Luke Bracey joins 'The Artful Dodger' as Inspector Boxer

The actor describes his character as a mix of 'Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Darcy'

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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Actor Luke Bracey has joined the cast of the Hulu series "The Artful Dodger" for Season 2, playing the role of Inspector Boxer, a law-enforcement officer who clashes with the show's roguish title character. Bracey describes Boxer as a "bit mysterious" and "very moral" man who believes in upholding the rule of law, even as he finds himself drawn into the personal lives of the show's characters.

Why it matters

"The Artful Dodger" is a period drama set in 19th-century Australia and based on the characters from Charles Dickens' classic novel "Oliver Twist". Bracey's casting as the principled Inspector Boxer adds an intriguing new dynamic to the show's central conflict between the Dodger's criminal past and his attempts to build a respectable life.

The details

In Season 2, Boxer arrives in town just as dead bodies start turning up with their organs surgically removed, leading some to suspect the Dodger is the culprit. Bracey says Boxer is not "pig-headed" or "arrogant", but rather a "noble man" who tries to follow the facts and not be swayed by emotion, even as he finds himself unexpectedly drawn to the governor's daughter, Lady Belle, much to the dismay of her manipulative mother, Lady Jane.

  • Bracey has joined the cast of "The Artful Dodger" for Season 2, which is now streaming on Hulu.

The players

Luke Bracey

An actor known for roles in films like "Elvis", "Point Break", and "Hacksaw Ridge", who has now joined the cast of "The Artful Dodger" as Inspector Boxer.

Inspector Boxer

Bracey's character, a law-enforcement officer who clashes with the show's roguish title character but also finds himself unexpectedly drawn into the personal lives of the other characters.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster

The actor who plays the title role of Jack "the Artful Dodger" Hawkins, a former juvenile pickpocket trying to build a respectable life as a surgeon.

Maia Mitchell

The actress who plays Lady Belle, the governor's daughter whom the Artful Dodger is trying to woo against the wishes of her mother, Lady Jane.

Susie Porter

The actress who plays Lady Jane, the manipulative mother of Lady Belle who hopes Inspector Boxer will lock up the Artful Dodger and marry her daughter.

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What they’re saying

“He's a bit 'Sherlock Holmes meets Mr. Darcy,' so he's a bit mysterious and he's a very moral man, a very upstanding man. He wants to do the right thing and believes in the rule of law.”

— Luke Bracey, Actor (UPI)

“He's not pig-headed and he's not arrogant and he's not too proud, I don't think either. He's a really noble man and it takes a noble man to do what he does through this season and, at points, admit he was wrong and, at points, stick by his convictions.”

— Luke Bracey, Actor (UPI)

“He understands that Lady Jane is probably the brains behind the entire operation of the Colony of Port Victory. I think he sees that she's the one kind of running the show and that she's a very intelligent, intelligent woman and I think he respects it to a degree.”

— Luke Bracey, Actor (UPI)

The takeaway

Bracey's portrayal of the principled Inspector Boxer adds an intriguing new dynamic to the central conflict of "The Artful Dodger", as the lawman's pursuit of justice clashes with the show's roguish protagonist while also drawing him into the personal dramas of the other characters.