Erin Richards, who grew up in Penarth and trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, plays Cheryl Dreason, the ex‑wife of central character David Burroughs.
The series, adapted from Coben’s 2023 novel, follows David, played by Sam Worthington, a father serving a life sentence for the murder of his young son – a crime he insists he did not commit. When new evidence suggests the boy may still be alive, David escapes prison in a desperate bid to uncover the truth.
Richards’ character Cheryl is a talented and compassionate paediatric surgeon still grieving the loss of her son while trying to rebuild her life, only for David’s breakout to drag her back into a nightmare of secrets and suspicion. Netflix describes her as a woman “who has worked hard to move on, until long‑buried secrets threaten to unravel everything she’s built”.
The former Stanwell pupil first came to wider attention in the US comedy‑drama Breaking In before landing the role of Barbara Kean in Batman prequel Gotham, later adding credits in The Crown and Being Human to her CV. Welsh fans have been quick to celebrate seeing a familiar Penarth name in Netflix’s latest glossy crime import, with one local reviewer calling her performance “brilliant” and praising her as “absolutely gorgeous to chat to”.
Early critical reaction to I Will Find You has been mixed but generally agrees on one thing – it is highly watchable. Radio Times described it as a “fast‑paced, throwaway Netflix thriller” that still delivers enough tension to keep viewers hooked.
Crime blog The Killing Times said the series “may stretch credibility to breaking point” but remains “compulsively watchable” in places, especially for fans of Coben’s trademark plot twists. Industry site IndieWire was more sceptical, branding it “one of the most ludicrous shows of the year so far”, but even that review acknowledged the show’s “so‑bad‑it’s‑good” appeal and the strength of its ensemble cast.
For Richards, the role adds another major international credit to a career that has already taken her from Penarth to prime‑time US television and now to the heart of Netflix’s latest mystery hit.
