Stephen Graham joins The North Water cast

Stephen Graham, Tom Courtenay, and Peter Mullan have joined \'The North Water\'.

The \'Line of Duty\' star will portray Captain Brownlee in the 1850s thriller, which will also star Colin Farrell and Jack O\'Connell, and the first leg of filming in the Arctic has been completed.

Stephen said: "Filming on the ship was an incredible experience and one that I will never forget.

"To be so privileged to see such beautiful animals like polar bears in their natural habitat - albeit it an ever changing one, sadly - was truly remarkable."

\'The North Water\', a four-part BBC Two drama, will tell the story of Patrick Sumner (Jack), a disgraced ex-army surgeon who signs up as a ship\'s doctor on a whaling expedition to the Arctic, during which he meets harpooner Henry Drax (Colin).

Director Andrew Haigh recently said: "Casting the right leads is the most important part of any project and I\'m thrilled to have Colin Farrell on board.

"I am a huge admirer of his work and can\'t wait to see him bring Drax vividly to life.

"Jack is a fiercely instinctual actor who brings nuance and complexity to every character he plays.

"I can\'t wait to see him bring Patrick Sumner to life."

Tom, who will play the ship\'s owner Baxter, can\'t wait to team up with Andrew again.

He said: "I\'m thrilled to be working with Andrew again on such epic material."

The drama is set in Hull and the ice floes of the Arctic in the late 1850s, and is based on the novel of the same name by Ian McGuire.

Sam Spruell will star in the drama as Cavendish, the ship\'s first mate, and Roland Møller will play Otto, a harpooner, while Peter will appear in episode four in a pivotal role.