The second season of Top Of The Lake: China Girl premieres on Sunday, August 20 at 8:30pm on BBC First.
The series, written by Jane Campion, picks up four years on from the events of season one.
This time Detective Robin Griffin (played by Elisabeth Moss) is back investigating the murder of an Asian girl, whose body washes up on Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
Top Of The Lake: China Girl was filmed in Sydney, Australia.
Get to know the all-star cast below.
Top of the Lake: China Girl
ELISABETH MOSS AS ROBIN GRIFFIN: Elisabeth reprises her role as Robin. She returns to Sydney from New Zealand a shell of a woman, with hopes her work will rejuvenate her. She wants to know the daughter she gave up at birth – but is she really ready to form a relationship with Mary?
NICOLE KIDMAN AS JULIA EDWARDS: The grey locks, the freckles, teeth and no make-up – it’s Nicole like we’ve never seen her. Her character is a fearless feminist and Mary’s adoptive mother. She’s separated from her husband, Pyke.
GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE AS MIRANDA HILMARSON: Game Of Thrones, Star Wars sequels and now Top Of The Lake: China Girl – Gwendoline is officially everywhere. Here, she plays an eager police recruit who’s partnered with Robin. It’s her first big case – and it’s a doozy.
Elisabeth Moss posted this shot of herself with Nicole Kidman and Gwendoline Christie at Cannes on Instagram with the caption, “Girl squad”.
Elisabeth and Gwendoline became close friends while filming. “It’s truly been an honor to watch this insanely talented actress work, my partner in crime and my friend for life,” Elisabeth wrote on Instagram.
ALICE ENGLERT AS MARY EDWARDS: Jane Campion’s daughter Alice plays Mary, who came to Julia and Pyke when she was two days old. She wrote to birth mother Robin as a 12-year-old, desperate for a reply. At 17, she’s in a relationship with creepy guy Puss. Is she in over her head?
Alice Englert with her mother Jane Campion, who wrote the series, and Nicole Kidman at the Sydney premiere of Top Of The Lake: China Girl.
DAVID DENCIK AS ALEXANDER BRAUN, AKA PUSS: You may recognise his face from the film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. David’s character here is a real piece of work. Puss claims to be a junior professor from East Germany. Julia doubts whether he even has a degree. Still, Puss – who is 25 years Mary’s senior –has a real hold on the teenager.
EWEN LESLIE AS PYKE EDWARDS: Mary’s adoptive father is a successful lawyer, who’s trying to get to grips with Mary’s liaison with Puss. “She started seeing this guy who is older and, from Pyke’s point of view, pretty bad news,” Ewen, 37, says.
