•
Timothy Spall as
J. M. W. Turner: The controversial artist; he never married but had two lovers. He fathered two children with one, though he denied paternity. •
Dorothy Atkinson as Hannah Danby: Turner's devoted housekeeper for 40 years, whom he exploits sexually. Leigh said that the sexual relationship was "an invention not based on any historical evidence". She suffered from the skin disease
psoriasis and died two years after Turner. •
Marion Bailey as Sophia Booth: Turner's landlady and lover, twice widowed, with one son by her first husband. After her second husband died, she became involved with Turner. •
Paul Jesson as William Turner Snr: Turner's father, a barber. His wife died young in a mental hospital, and their only other child died at 5. He lived with his artist son until his death, which deeply affected Turner. •
Lesley Manville as
Mary Somerville, a scientist and friend of Turner. She gained renown at a time when women engaging seriously in scientific study was not condoned. •
Martin Savage as
Benjamin Robert Haydon: Turner's friend, an artist who committed suicide. •
Ruth Sheen as Sarah Danby: Hannah's aunt by marriage and Turner's first lover and the mother of his two unacknowledged daughters. Her husband and Hannah's uncle, a musician, had died, leaving her a young widow. •
David Horovitch as Dr Price: Turner's doctor •
Karl Johnson as Mr. Booth, a sea captain and second husband of Sophia Booth •
Peter Wight as
Joseph Gillott: wealthy arts patron •
Joshua McGuire as
John Ruskin •
Stuart McQuarrie as Ruskin's father •
Sylvestra Le Touzel as Ruskin's mother •
Leo Bill as
J. E. Mayall: pioneering photographer •
Kate O'Flynn as Prostitute: Eliza is the young prostitute sketched by Turner. •
Sinead Matthews as
Queen Victoria: the young queen who sneers at Turner's later work. •
Karina Fernandez as Miss Coggins: musician who plays
Dido's Lament by
Henry Purcell, to Turner's singing. •
Richard Bremmer as
George Jones: artist famous for battle scenes •
Mark Stanley as
Clarkson Stanfield: marine painter •
Jamie Thomas King as
David Roberts: Scottish Orientalist painter •
Tom Wlaschiha as
Prince Albert •
Patrick Godfrey as
Lord Egremont: arts patron (such as Carew) and owner of
Petworth House where Turner spent much time. •
Niall Buggy as
John Carew: Irish sculptor • Fred Pearson as Sir
William Beechy: portrait painter • Tom Edden as
C. R. Leslie:
genre painter •
Clive Francis as
Martin Archer Shee: portrait painter •
Robert Portal as
Sir Charles Eastlake: painter and gallery director •
James Fleet as
John Constable: landscape painter, doyen of the Romantic movement •
Nicholas Jones as Sir
John Soane: neo-classical architect and art collector •
Roger Ashton-Griffiths as
Henry William Pickersgill: portrait painter •
Simon Chandler as Sir
Augustus Wall Callcott: landscape artist •
Edward de Souza as
Thomas Stothard: painter and engraver •
Oliver Maltman as theatre actor •
Sam Kelly as theatre actor ==Production==