'After Life' Season 3 cast: Ricky Gervais, Penelope Wilton and others return in Netflix series

Netflix is all set to give its viewers a real tear-jerker with the final season of its black comedy-drama, After Life.

Revolving around a newspaper writer who lost his wife to breast cancer, After Life shows Tony's life transitioning as he goes from being a waspish cynic to a mirthful human being. The series is directed, created and written by Ricky Gervais and will air its final season this month.

---

'After Life' Season 3: Ensemble cast, synopsis and trailer

After Life Season 3 is all set to stream on Netflix from 14 January 2022. The official trailer for the final season dropped on New Year's day and it is a real tear-jerker. The heartfelt trailer shows a change in Tony’s insipid belief system, shifting the series' theme from a laugh-out-loud to a grieving one.

The official synopsis for After Life Season 3 reads:

"It's the final season of After Life and Tony is still desperately mourning the loss of his wife, Lisa. Will he ever truly embrace the future if he can't let go of the past?"

Here's a look at the returning cast of Netflix's After Life Season 3.

---

Ricky Gervais as Tony Johnson

English comedian, director and actor Ricky Gervais is best known for co-creating, co-writing and acting in the British version of The Office. His other works include The 11 O'Clock Show, Meet Ricky Gervais, David Brent: Life on the Road, The Ricky Gervais Show, Night at the Museum trilogy, The Invention of Lying, Special Correspondents, After Life and many more.

He has won seven BAFTA Awards, five British Comedy Awards, two Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Rose d'Or, as well as a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.

Gervais will be returning as Tony Johnson in the final season of After Life. His character is the head of feature stories at the local newspaper, the Tambury Gazette. Tony has been depressed ever since he lost his wife.

---

Penelope Wilton as Anne

Penelope Wilton is an English actress best known for her works in Ever Decreasing Circles, The Borrowers, Downtown Abbey, Doctor Who, After Life, Pride & Prejudice, The BFG, The Girl, Clockwise and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. She has had an extensive career on stage, receiving six Olivier Award nominations.

Wilton will be seen reprising her character Anne in the upcoming season of After Life. Her character is a widow who meets Tony at the local graveyard and dispenses sage advice for his troubles.

---

Tom Basden as Matt Braden

English actor and comedy writer Tom Basden is best known for Tom Basden Won't Say Anything, Mark Watson Makes the World Substantially Better, There Is a War, Tim Key's Late-Night Poetry, Plebs, The Wrong Mans, After Life and The Windsors.

Basden will be returning as Matt Braden in the final season of After Life. His character is Tony's brother-in-law and boss of the Tambury Gazette.

---

Ashley Jensen as Emma

Ashley Jensen is a Scottish actress and narrator. She is best known for Extras, Ugly Betty, After Life, Accidentally on Purpose, Gnomeo & Juliet, How to Train Your Dragon films, Sherlock Gnomes, Lady and the Tramp, The Office and Agatha Raisin amongst several other works. She holds an Emmy Award nomination.

Jensen will be seen reprising her character Emma in the upcoming season of After Life. Her character is a nurse working at the convalescent home in which Tony's dad was a resident.

---

Other cast members for After Life Season 3 include Tony Way, David Earl, Joe Wilkinson, Mandeep Dhillon, Jo Hartley, Roisin Conaty, Diane Morgan and Ethan Lawrence.

After Life Season 3 will be available to stream from 14 January 2022, exclusively on Netflix.