Miss Austen, a fresh period drama from the BBC and PBS Masterpiece, is set to hit our screens today (Sunday, February 2). The series is inspired by Gill Hornby’s 2020 novel Miss Austen, and follows Cassandra Austen (portrayed by Keeley Hawes) on her quest to find her famous sister Jane Austen’s (played by Patsy Ferran) personal letters before they end up in the wrong hands.

Across four episodes, Miss Austen effortlessly transitions between past and present as Cassandra reflects on her life and romances while revisiting her sister’s letters. The star-studded cast includes Game of Thrones’ Rose Leslie, Downton Abbey’s Phyllis Logan, Spaced’s Jessica Hynes, and Synnøve Karlsen from The Midwich Cuckoos as a young Cassandra.

Other notable cast members include veteran actor Kevin McNally, Alfred Enoch of How To Get Away With Murder and Harry Potter fame, Bridgerton’s Calam Lynch and Max Irons from Condor. Rising star Mirren Mack, who portrays maid Dinah, also features in Miss Austen.

The 27 year old actress hails from Stirling, Scotland, and is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

She is perhaps most recognised for her roles in the BBC drama The Nest and Netflix’s popular coming-of-age series Sex Education, where she played asexual schoolgirl Florence and shared a touching scene with Gillian Anderson’s character, sex therapist Jean Milburn.

Reflecting on her experience acting with The Crown and The X-Files luminary for The Guardian in 2020, Mack shared: “My heart was going so fast during the scenes with her – I did have to keep telling myself ‘remember to act’.”

She summed up working with the seasoned star as simply “jaw-dropping”. In The Nest, Mack took on the role of a turbulent pregnant teenager entangled with a couple desperate to adopt.

Her portrayal earned her a nod for the Scottish BAFTA, building on accolades from her performance in Mudlarks. As per IMDb, she is set to appear next in short films Baby and Hedda.

Mack’s varied career includes appearances in The Doll Factory, The Witcher: Blood Origin, Mary and George, and Say Nothing, while her cinematic journey comprises short films like The Painter and The Poet, Ladybaby, and The Möbius Trip. She has also graced the stage in acclaimed productions such as Small Island, Hamlet, and Wound.

Miss Austen airs on BBC One on Sunday, February 2 at 9.05pm and will be available as a boxset on BBC iPlayer from 6am