Character Relationship Map: Layer Cake

Characters

• XXXX (played by Daniel Craig) — protagonist

  London cocaine distributor who prefers a professional, non-violent approach and aims to retire. Assigned two tasks by mob boss Jimmy Price, he tracks a kidnapped girl and oversees an ecstasy purchase....

• Tammy (played by Sienna Miller) — protagonist

  Girlfriend of Sidney and romantic interest of XXXX. She travels with the Duke's crew and develops a connection with XXXX, who arranges a tryst with her. She remains by his side as he attempts to leave...

• Gene (played by Colm Meaney) — supporting

  Irish gangster and XXXX's chief associate, acting as the primary liaison to mob boss Jimmy Price. After XXXX assassinates Jimmy, Gene confronts him, reviews the evidence of Jimmy's corruption, and ack...

• Dragan (played by Dragan Mićanović) — supporting
• Morty (played by George Harris) — supporting

  XXXX's enforcer and business partner. He is a key associate who confronts XXXX following Jimmy Price's assassination. After reviewing the proof of Jimmy's betrayal, Morty accepts XXXX's authority as t...

• Cody (played by Dexter Fletcher) — minor
• Trevor (played by Louis Emerick) — minor
• Shanks (played by Stephen Walters) — minor
• Tiptoes (played by Steve John Shepherd) — minor
• Charlie (played by Nathalie Lunghi) — minor
• Gazza (played by Burn Gorman) — minor
• Dizzy (played by Daniel Moorehead) — minor
• Slasher (played by Sally Hawkins) — supporting

  Girlfriend of the Duke who returns to London from Amsterdam with him. She travels with his crew and, when pressured by Jimmy Price's situation, threatens to involve the police. This threat triggers in...

• Jimmy Price (played by Kenneth Cranham) — supporting

  Powerful mob boss who assigns XXXX two critical tasks and later uses a kidnapped girl as leverage. Secretly working as a Scotland Yard informant to secure immunity, he attempts to betray XXXX after th...

• Duke (played by Jamie Foreman) — supporting

  Low-level criminal who supplies one million ecstasy tablets to XXXX. The pills were stolen from Serbian war criminals. His crew's internal conflict and threats of police involvement lead to his murder...

• Sidney (played by Ben Whishaw) — supporting

  Feckless nephew of the Duke and boyfriend of Tammy. He guides XXXX to a criminal hideout to negotiate with the Duke's crew. Feeling rejected by Tammy, a jilted and apologetic Sidney ultimately shoots...

• Eddie Temple (played by Michael Gambon) — supporting

  Wealthy crime lord who kidnaps XXXX and reveals his connection to the kidnapped girl Charlie. He provides proof of Jimmy Price's corruption and demands the ecstasy shipment. At his warehouse, Eddie at...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• XXXX → Dizzy (Professional Client And Distributor) — Dizzy provides the distribution route for XXXX's final financial settlement.

  After Trevor and Shanks take the drugs, XXXX sells them via Dizzy so he can settle his accounts.

• XXXX → Shanks (Professional Broker And Buyers) — Shanks helps execute XXXX's plan to recover the shipment.

  XXXX approaches Trevor and Shanks about purchasing the ecstasy, and later arranges their armed robbery of Eddie's men.

• XXXX → Trevor (Professional Broker And Buyers) — Trevor becomes a buyer and a strategic partner in XXXX's final counter-move.

  XXXX tries to broker the sale of the pills to Trevor and Shanks, and later arranges for them to attack Eddie's men and take the drugs.

• XXXX → Tiptoes (Professional Employer And Investigator) — Tiptoes assists XXXX's investigation and later supports the drug deception.

  XXXX enlists Tiptoes with Cody to investigate Charlie's apparent kidnapping.

• XXXX → Cody (Professional Employer And Investigator) — Cody works for XXXX on the search for Charlie.

  XXXX enlists Cody and Tiptoes to find Charlie after receiving Jimmy's assignment.

• Jimmy Price → Charlie (Power Hostage Taker) — Jimmy uses Charlie as leverage against Eddie.

  Jimmy wants Charlie held as a hostage until Eddie recoups the fortune Jimmy lost through bad investments.

• Eddie Temple → Charlie (Family Father And Daughter) — Charlie’s identity and recovery reveal Eddie's connection to the kidnapping plot.

  Eddie explains that Charlie is his daughter and that he has recovered her.

• XXXX → Gazza (Professional Negotiating Counterpart) — Gazza controls access to the shipment during the failed negotiation.

  At the Duke's old hideout, XXXX attempts to bargain with Gazza for the ecstasy tablets.

• XXXX → Duke (Professional Buyer And Supplier) — XXXX manages the transaction for Duke's stolen drug shipment.

  Jimmy assigns XXXX to oversee the purchase of one million ecstasy tablets from the Duke.

• Duke → Slasher (Romantic Boyfriend And Girlfriend) — Slasher travels and operates with Duke's criminal crew.

  The Duke returns to London from Amsterdam with his girlfriend Slasher.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Trevor → Shanks (Alliance Gang Partners) — They function as a coordinated Liverpool criminal team.

  Trevor and Shanks jointly evaluate XXXX's proposed sale and later work together in the armed robbery of Eddie's men.

• XXXX → Dragan (Conflict Target And Assassin) — Dragan is a persistent threat to XXXX because of the stolen shipment.

  The Serbians send Dragan to recover the stolen pills and kill the thieves; because the Duke mentioned XXXX's name, XXXX is also targeted.

• XXXX → Eddie Temple (Conflict Kidnapper And Captive) — Eddie temporarily controls XXXX and forces him into a new deal.

  XXXX is kidnapped and brought to Eddie, who demands that XXXX sell him the ecstasy shipment.

• Cody → Tiptoes (Alliance Con Men Partners) — They operate as a coordinated deception team.

  Cody and Tiptoes work together to locate Charlie and later pose as police officers to secure the pills.

• XXXX → Charlie (Narrative Investigator And Subject) — Finding Charlie is one of XXXX's two initial assignments.

  Jimmy orders XXXX to track down Charlie, the drug-addicted runaway daughter of one of his associates.

Story Analysis

A professional criminal attempts to retire but becomes trapped in escalating betrayals, power struggles, and consequences.

Plot Progression

1. A Retirement Interrupted — XXXX runs a disciplined London cocaine operation and hopes to retire. Jimmy Price interrupts that plan by assigning him two dangerous tasks.
2. The Pills And The Threat — XXXX investigates Charlie while arranging the sale of the Duke's ecstasy shipment. The pills' Serbian origin turns a business transaction into a lethal liability.
3. Betrayal In The Layers — Eddie kidnaps XXXX and exposes Charlie's identity and Jimmy's informant scheme. XXXX responds by assassinating Jimmy and taking control of the weakened organization.
4. A Staged Confiscation — Dragan threatens XXXX, forcing him to recover the pills. XXXX deceives the Duke's crew and Dragan by staging a police raid and presenting Duke's head.
5. The Final Exit — Eddie attempts to seize the shipment, but XXXX has arranged a counterattack through Trevor and Shanks. Although XXXX rejects criminal leadership, Sidney shoots him as he leaves with Tammy.