Siobhan Finneran and Jennifer Saunders have joined Harlan Coben's 'The Stranger'.

Siobhan Finneran

Siobhan Finneran

The 52-year-old actress will be starring as leading character DS Johanna Griffin in the new eight-part Netflix thriller - which is based on the novel of the same name - alongside Hannah-John Kamen, Anthony Head, Stephen Rea, and Richard Armitage.

Jennifer - who is best known for playing Edina Monsoon in 'Absolutely Fabulous' - will appear in her first dramatic role as Heidi, Johanna's best friend.

Heidi is described as a vivacious spirit who is looking for thrills and adventure now her daughter has left home for university.

'Ant-Man' and 'The Wasp' actress Hannah John-Kamen will portray the title character and embody an elusive stranger who exposes people's secrets with life-shattering effects.

Shaun Dooley, Paul Kaye, Dervla Kirwan, and Kadiff Kirwan will also appear in the show.

Former 'Spooks' star Richard is delighted to have landed the role as Adam Price in the thriller because "he could barely contain his excitement" when he was reading the novel.

Richard said: "I could barely contain my excitement reading Harlan Coben's 'The Stranger'; a nail biting thriller with a huge beating heart and a dash of social commentary for extra bite.

"I'm thrilled to be returning to work with Nicola Schindler and the brilliant creative team she has assembled."

Danny Brocklehurst - who will be the lead writer and executive producer - said: "It's fantastic to reunite with Netflix, Harlan and RED for another complex, emotional thriller.

"Richard Armitage is perfect for the role of Adam, and I can't wait to bring our binge-able new drama to life."

The upcoming drama series goes into production in March 2019.