The stars of Cloud Atlas played multiple characters across several centuries, and here are all of the characters each actor plays. Directed by the Wachowskis, Cloud Atlas hit theaters in 2012 and was the duo's attempt to deliver another epic sci-fi movie. After hitting it big with The Matrix, the subsequent sequels and Speed Racer made the filmmakers quite divisive. The response to Cloud Atlas was quite mixed too, as audiences either loved or hated the film.
Based on the award-winning novel by David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas tells an interconnected story about humanity and reincarnation across six distinct time periods. This includes stories in different locations and years with new lead characters. The Pacific Islands story in 1849 follows Adam Ewing (Jim Sturgess). Robert Frobisher (Ben Whishaw) leads the story set in Cambridge and Edinburgh in 1936. Halle Berry's Luisa Rey is at the center of 1973's San Francisco narrative. Timothy Cavendish (Jim Broadbent) leads the story in 2012 London. Donna Bae plays Sonmi-451 in a dystopian Neo Seoul in 2144, and Tom Hanks' Zachry is the main character during the section set in a post-apocalyptic Hawaii in 2321.
Cloud Atlas gave each of these performers and many others an additional challenge, though. The idea of reincarnation and continuation of souls saw the Wachowskis have several actors play multiple characters, regardless of sex or ethnicity, across the different time periods. Here is every character each actor plays in Cloud Atlas.
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks' main role in Cloud Atlas is as Zachry Bailey, a man who lives on Big Island of Hawaii and meets Meronym. Zachry works with Meronym to help save the Prescients and ultimately marries her and starts a family with her on another planet. Hanks is originally seen in the 1849 story as Dr. Henry Goose, who tries to kill Adam Ewing. He also plays a hotel manager during the 1936 story, the scientist Isaac Sachs in 1973, and gangster Dermot Hoggins in 2012. Hanks can also be seen as an actor playing Timothy Cavendish in a movie in 2144.
Halle Berry
Halle Berry's primary role in Cloud Atlas is as Luisa Rey, a journalist in 1973 San Francisco investigating a conspiracy about Lloyd Hooks. She is nearly killed by a hitman but manages to expose Hooks' corruption. Her role in the 1849 story is as a slave on a plantation. She then plays a white Jewish woman named Jocasta Ayrs in 1936, an Indian party guest in 2012, a male Korean doctor named Ovid in 2144, and the advanced being from the Prescients known as Meronym.
Jim Broadbent
Jim Broadbent's main role in Cloud Atlas is as Timothy Cavendish, a publisher who achieves great success after a critic of a recent book is murdered, in the 2012 story. Cavendish is then tricked by his brother into committing himself to a nursing home, but he eventually breaks out and writes a script about his life that will later become a movie. His part in 1849 is as Captain Molyneux. He is later seen as the composer Vyvyan Arys in 1936, a Korean musician in 2144, and a member of the Prescients in 2321. He does not play any character in the 1973 storyline.
Jim Sturgess
Jim Sturgess plays Adam Ewing, a young lawyer who travels to a plantation in the Chatham Islands, in Cloud Atlas' 1849 storyline. Ewing helps free a slave and eventually becomes an advocate to abolish slavery. He is later seen as a hotel guest in 1936 and the father of Megan in 1973. Sturgess then plays a soccer fan named Highlander in 2012 and a Korean man named Hae-Joo Chang in 2144 who helps start a clone revolution. He also plays Zachry's brother-in-law, Adam, in the 2321 story.
Doona Bae
Doona Bae's main role in Cloud Atlas is as Somni-451 in the 2144 storyline. Somni-451 is a clone created to be a worker drone and Bae plays a few different versions of this character before leading a revolution after seeing a movie about Timothy Cavendish's life. Somni-451 is killed by the Archivists after inciting a revolution. She also plays Tilda, the white wife of Adam Ewing, in 1849. Bae then plays Megan's mom and a Hispanic factory worker in 1973. She does not have a role in the 1936, 2012, and 2321 storylines.
Ben Whishaw
Ben Whishaw's main role in Cloud Atlas is as the bisexual composer Robert Frobisher in 1936, who has an affair with Jocasta Arys. Frobisher is busy writing "The Cloud Atlas Sextet," but is threatened by Vyvyan Arys to receive credit on the song. His story ends after finishing the sextet and killing himself. He also plays a cabin boy in the 1849 story and a store clerk in 1973. Whishaw then plays Georgette, the wife of Denholme Cavendish, in 2012, and an unnamed tribesman in 2321. He does not have a role in the 2144 storyline.
Hugo Weaving
Hugo Weaving plays several supporting roles throughout Cloud Atlas. He plays Haskell Moore, the father of Tilda and father-in-law of Adam Ewing. He then plays a Nazi named Tadeusz Kesselring in 1936 and an assassin named Bill Smoke in 1973. Weaving then plays a female nurse in 2012, a government figure in 2144, and an imaginary figment of Zachry's mind named Old Georgie in 2321.
Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant also has multiple supporting roles during Cloud Atlas' various settings. He plays plantation owner Giles Horrox in 1849, a hotel worker in 1936, and the owner of a nuclear power plant named Lloyd Hooks in 1973. Grant later plays the brother of Timothy Cavendish, named Denholme Cavendish, in 2012. He also plays a Korean restaurant manager in 2144 and Kona Chief, the leader of a tribe of cannibals in 2321.
Keith David
Keith David has several supporting roles in Cloud Atlas but doesn't appear in 1936 or 2012 storylines. He begins as a slave named Kupaka in 1849 and then a security guard for Lloyd Hooks in 1973. David is then An-kor Apis, a resistance leader, in 2144 and a member of the Prescients in 2321.
James D'Arcy
James D'Arcy begins his time in Cloud Atlas as Rufus Sixsmith, the lover of Robert Frobisher in 1936. He then plays Sixsmith again in 1973 and works with Luisa Rey. He then plays a nurse named James who is at the nursing home Timothy Cavendish goes to in 2012. D'Arcy also plays an Archivist in 2144.
Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon also plays multiple roles in Cloud Atlas. She's the wife of Giles Horrox in 1849 and a woman named Ursula, who is the love of Timothy Cavendish's life. Sarandon then played a man named Yusouf Suleiman in 2144 and a member of the Prescients in 2321.