Who Plays Frankie in ‘MobLand’? Meet Johnny Flynn, the Harrigans’ Newest Enemy

Viewers who reached the end of the second season premiere of ‘MobLand’ were introduced to a new player in London’s criminal underworld, and many want to know who plays Frankie in ‘MobLand’. Johnny Flynn takes the role, playing a London drug lord who emerges as a fresh threat to the Harrigans and to Harry.

The new season premiered on September 18 with ten episodes arriving weekly through November 20. The premiere introduces Frankie late, so his full history and loyalties are not yet confirmed. That leaves plenty of room to look at the actor, the character and the influences behind him.

Johnny Flynn Is the Actor Behind Frankie

Flynn is known for playing a wide range of characters in television and film, as well as for his career in music. His screen credits include ‘Goodbye June’ and ‘Emma’. He joined ‘MobLand’ as a series regular alongside Ophelia Lovibond.

Outside acting, Flynn is the lead singer and songwriter of the band Johnny Flynn & the Sussex Wit, which has released six studio albums since the early 2000s. That musical background suits a character whose rhythm and delivery are so deliberately offbeat.

Speaking to the Press Association, Flynn said stepping into the series felt daunting because he had watched the first season and thought it was fantastic. He also said his character is trying to take over the Harrigan empire. He added that it was lovely to join something already so well established.

Frankie Cooper and His Place in the Story

Frankie Cooper is a London drug lord whom Colin Tattersall approaches in the final moments of the premiere. The character is listed as Frankie “Beast” Cooper. Reports describe him as a dangerous adversary with a clear interest in the Harrigan operation.

Tattersall pitches Frankie as intelligent, ruthless, cunning and violent, and says he could run London within five years with proper support. Frankie arrives as an instrument of Kat McAllister, since Tattersall approaches him on her behalf.

Frankie is shown at a barbecue surrounded by younger men, which suggests a following rather than a lone hired gun. That detail hints that he brings his own power base to the fight.

In the second episode, Frankie arrives at the home of Kevin and Bella and attacks her while Kevin is away, ending the hour by pointing a gun and only saying bang. Flynn told <a href=”https://www.techradar.com/streaming/paramount-plus/mobland-season-2-episode-2-ending-comment”>TechRadar</a> that the scene fell on his first day, so he was terrified.

The ‘MobLand’ Season 2 Cast Around Frankie

Season two puts Harry between old loyalties and new threats, and Flynn is the major new arrival. The first teaser confirmed that the main cast from last season returns, including Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren.

Janet McTeer plays Kat McAllister, while Paddy Considine plays Kevin. Lara Pulver plays Bella. Toby Jones plays Colin Tattersall. Lovibond plays DCI Kavanagh, a police detective investigating the Harrigans.

Flynn said the last time he worked with Mirren she played his dying mother in a sensitive, weepy film, so seeing her cause chaos here was a trip. He also joked that he got all the best lines.

The season held a perfect Tomatometer score from five reviews on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of that report. That early reception suggests the new additions are landing well with critics.

Johnny Flynn on the ‘Get Carter’ Inspiration

Flynn said he wanted the energy of Michael Caine in ‘Get Carter’ and described Frankie as strange and mercurial. ‘Get Carter’ is a 1971 British gangster film written and directed by Mike Hodges and starring Caine. Caine reportedly gave his character a cold, hard edge.

Flynn’s references reach beyond crime cinema. In an interview with TV Insider, he pointed to classic British culture such as the ‘Carry On’ films and Kenneth Williams, which Frankie references later in the show. He suggested Frankie is a product of all that culture.

Flynn said Frankie carries extra weight beneath a velour track suit, so he changed his own routine before filming. He also described his scenes with Tattersall as sexually ambiguous and wonderfully eerie.

Now that Frankie has shown he will go after Bella to reach Harry, do you think a villain built from ‘Get Carter’ menace and ‘Carry On’ mischief can outmaneuver the Harrigans, or will Tattersall come to regret handing Kat McAllister’s war to him?