| Name | Character | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| Ioan Gruffudd | Horatio Hornblower | 8 |
| Paul Copley | Matthews | 8 |
| Robert Lindsay | Sir Edward Pellew | 8 |
| Sean Gilder | Styles | 8 |
| Jamie Bamber | Archie Kennedy | 6 |
| Paul McGann | William Bush | 4 |
| Simon Sherlock | Oldroyd | 4 |
| Colin MacLachlan | Master Bowles | 4 |
| Nicholas Jones | Lieutenant Buckland | 2 |
| David Warner | Captain Sawyer | 2 |
| Barbara Flynn | Mrs Mason | 2 |
| Ian McElhinney | Captain Hammond | 2 |
| Julia Sawalha | Maria Mason | 2 |
| Tony Haygarth | Master Prowse | 2 |
| Ron Cook | Doughty | 2 |
| David Rintoul | Doctor Clive | 2 |
| Philip Glenister | Gunner Hobbs | 2 |
| Lorcan Cranitch | Wolfe | 2 |
| Terence Corrigan | Midshipman Wellard | 2 |
| Chris Barnes | Finch | 2 |
| Richard Lumsden | Midshipman Hether | 1 |
| Robert Bathurst | Lieutenant Ecclestone | 1 |
| Ian McNeice | Mr Tapling | 1 |
| Christian Coulson | Midshipman Jack Hammond | 1 |
| Peter Vaughan | Admiral Hood | 1 |
| Samuel West | Major Edrington | 1 |
| Denis Lawson | Captain Foster | 1 |
| Andrew Tiernan | Bunting | 1 |
| Cherie Lunghi | Kitty Cobham | 1 |
| Christopher Fulford | Midshipman Hunter | 1 |
| Greg Wise | Major Côtard | 1 |
| Ronald Pickup | Don Massaredo | 1 |
| Michael Byrne | Captain Keene | 1 |
| Antony Sher | Marquis de Moncoutant | 1 |
| Duncan Bell | Midshipman Clayton | 1 |
| Jim Carter | Etheridge | 1 |
| Camilla Power | Betsy | 1 |
| Dorian Healy | Midshipman Jack Simpson | 1 |
| Vincent Grass | Captain Forget | 1 |
| Vincent Grass | French captain Forget | 1 |
| Jonathan Coy | Captain Bracegirdle | 1 |
| Rupert Holliday-Evans | Steward | 1 |
| Simon Markey | Dr. Hepplewhite | 1 |
| Jonathan Forbes | Orrock | 1 |
| Jonathan Forbes | Midshipman Orrock | 1 |
| Estelle Skornik | Mariette | 1 |
| Dorian Healy | Midshipman Simpson | 0 |
| Chris Barnes | 0 | |
| Colin MacLachlan | 0 |