Meet Mary Malone, The Actress Who Plays Aqua In Missing You

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Here's everything to know about Mary Malone, who plays Aqua in Missing You

Mary Malone

An entire Harlan Coben series ready to binge in the first week of January? Two years in a row? The Netflix executives in charge of scheduling deserve a raise. If there's ever a day, or month, let's be honest, not to move from your sofa, it's January and this year Missing You has you covered. Much like its predecessor, Fool Me Once – which became Netflix's most watched series of 2024 and starred Michelle Keegan – Missing You will have you glued to your seat.

It follows Detective Kat Donovan, played by Slow Horses star Rosalind Eleazar, as she finds her estranged fiancé on a dating app and later discovers he'd been visiting her father's murderer in prison.

As always, Kat's story is bolstered by an impressive cast including her ex-fiancé Josh (Ashley Walters), her friend Stacey (Jessica Plummer), her boss Stagger (Richard Armitage), her late father Clint (Lenny Henry) and her best friend Aqua (Mary Malone).

As with any Harlan Coben series, just when you think you know the characters the plot will take a sharp turn, which is exactly what happens with Kat's friend Aqua...

Here's everything you need to know about the actress who plays her, Mary Malone.

Who is Mary Malone?

Mary Malone is an actress who has starred in Doctor Who, Vera and The Girlfriend Experience. She has a background in musical theatre and is a trained dancer. She recently performed in a run of Fangirls, which was on in London's West End in mid-2024. Mary is also a talented artist and often shares her paintings on social media.

Mary is a trans woman and is currently raising money for gender reassignment surgery via her social media page. On her page she writes, 'Hello, my name is Mary Malone and I am an actress and artist from Suffolk, raising money to support my gender affirming healthcare. This support will help keep me safe & further me on my transition journey.

'The state of the UK trans healthcare means I am unable to access these life changing and saving treatments through the NHS. Due to this, I’m asking for your support. I would be extremely grateful if you could contribute any amount to my fund, or to support through sharing. Fundraising is the only option for lots of people so please give generously to others in need.'

Who does Mary Malone play in Missing You?

Mary plays Detective Kat Donovan's friend Aqua in Missing You. Speaking to Pink News, she revealed that it was slightly daunting accepting a part in a Harlan Coben series as a trans actor. 'Watching it now, I really was able to see myself as a part of it, and not just this tick-box person. So yeah, I think it’s sinking in that it’s a huge deal for me and my career.'

Aqua is Kat's confidant (and yoga teacher) and is the person she turns to when she finds her ex-fiancé on a dating app and after she confronts he father's murderer on his death bed. However, it turns out Aqua knows more about both situations than Kat could have ever expected.

'She’s an astrology girly to the core. She’s a Gemini witchy queen,' Mary said of her character. The relationship between Aqua and Kat has 'a mother and daughter energy, but also it switches between them both frequently,' she explains. 'Aqua has just really always got her back and has been there through the hardest times.'

Interestingly, Aqua's character is far more fleshed out on screen that she was in the book. Her co-star Richard Armitage said 'it has been a revelation working with Mary'. 'In the book, she is a slightly less evolved character. [She] brings something incredible to a character we don't often see on TV,' he added.

Missing You writer Victoria Asare-Archer echoed his sentiment. 'That character was written over 10 years ago, and the way we portray transgender characters has evolved since then. We were very thoughtful about working with Mary Malone, the actress, and working with various groups to make sure that Aqua felt honest, truthful, sympathetic and sensitive.'