7 celebrities you didn't know had cameos in Agatha Christie's Marple

Agatha Christie's Marple stories are not only timeless novels, but are hugely popular television programmes that aired on ITV between 2004 and 2013. The classic tales were adapted for six different series all with Miss Jane Marple at the helm as she sought to solve dramatic and mysterious murders.

Although the part of Marple herself was continuous throughout each series, new faces popped up in each episode, giving the show a fresh flavour each time. This also resulted in plenty of famous faces dotted throughout its nine-year run, and you may have forgotten about some of them. From Hollywood legends to Oscar-winning stars, here are seven huge names that have had cameos in Marple…

Joanna Lumley

Joanne Lumley appeared in Marple twice in its six series. The actress played the role Mrs Dolly Bantry in series one's The Body in the Library in 2005, and in series five's The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side in 2011. Joanne is perhaps best known for her role as Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous but has appeared in a number of other titles such as Are You Being Served, Ella Enchanted and The Wolf of Wall Street.

MORE: Agatha Christie's Poirot: the cast before and after

Joan Collins

Joan Collins has enjoyed huge success throughout her 60 year plus career, certifying herself as a Hollywood legend thanks to her roles in titles such as The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing, Dynasty and many more. The actress, 87, appeared in Marple for series four's They Do It With Mirrors in 2010, playing the role of Ruth Van Rydock.

MORE: 7 celebrities you didn't know had cameo appearances in Midsomer Murders

Ben Daniels

Theatre and film star Ben Daniels appeared in the third episode from the first series of Marple named 4:50 From Paddington in 20004. He played the role of Alfred Crackenthorpe. Ben is perhaps best known for his stage career and was the recipient of the 2001 Olivier Award for his role in Arthur Miller's All My Sons. But he has also appeared in a number of films and TV shows such as Stars Wars, The Crown and House of Cards.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

BAFTA nominated actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw played the role of Tina Argyle in 2007's third series of the ITV show. Gugu's role in Marple was one of her breakthrough roles alongside her role in Doctor Who, which occurred in the same year. Since then, the actress has gone on to secure huge recognition for her parts in titles such as Black Mirror, The Morning Show alongside Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, Disney's Beauty and the Beast and many more.

Carey Mulligan

Back in 2006, Carey Mulligan appeared in The Sittaford Mystery episode during series two. Carey played Violet Willett in the show, which marked one of her early career roles. Carey is now perhaps best known for playing Daisy Buchanan opposite Leonardo Di Caprio in The Great Gatsby. She's also appeared in Suffragette, Pride and Prejudice and more.

Benedict Cumberbatch

Oscar-nominated actor Benedict Cumberbatch appeared in series four episode two, Murder is Easy, back in 2009. In his cameo role, Benedict played Luke Fitzwilliam, an active police detective dealing with a deceased relative's property. Benedict is perhaps best known for his role as the titular character in BBC's Sherlock, Alan Turing in The Imitation Game (for which he was nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards) and as Dr. Stephen Strange in Doctor Strange.

Elizabeth Taylor

She may not have appeared in the ITV series, but Academy Award winner and Hollywood great Elizabeth Taylor did appear in the adaptation of Agatha Christie's Marple The Mirror Crack'd, proving the series' popularity, in 1980 alongside Angela Lansbury and Rock Hudson.

Elizabeth Taylor, often considered one of the all-time greatest actors in Hollywood, is best known for her roles in Cleopatra, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and many more.

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