Ruth Jones Shines As PI Elena Ravenscroft In Netflix's Run Away

Netflix’s global chart-topper Run Away has captured the imagination of millions of viewers around the world. Danny Brocklehurst’s latest Harlan Coben novel adaptation is a beguiling tale of suspicion and mystery, which succeeds in large part thanks to a gripping central performance from James Nesbitt. However, it’s another British actor whose turn in this crime thriller is most eyecatching.

Among Run Away’s stellar cast, Welsh actor Ruth Jones is the name that stands out as a genuine surprise. Jones is best known for her comedic role in Gavin & Stacey, the beloved sitcom she created and scripted alongside James Corden, yet in Netflix’s new number one TV show she showcases her dramatic acting chops like never before.

In fact, this thriller miniseries is anchored by Jones, whose portrayal of a private detective serves as a window into the dizzying mystery surrounding what’s happened to protagonist Simon Greene’s teenage daughter, Paige. Although season 2 of Run Away looks unlikely at this stage, most viewers would surely love to see more murder mysteries investigated by Elena Ravenscroft.

Ruth Jones Plays PI Elena Ravenscroft In Netflix’s Chart-Topping Crime Thriller Run Away

A private investigator who finds herself in the midst of a bizarre missing person case that soon turns deadly, Ruth Jones’ Elena Ravenscroft is a key reason for Run Away’s enormous streaming success on Netflix. While all around her appear to be losing their heads, Ravenscroft keeps hers as she attempts to discern the truth.

She strikes an imposing figure while keeping a watchful eye on Simon Greene, at the same time as the story of his daughter’s disappearance continues to serve up increasingly disturbing developments. It’s Ravenscroft’s presence in the series that grounds Run Away, a character beyond suspicion who we can relate to and empathize with unconditionally.

Jones Is Better-Known For Playing The Funniest Character In Gavin & Stacey

A serious dramatic role in a spine-chilling crime thriller isn’t something those already familiar with Ruth Jones would naturally associate with her as an actor. After all, she’s best known for playing one of the most lovable comedy characters in TV history, Gavin & Stacey’s Nessa Jenkins.

Nessa is an ingenious comic creation directly from the pen of Jones herself. But it’s the actor’s screen performance as the character that really brings her to life. Nessa is eccentric in ways entirely unique to her, from the myriad professions she moves between, to her stories of whirlwind romances with minor middle-aged celebrities.

The character’s distinctly Southern Welsh idioms have been adopted as catchphrases across Britain, so strong was Nessa’s impression on the tens of millions who tuned in to every Gavin & Stacey episode when it first aired on the BBC. If there were a poll to decide the show’s funniest character, there’s no doubt that she’d come out on top.

Run Away Shows A Different Side To Ruth Jones As An Actor

For Ruth Jones to have gone from almost two decades playing Nessa Jenkins to her all-action yet affecting portrayal of Elena Ravenscroft is quite a leap, even if she has performed other more straightforwardly dramatic parts over the past 15 years. Run Away might have divided some viewers, but everyone is in agreement about how coming Jones is as Ravenscroft.

In her understated depiction of a stern but sincere private investigator haunted by her tragic backstory, she demonstrates the full extent of her acting range with a very different side of her talent. Jones’ own six-season Sky TV comedy-drama Stella may have pointed the way towards this rare turn in Run Away, but it still subverts audience expectations superbly.