Who is Trent Clark in Black Doves? Everything you need to know

All six episodes of the British spy thriller series Black Doves were released on Netflix on December 5, 2024. Created by Joe Barton, the series follows the adventures of Helen Webb, played by Keira Knightley.

Married to Wallace Webb, the Secretary of State for Defence, Helen is a ‘Black Dove’, a spy working for a mercenary organization and supplying information to the same. The conflict in the plot arises when Jason Davies, Helen’s lover, is killed, and Sam, her longtime friend, comes into the scene to protect her.

The principal antagonists of Black Doves are the Clark family, a powerful crime family in London that runs dangerous criminal operations. The family is headed by Alex Clark. Trent Clark, played by Angus Copper, is Alex’s son, and one of his actions kickstarts the violent chain that sets the plot of Black Doves into motion.

Trent Clark is played by Angus Cooper in Black Doves

As per the IMDb entry on Angus Cooper, he is a relatively new face and Black Doves was his first major work. Cooper graduated from the Oxford School of Drama in 2023. His graduate profile page reveals that he did a one-year course at the institution.

As per the profile, he was born and bred in Rutland, and before attending the Oxford School of Drama, he did a diploma on the Foundation course in acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Following this, Cooper completed his BA in Theatre and Performance from the University of Bristol. The profile further mentions that besides acting, Angus is a "dab hand at cards, a granite snooker player, and enjoys reading and playing the piano'" He is also a Leicester City fan.

The actor’s profile on the website of ARG Talent Agency mentions that Cooper has appeared in the films Anemone and H is for Hawk and the BBC 1 series Inspector Lynle.

Trent Clark is a crucial character in Black Doves

Much of the plot of the series is driven by Helen’s quest to hunt down the killer of Jason. At the same time, the series also explores the rivalry between the two criminal families of London, the Clarks and the Newmans.

The Clark family is headed by the matriarch Alex Clark. In the finale of Black Doves, it is revealed that it was Trent, her son, who had accidentally killed the Chinese ambassador to the UK. This expensive mistake required the Clark family to embark on a killing spree to cover up the tracks that could link Trent with the high-profile murder.

It was while covering up Trent’s act that Jason was killed. Helen was naturally furious to hear this. But Sam spared her the guilt of killing a young man and he does it himself.

Speaking to Tudum on December 20, 2024, Joe Barton, the creator, writer, and executive producer of Black Doves, said the following about Trent:

"Though you can argue that Trent isn’t innocent, that he’s done bad things, he’s still a gentle soul who's made a terrible mistake.”

Further, Sam’s act of killing Trent Clark has profound implications. For one, it means that Sam cannot reunite with Michael, his romantic interest, since he is now a target of the remaining members of the Clark family.

Thus, not only does Trent’s mistake start a violent chain reaction in Black Doves, but his character also exerts a strong influence on the trajectories of other characters.