only able to commit to one film and had other commitments that prevented him from filming the new series. Instead, he went on to star in several other projects, including the TV series This Little Show of Mine and Christopher Nolan’s Oscar-winning biopic Oppenheimer.

D’Arcy and Nolan previously collaborated on the World War II epic Dunkirk. He has also featured in the TV show Constellation and What If…?

According to IMDb, Campbell is set to feature in the highly anticipated NCIS: Tony & Ziva series and Moonquake.

Sam Hoare took over as Pewe from season three. Viewers may know him from his roles in Showtrial, Miss Scarlet and the Duke, The Ex-Wife and The Capture.

Campbell previously told Express.co.uk and other media outlets: “They are really good.

“The core team is us, but it largely relies on great casting and storytelling, so you have to find the right people.

“And definitely so far, from day one, casting’s been brilliant on this.”

Campbell praised Hoare as “fantastic” and said the casting change wouldn’t be jarring for viewers.

In 2023, Roy Grace star John Simm said of Hoare joining the cast: “We are hoping that the new Cassian will slip seamlessly into the fold.

“As an actor, Sam absolutely did. From day one, he was brilliant.

“He’s such a lovely guy. He’s perfect for Cassian. I would say that he is Roy’s main adversary.”

Simm added: “I can’t remember what happens to him in the books.

“I stopped reading them after about book 12 because when we were filming, I started getting really confused as to what case we were working on.

“I thought it would take a long time to get anywhere near where Roy is in the books but because we will be filming four in the next series we are catching up quite quickly,” said Campbell.

He also shared that Branson’s perception of Pewe was that he had “come with baggage” when he took over as boss.

Campbell elaborated: “There is a conversation about who he is and what he’s done previously at the Met, and obviously, him and Grace don’t get along.

“For Branson that’s all he knows of him but in the final episode this series he sees the human side of him and he appreciates him I think.”

He added: “What is really good about Grace as a drama is it shows there are pressures at every level. We knew that Vosper constantly had people down her throat but with Cassian he really starts to explain to Grace and Branson that it’s not just about us guys going out and arresting people. It is bigger than that.”

Grace season 5 airs on ITV on Sundays at 8pm