Who is Lynley star Leo Suter? All to know including famous wife and family
About Leo Suter: The Star of Lynley
Written by Nicky Morris
January 5, 2026
The BBC’s latest detective drama, Lynley, premieres on Monday night. Leo Suter takes on the role of DI Tommy Lynley. Based on Elizabeth George’s novels, this series is a reboot of the early 2000s show Inspector Lynley, which starred Nathaniel Parker.
The new series follows Tommy Lynley, a skilled but outsider detective who forms an unlikely partnership with the unconventional sergeant DS Barbara Havers, played by Sofia Barclay. Together, they make a strong team dedicated to achieving justice.
With excellent source material, a dynamic detective duo, and producers from Playground who have an impressive portfolio including Wolf Hall, The Missing, and All Creatures Great and Small, viewers are in for a compelling watch.
Before diving into the series, learn all about its leading star, Leo Suter. From his personal life to his acting career, here’s everything you need to know.
Who is Leo Suter?
Leo Suter, 32, is a London-born actor best known for his role as Harald Hardrada in Vikings: Valhalla. Like his character in Lynley, Leo is an Oxford University graduate with a degree in Human Sciences from New College, Oxford.
Leo, one of three children, was raised by his father, Tim, a former managing editor of current affairs at the BBC, and his mother, Dame Helen Alexander, a notable businesswoman who was the former chief executive of the Economist and the first female president of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Helen sadly passed away from cancer in 2017 at the age of 60.
Speaking about his mum, Leo told The Times: “I knew she was an amazing woman—she received a damehood and a CBE, we’d gone to the Palace. But at her memorial service, the scale and weight of what she had done, and how many people came up to us from her world of work, was truly amazing to witness.”
Leo’s Love Life
Leo is married to American dancer Haylee Roderick. The couple, who wed in 2023, recently welcomed a baby girl.
Haylee Roderick, 35, has an impressive list of credits, having appeared as a dancer in Glee, Grease: Live, High School Musical 3: Senior Year, and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. She also performed at the 82nd Academy Awards and was an assistant choreographer on the 2022 film Disenchanted, starring Amy Adams.
Leo’s Acting Career
After supporting roles in TV shows like Clique and Victoria, Leo landed his big break in the Netflix historical drama Vikings: Valhalla, where he played the fierce Harald Hardrada. Viewers may also recognize him for his role as Young Stringer in the period drama Sanditon.
More recently, Leo starred in Gurinder Chadha’s festive musical drama Christmas Karma, an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. In the film, Leo played Bob Cratchit alongside Hugh Bonneville, Kunal Nayyar, and Danny Dyer.
Speaking to HELLO! last year, Pixie Lott, who played Mary Cratchit, praised her on-screen husband Leo as a “really fab actor and a really nice guy.”
Lynley premieres on BBC One and iPlayer on Monday, January 5, at 8:30 PM.
