Sky Atlantic series Chernobyl brings to life one of the biggest disasters in human history, claiming the lives of potentially thousands in the aftermath.

A massive explosion in Reactor Number Four at Chernobyl’s nuclear power plant in the USSR occurred on April 26, 1986, following an emergency test that went awry. Shut down for maintenance after the test, the reactor suffered a power surge which ultimately led to steam explosions, a nuclear meltdown, and a reactor core fire which sent radioactive contaminants into the air.

The response effort, which included evacuation and decontamination of the local area, extinguishing of the fire, and medical efforts for those affected by acute radiation poisoning, resulted in an approximate spend of £548 billion (approximately $700 billion).

It also resulted in an attempt at a huge political cover-up that was later exposed by one of the physicists involved in controlling the accident.

Exploring events from the disaster and its aftermath, Chernobyl gives a heartbreaking account of what happened and those who were affected.

Here’s everything you need to know about the cast and characters, and those who inspired them.

Played by: Jared Harris

Valery Legasov was a leading Soviet nuclear physicist, and part of the Chernobyl response team. The Deputy Director of the Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy, he was among the first to grasp the scope of the unparalleled disaster that had occurred.

On the show, he is seen as one of the first few to try and alert authorities to the severity of the situation and acts to try and contain it.

He died by suicide in 1988 at the age of 51, a day after the second anniversary of the disaster. By that point, he had been exposed to dangerous levels of radiation, with his mental well-being further affected by the fallout of the explosion.

Jared Harris is a British actor, best known for roles including The Crown, Mad Men, Foundation, and The Terror.

Played by: Stellan Skarsgård

Boris Shcherbina was the Soviet Deputy Prime Minister, who was assigned by the Kremlin to lead the government commission on Chernobyl in the immediate aftermath of the accident.

Stellan Skarsgård is a Swedish actor, best known for roles in Good Will Hunting, Mamma Mia, and his dramatic work with directing auteur Lars Von Trier on films including Nymphomaniac, Dogville, and Melancholia.

He was most recently seen in the 2024 blockbuster, Dune Part Two.

Played by: Emily Watson

Ulana Khomyuk is a fictional character, based on the accounts of numerous scientists who worked on the disaster.

On the show, she is a scientist at the Institute of Nuclear Energy of the Academy of Sciences of the Belarusian SSR and a member of the investigation team.

She is portrayed by Emily Watson, a British actress best known for her roles in dramas including Gosford Park, Silence Of The Lambs prequel Red Dragon, The Book Thief, and Breaking The Waves.

She can currently be seen starring in Dune: Prophecy.

Find out more about Dune Prophecy here.

Played by: Paul Ritter

Anatoly Dyatlov was a Soviet engineer, and deputy chief engineer at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant at the time of the disaster.

He supervised the safety test which resulted in the explosion, and later served time in prison, one of three men initially blamed for failing to follow safety protocols properly.

Paul Ritter was an English comedic and dramatic actor, whose credits include Channel 4 sitcom Friday Night Dinner, James Bond movie Quantum of Solace, as well as films Son of Rambow, The Eagle, and Operation Mincemeat.

He died in 2021 at the age of 54, after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. He was survived by wife, Polly, and his two sons, Frank and Noah.

Played by: Adam Nagaitis

Vasily Ignatenko was a Soviet firefighter and a first responder to the Chernobyl disaster.

He was also one of the men exposed to severe radiation as a result of his efforts to extinguish the fire, suffering from acute radiation poisoning and dying as a result of his duty.

Adam Nagaitis is a British actor, known for his roles in The Terror, The Commuter, and The Responder.

He was last seen as Quinn in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.

Find out more about The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon here.

Played by: Jessie Buckley

Lyudmila Ignatenko was the wife of Vasily and pregnant with their first child when he attended the scene of the disaster.

She later stayed with him when he was taken to hospital and remained by his side until his death just weeks later.

In an even more tragic twist, her baby would die hours after birth as a result of being exposed to the radiation of her husband.

Jessie Buckley is an Irish actress, whose credits include Wicked Little Letters, Fargo, Men, Women Talking, and was nominated for an Oscar in Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Lost Daughter.

Played by: Con O'Neill

Viktor Bryukhanov was the director of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and was also manager of its construction.

He was one of the three men blamed for the explosion, citing “gross violation of safety regulations and mismanagement,” something he denied. He was later found to have been working in line with recommendations that omitted facts and issues he was not aware of.

Con O’Neill is a British actor, known for his roles in Our Flag Means Death, Happy Valley, The Batman, and COBRA.

Played by: Adrian Rawlins

Nikolai Fomin was the chief engineer of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant at the time of the disaster, and approved the turbine safety test that ultimately caused the reactor’s explosion, while Dyatlov supervised it.

He, alongside Dyatlov and Bryukhanov, stood trial as a result of the disaster and later received 10 years in prison, but he was released early due to needing psychiatric treatment.

Adrian Rawlins is an English actor, whose credits include Breaking The Waves, Mary And George, and Slow Horses. He also played James Potter in the Harry Potter movie franchise.

Played by: Sam Troughton

Aleksandr Akimov was a Soviet engineer and a supervisor on shift on the night of the Chernobyl disaster.

He would later be one of the men that would succumb to radiation poisoning.

Sam Troughton is an English actor, whose credits include The Lazarus Project, Litvinenko, Alien Vs Predator, Napoleon, and The Hollow Crown.