Dhruv Trivedi
‘Slow Horses’ introduces us to a group of disgraced (and highly entertaining) British intelligence agents who, for a variety of colorful reasons, have been relegated to the rundown MI5 branch known as Slough House. Working under the thumb of the crotchety and unapologetically unpleasant Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), the team is assigned the most lackluster espionage tasks imaginable.
However, none seem to have it worse than Catherine Standish, who even goes so far as to describe herself as Jackson’s personal helper. So what’s the deal with Catherine Standish from ‘Slow Horses,’ and who is the actress behind the character? Here’s a quick lowdown!
Who is Catherine Standish?
Catherine Standish is the long-suffering secretary and personal assistant to Jackson Lamb and also seems to manage all the clerical odd-jobs of the Slough House branch. Like any long-serving employee, she seems to know the ins and outs of the workplace and her boss’ belligerent ways better than most. Even with their open disdain for each other, she and Jackson seem to have some form of misplaced affection as well.
Despite Catherine’s frequent complaints about Jackson using her for all kinds of menial tasks, she continues to do her job loyally. In a brief scene, we get a glimpse of Catherine’s traumatic past, wherein she walked into her home to find that her husband had killed himself and subsequently fell into a vicious spiral of alcoholism. Now, with her job at Slough House, Catherine seems to have found some kind of stability in her life and is seen attending AA meetings.
For his part, Jackson reveals that he looks out for Catherine when he agrees to be a part of Diana Taverner’s dangerous plan involving Hassan Ahmed. In exchange, he asks Diana to hand over a set of classified files that incriminate Catherine for treason. Thus, Lamb and Catherine seem to have seen some pretty tumultuous times (together and apart) and form the backbone of the decrepit but intriguing Slough House branch.
Who Plays Catherine Standish?
Catherine Standish is essayed by British actress Saskia Reeves. The daughter of the famous actor Peter Reeves, Saskia was born on August 16, 1961, and has appeared in a long list of films, shows, and television miniseries. Some of her notable roles include Lady Jessica Atreides in the 2000 ‘Dune’ miniseries, DSU Rose Teller in ‘Luther,’ Freya Galdie in ‘Shetland,’ and many others.
About her character Catherine Standish, Saskia says that though Catherine doesn’t really see any of her colleagues as friends, she is grateful for the work despite having to put up with the likes of Jackson Lamb. Interestingly, the actress has also come up with a backstory for Catherine about how she is slightly nervous around Rosalind Eleazar’s character Louisa.
Read More: Where Is Slow Horses Filmed?
