Where are the cast of Life on Mars are now from quit acting to biological father bombshell
Life on Mars saw viewers immediately fell in love with the time-travelling escapades of Sam Tyler in the hit BBC drama Life on Mars.
Greater Manchester Police DCI Sam Tyler (John Simm) was struck by a car but wakes up in 1977, still working as a policeman but with complete different rules.
The strange, science fiction drama blended elements of Lost, Doctor Who, and cop dramas as viewers wondered if Sam Tyler had time travelled, death or just in a coma.
The groundbreaking series, which was the brainchild of Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharaoh, subsequently spawned a spin-off called Ashes to Ashes.
Life on Mars ran for two series and came to an end in 2007. Its spin-off, Ashes to Ashes, began a year later and concluded in 2010.
A third show called Lazarus was in the pipeline for several years and was poised to end the story of Gene Hunt and Sam Tyler and see the pair wake up in 1977 yet again. Series creator Matthew Graham revealed in June 2023 the project was dead despite huge fan interest into another mystery series.
The cast of the shows have largely gone on to make big TV careers while one actor quit the industry to step up his own construction firm. Here’s everything that you need to know about the cast of Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes.
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John Simm - DCI Sam Tyler
DCI Sam Tyler was the bewildered copper who was suddenly in 1970s Manchester - did he time travel? Was he dead? Was he in a coma? It wasn't entirely clear at first, but viewers learned he was in a coma.
Life on Mars was the platform for John Simm to spring board off to became a TV star, with his next role being the Master in BBC's Doctor Who where he played opposite David Tenant. He returned to the role years later alongside Peter Capaldi.
John has been in several other popular TV roles including Mad Dogs, Strangers, Cold Storage The Lakes and State of Play. He has also made numerous film appearances such as Human Traffic, Devilwood and Skellig.
He is currently starring as another police officer, DSU Roy Grace, in ITV drama Grace, which recently returned for its third series.
Alongside co-star Philip Glenister on DNA Journey, Simm recently discovered his father was not his biological parent, but instead a man called Terry Smith. Smith has sadly passed away but the ITV show learned he used to visit the same working men's clubs as Ronald Simm.
Speaking about the episode, Simm said: “It’s turned out to be such a massive thing in my life and all I was doing was a favour for Phil so he didn’t have to do it on his own. It’s spun my world... everything I thought I knew wasn’t real.”
Philip Glenister - DCI Gene Hunt
Known for his brash approach to policing, Gene Hunt appeared in both Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes. Following the two shows, viewers have been crying out to see more of the ‘Gene Genie’.
Gene Hunt is almost certainly actor Philip Glenister’s most famous role, he has also been in several other TV shows. He reunited with co-star and good friend John Simm on State of Play and Mad Dogs, as well as appear in Big School, Prey, Belgravia and Living the Dream.
In 2019 Glenister picked up a presenting role on the true crime show What the Killer Did Next. Glenister recently appeared in Steeltown Murders, Foundation and After the Flood.
Keeley Hawes - DCI Alex Drake
DCI Alex Drake was shot in 2008 by a man named Arthur Layton and inexplicably regains consciousness in 1981. She teams up with Gene Hunt while she also investigates what happened with Sam Tyler.
Keeley Hawes was already a TV and film star thanks to playing Zoe Reynolds in BBC series Spooks, Wives and Daughters and Lucky Kim. Following Ashes to Ashes, she has been in several other TV dramas including hit BBC drama Line of Duty as disgraced police officer Lindsay Denton.
She then starred in another drama from the same writer (Jed Mercurio), Bodyguard, opposite actor Richard Madden. A popular face of British television, Keeley has also been in the likes of Upstairs, Downstairs, The Missing, It’s A Sin, The Durrells and Finding Alice, of which she was also an executive producer.
Hawes recently appeared as Amanda Thirsk, former private secretary to Prince Andrew in Netflix flick Scoop.
She currently lives in London with her three children and Succession star husband Matthew MacFadyen.
Liz White - WPC Annie Cartwright
Liz played Sam Tyler’s love interest, Annie Cartwright, in Life on Mars.
She was another actor to benefit hugely from her part in the show as it catapulted her from bit parts in smaller BBC dramas to major credits.
White has since played main roles in Line of Duty, Ackley Bridge, the award-winning film Pride and, most famously, the 2012 horror the Woman in Black in which she played the eponymous woman. She has also appeared in ITV drama Unforgotten, Doctor Who, The Paradise, Call the Midwife, Unforgotten and Grantchester.
Dean Andrews - DC Ray Carling
The no-nonsense detective Ray Carling in both Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes was Hunt's right hand man and had a grudge against DI Tyler.
After finishing his role as DC Carling, Dean landed roles in Channel 4 drama No Angels and BBC's Waterloo Road. In 2011, he starred in United, the BBC Two film about the Munich Air disaster before taking on a role in the BBC drama Last Tango in Halifax.
Since 2019, he has starred as Will Taylor in Emmerdale.
Marshall Lancaster - DC Chris Skelton
Described as “cheeky but likeable” by Gene Hunt, DC Skelton was involved in several huge storylines on the show. He appeared in both Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes and viewers quickly fell in love with Marshall Lancaster’s character.
Actor Marshall went on to star in shows such as Casualty and Doctor Who, but later stepped away from the acting industry.
He started his own construction company, Marshall Lancaster Plastering, in 2013 and now works as a contractor in Macclesfield.
Daniel Mays - DCI Jim Keats
DCI Jim Keats was sent to investigate Gene Hunt and his team's activities and bring down the unit. But in fact, it was revealed Jim Keats was a malevolent spirit who wanted to bring the squad to hell.
Actor Daniel Mays has since achieved a respectable TV career, with big roles in Line of Duty, Good Omens, Des, Temple, Porters, Code 404 and Magpie Murders.
He's also appeared in various films including Bank Job, 1917, Rogue One and Fisherman's Friends. He will also appear in The Thursday Murder Club in an unconfirmed role.
Montserrat Lombard - DC Sharon ‘Shaz’ Granger
Introduced as a love interest for DC Chris Skelton, Montserrat wowed audiences when she played ‘Shaz’ in Ashes to Ashes. The character’s look and style was based on Joanne Catherall of The Human League in 1981.
Appearing in all three series of Ashes to Ashes, Montserrat went on to secure several other roles. She notably appeared in BBC David Mitchell comedy Upstart Crow between 2016-2018.
Earlier this year, the actress appeared in the first episode of Death in Paradise spin-off Beyond Paradise - read more about that show here.
Tony Marshall - Nelson
Tony played the role of pub landlord Nelson in Life on Mars, one of the few stars to feature regularly in the show without playing a police officer. He also made a guest appearance in the gripping finale of Ashes to Ashes.
After appearing on the show, Tony would go on to land a role in long-running medical drama Casualty. He played the role of Noel Garcia. That character would tragically be killed off in 2020 after contracting coronavirus in a harrowing episode.
His only other roles in that time have been bit part, with credits for Hollyoaks and an episode of Still Open All Hours.
Noreen Kershaw - WPC Phyliss Dobbs
Life on Mars would turn out to be Kershaw's final acting role as the established thespian turned her hand to directing thereafter.
Kershaw has since got behind the camera for episodes of Coronation Street, Shameless, Emmerdale and Heartbeat.
More recently she has taken on the task of directing the long-running BBC drama Call the Midwife.
This year, Kershaw told Hello magazine that she would be directing a brand new five-part mini series on Channel Five called Compulsion starring Leanne Best of Cold Feet.
