There are casting choices that make you raise an eyebrow, and then there are casting choices that make you wonder whether a showrunner has completely lost the plot. Maya Jama joining The Gentlemen Season 2 initially looked like it might belong in the second category. A hugely recognizable television presenter and Love Island host stepping into Guy Ritchie’s fast-talking criminal universe? On paper, it sounded like the sort of celebrity crossover that could either work brilliantly or become painfully distracting.
Thankfully, it lands much closer to the former.
Netflix’s second season brings viewers back into the increasingly complicated world of Eddie Horniman, the 13th Duke of Halstead, played by Theo James, and Susie Glass, portrayed by Kaya Scodelario. The story picks up a year after the events of the first season and pushes their criminal operation far beyond the comfortable boundaries of the English countryside. Their ambitions are bigger, their enemies are more dangerous, and their business now requires connections that stretch into international territory.
That is where Maya Jama’s Aisha enters the picture.
And honestly, she is one of those characters who could have been nothing more than expensive decoration. Instead, Aisha has an actual function in the story. She gives Eddie and Susie access to a world they cannot simply walk into themselves, while also bringing a very different kind of energy to the series.
The Gentlemen Season 2: Why Susie Glass Deeply Distrusts Eddie Horniman
Who Is Aisha in The Gentlemen Season 2?
Jama plays Aisha, an old acquaintance and close friend of Susie Glass who has built an impressive life far away from Britain. She is glamorous, ambitious, socially intelligent and, perhaps most importantly, extremely comfortable around people who possess frightening amounts of money and power.
Aisha is not written as some helpless socialite standing beside a powerful husband. That would have been an incredibly dull choice. Instead, the character operates as a fixer and intermediary, someone who understands how business, privilege and criminal influence overlap.
Her appearance also fits the visual language of a Guy Ritchie production almost suspiciously well. She can move from expensive fashion to country-house tweed without looking out of place, while her unmistakably British attitude keeps her grounded. There is an amusing contrast between her polished international lifestyle and the sharper, more streetwise personality underneath it.
Susie describes Aisha as clever and aspirational, and those words tell you quite a lot. Aisha is somebody who refuses to remain where life initially put her.
Several years before the events of Season 2, she leaves Britain and moves to the Middle East, entering the luxury hospitality business. Rather than simply enjoying the glamorous surroundings, she uses the industry as a networking machine. She meets influential people, learns how power actually moves and eventually climbs into circles that are far removed from her original position.
By the time she reconnects with Susie and Eddie, Aisha has married Prince Amir bin Abdullah al-Hadidi, played by Amra Mallassi, and has become an important adviser within his world.
That detail matters because Aisha suddenly becomes far more valuable to Eddie and Susie than a simple old friend.
Aisha’s Real Importance to Eddie and Susie
The biggest mistake would be to look at Aisha as merely another glamorous addition to an already stylish cast. Her real purpose is practical. Eddie and Susie are trying to turn their British operation into something much larger, but international expansion brings an entirely different set of problems.
Money has to move. Supply routes have to remain secure. New partners have to be trusted. Powerful local figures need convincing. And when you’re operating a criminal empire, you cannot exactly send a polite business email and arrange a meeting.
Aisha understands that world.
Her relationship with Prince Amir gives Eddie access to influential circles that would otherwise be almost impossible for him to reach. She effectively becomes a bridge between the Duke’s British operation and a much larger international network.
Episode 1: A Helicopter, a Hunting Party, and a Very Serious Business Meeting
Aisha’s first major appearance makes it immediately clear that she is not being introduced quietly.
She arrives at the Halstead estate by helicopter and becomes part of a pheasant-hunting gathering. It is exactly the kind of absurdly extravagant environment that The Gentlemen loves: aristocratic tradition, expensive clothes, weapons and criminals occupying the same space as though this were perfectly normal.
Jama fits into the scene surprisingly naturally.
Aisha is confident with a firearm, completely at ease around Eddie’s world and seemingly incapable of being intimidated by the people surrounding her. There is none of the awkwardness you might expect from an actor making a major scripted debut.
But the hunting sequence is only the surface-level spectacle. Her real job is to negotiate.
Prince Amir wants to expand his interests into European narcotics distribution, while Eddie and Susie need the financial resources and international infrastructure required to push their cannabis empire outward. Aisha sits directly between these interests and helps turn them into a workable arrangement.
The subsequent black-tie dinner at Halstead Manor only reinforces her position. Aisha doesn’t disappear into the background while the men conduct business. She occupies the room with confidence and understands exactly what her presence represents.
Episode 4 Gives Aisha More to Do
If Episode 1 establishes Aisha as an important connection, Episode 4 makes her usefulness much clearer.
Eddie and Susie begin dealing with problems affecting their international supply operation. Rival interests and logistical complications threaten to disrupt the expansion, and suddenly the carefully constructed network needs someone who knows how to navigate the region.
Aisha steps forward.
Her involvement with Sheikh Khaled Suliman demonstrates that her influence is not entirely dependent on Prince Amir. She has cultivated relationships of her own, and that distinction makes the character considerably more interesting.
That is also where Jama’s performance benefits from the writing. Aisha isn’t constantly screaming for attention. She doesn’t need to. The character is written as someone who already knows where she stands in the room.
That quiet confidence works particularly well in a series where so many characters are desperate to prove how dangerous they are.
Maya Jama Had Plenty to Prove
Let’s be honest: the pressure surrounding Jama’s debut was obvious.
She wasn’t coming into The Gentlemen as an unknown performer. Quite the opposite. Audiences already knew exactly who Maya Jama was, which makes the transition into fiction more difficult. Viewers inevitably bring her television persona with them.
Reports about the production suggest Jama was nervous during the early stages of filming and spent considerable time rehearsing her lines. That hardly sounds surprising. Joining a major Netflix production alongside established actors and working under Guy Ritchie is a serious jump from presenting unscripted television.
According to comments from co-star Jasmine Blackborow, who plays Lady Charlotte “Charly” Horniman, Jama took the job seriously and repeatedly practiced her material. Yet when the cameras rolled, that nervousness reportedly disappeared.
Kaya Scodelario also helped ease her into the production. Scodelario reportedly contacted Jama after the casting announcement and warned her about the unpredictable nature of working with Ritchie.
That advice was probably necessary.
Ritchie’s filmmaking style is famously loose and responsive. Dialogue can change, scenes can evolve and actors have to be ready to react rather than simply recite perfectly polished lines. Jama has spoken positively about the experience, describing Ritchie as reassuring and supportive despite the intimidating reputation surrounding his productions.
Does Maya Jama Actually Work in The Gentlemen?
This is where the reaction gets interesting.
Before Season 2 arrived, there was plenty of skepticism. Casting a presenter associated with reality television into a stylish crime drama naturally raised questions. Some viewers wondered whether they were watching Aisha or simply watching Maya Jama dressed in expensive clothes and surrounded by gangsters.
That criticism isn’t completely unreasonable.
Jama does bring a lot of her existing charisma into the role. Aisha rarely feels like a radical transformation of the person audiences already recognize. But that is not necessarily a weakness here. Guy Ritchie’s characters often operate through attitude, rhythm and presence as much as traditional dramatic transformation.
And Jama has presence.
Her confidence suits Aisha almost perfectly, particularly during the hunting sequence and the lavish dinner. She doesn’t seem overwhelmed by the dialogue-heavy scenes or the larger personalities around her. For a first substantial scripted role, that is probably the most encouraging part of the performance.
Online discussions after the premiere reflected that surprise. Some viewers remained unconvinced that Jama had completely disappeared into the character, while others admitted that their expectations had been much lower and that she performed better than anticipated.
That split is actually more interesting than universal praise. It suggests Jama has not suddenly transformed into a completely different performer overnight, but she has demonstrated that she can exist comfortably inside this particular style of television.
Why Aisha Could Become More Important
The most intriguing question isn’t whether Maya Jama can handle Aisha in Season 2. It’s what the writers could do with the character if she returns.
Aisha already has several useful connections, her own ambitions and a relationship with Susie that predates the main events of the season. That gives the character plenty of room to become something more complicated than an international contact.
There are several obvious directions the story could explore:
- Aisha’s independent ambitions: Her influence could eventually become valuable enough that she no longer needs to operate through Eddie, Susie or even Prince Amir.
- Her relationship with Susie: Their history creates an opportunity for personal conflicts that have nothing to do with business.
- International expansion: If Eddie’s empire continues growing, Aisha could become one of the central figures connecting Britain with the criminal networks abroad.
- A potential Season 3 return: Industry reports have suggested that Jama’s performance impressed people involved with the production, although any future role ultimately depends on the show’s creative direction and confirmed production plans.
The Verdict on Maya Jama’s Season 2 Debut
Maya Jama’s arrival in The Gentlemen could have been a gimmick. That’s what makes the result more satisfying.
Aisha isn’t necessarily the deepest character in the series, and Jama’s performance still carries traces of the public persona viewers already know. Anyone expecting a completely unrecognizable dramatic transformation might come away disappointed.
But that isn’t what the role really needs.
Aisha needs confidence, glamour, quick reactions and the ability to walk into a room full of dangerous people without looking like she has wandered into the wrong television show. Jama delivers those qualities, and the character serves a genuine purpose in the story rather than existing purely for celebrity value.
For a first major scripted acting role, that’s a pretty convincing introduction.
The bigger test would come with a more emotionally demanding storyline. Give Aisha genuine personal stakes, put her in conflict with Susie or Eddie, and force Jama to move beyond charm and attitude. That’s where we’d find out whether this was simply excellent casting for one specific type of character or the beginning of a serious second career.
For now, though, Aisha fits into The Gentlemen far better than the pre-release skepticism suggested. And considering how easily celebrity casting can wreck the atmosphere of an established series, that’s something worth giving Jama credit for.
