The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance sports an absolutely massive cast, employing a diverse group of actors and puppeteers to bring the many creatures of Thra to life. Netflix's Age of Resistance is a prequel to 1982's The Dark Crystal, a dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz that still impresses with its incredible puppetry and practical effects.
Set years before the events of the original film, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance sees three Gelfling uncover a horrible secret about their ruling lords, the Skeksis. The events of the Netflix series directly set up The Dark Crystal, and fans of that film will undoubtedly enjoy recognizing all that ways in which the movie is referenced. However, unlike the original Dark Crystal, Age of Resistance is a much longer and more thorough exploration of Thra, with a cast of over 30 characters brought to life with 20 principle puppets and an additional 90 supporting characters. Simply put, Age of Resistance is a massive production.
Building the world of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance by introducing so many characters at one time requires a truly stellar cast. Thankfully, Age of Resistance is employing some of the best in business. Here's the full cast of actors and puppeteers for Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
The Gelflings
Taron Egerton as Rian (puppeteer: Neil Sterenberg) - Taron Egerton is voicing Rian, a Gelfling of the Stonewood Clan who also serves as a castle guard. Egerton most recently starred as Elton John in Rocketman, and has previously held lead roles in Kingsman and Eddie the Eagle.
Nathalie Emmanuel as Deet (puppeteers: Beccy Henderson, Katherine Smee) - Fresh off her work on HBO's Game of Thrones as Missandei, Nathalie Emmanuel voices Deet, a Gelfling of the Grottan Clan who cares deeply for the animals of Thra. Emmanuel can next be seen in 2020's Fast & Furious 9. In addition to puppeteering, Beccy Henderson has also appeared as Aisling on Derry Girls, while Katherine Smee has also puppeteered for films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Muppets Most Wanted.
Anya Taylor-Joy as Brea (puppeteer: Alice Dinnean) - Anya Taylor-Joy is voicing Brea, a Gelfling princess of the Vapra Clan and daughter of the All-Maudra. Joy rose to prominence with roles in The Witch, Split, and Glass and is slated to appear as Illyana Rasputin/Magik in The New Mutants.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Seladon (puppeteer: Helena Smee) - Gugu Mbatha-Raw voices Seladon, Brea's older sister and princess of the Vapra Clan. Mbatha-Raw's breakout role came as the lead in Belle. She's also appeared in Beauty and the Beast, Fast Color, and A Wrinkle in Time. Helena Smee is the sister of Katherine Smee and has previously worked for The Jim Henson Company on productions like Muppets Most Wanted and Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Caitriona Balfe as Tavra (puppeteer: Neil Sterenberg) - Caitriona Balfe is voicing Tavra, another of Brea's sisters and a warrior for the Vapra Clan. Most will recognize Balfe from her lead role as Claire on Outlander, but she has also appeared in films like Super 8 and Now You See Me.
Helena Bonham Carter as Maudra Mayrin/The All-Maudra (puppeteer: Louise Gold) - No stranger to dark fantasy, Helena Bonham Carter voices the All-Maudra, leader of the Vapra Clan and the head of all Gelfling clans. Known for playing Bellatrix Lestrange in Harry Potter and collaborations with Tim Burton, Bonham Carter most recently appeared in Ocean's 8 and she'll play Princess Margaret in the upcoming season of Netflix's The Crown.
Lena Headey as Maudra Fara/The Rock Singer (puppeteers: Alice Dinnean, Louise Gold) - Another Game of Thrones alum, Lena Heady (Cersei Lannister) trades one crown for another by voicing Maudra Fara, the leader of the Stonewood Clan. Headey will next appear in the action flick, Gunpowder Milkshake.
Harris Dickinson as Gurjin (puppeteer: Dave Chapman) - Harris Dickinson is voicing Gurjin, Rian's best friend and a Gelfling of the Drenchen Clan. He also serves as a castle guard. Dickinson is a relatively new talent, appearing next as Prince Phillip in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and as the lead in The King's Man. Dave Chapman, however, should be familiar to Star Wars fans as one of the two puppeteers responsible for bringing BB-8 to life.
Shazad Latif as Kylan (puppeteer: Victor Yerrid) - Shazad Latif voices Kylan, a Gelfling of the Spriton Clan and friend to Rian and Gurjin. Latif is best known for his role as Lieutenant Ash Tyler/Voq on Star Trek: Discovery.
Hannah John-Kamen as Naia (puppeteer: Beccy Henderson) - Hannah John-Kamen voices Naia, a Gelfling of the Drenchen Clan and Gurjin's twin sister. John-Kamen recently had roles in Ready Player One and Ant-Man and The Wasp, in which she played Ava Starr/Ghost.
Eddie Izzard as Cadia (puppeteer: Olly Taylor) - Eddie Izzard is voicing Cadia, a Gelfling soothsayer from the Sifa Clan. Izzard is a comedian and actor, starring in FX's The Riches and most recently appearing in Victoria & Abdul. Olly Taylor has puppeteered for Muppets Most Wanted and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, among other films.
Alicia Vikander as Mira (puppeteer: Helena Smee) - Alicia Vikander voices Mira, a Vapra Gelfling who is Rian's girlfiend as well as a castle guard. Vikander has starred in films like Ex Machina, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and most recently in Tomb Raider as Lara Croft.
Toby Jones as The Librarian (puppeteer: Kevin Clash) - Toby Jones lends his voice to the Vapra Clan's librarian. Jones had his breakthrough role playing Truman Capote in Infamous, and most recently appeared in Out of the Blue. Jones also portrays Armin Zola in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kevin Clash is a veteran puppeteer best known for portraying Elmo on Sesame Street until 2012. He was also the subject of the documentary, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey.
Natalie Dormer as Onica (puppeteer: Louise Gold) - Yet another Game of Thrones cast member involved is Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell), who voices Onica, Tavra's girlfriend and a Gelfling of the Sifa Clan. Dormer is next appearing in the spinoff series Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.
Mark Strong as Ordon (puppeteer: Dave Chapman) - Continuing the connection with the Kingsman franchise, Mark Strong voices Ordon, Rian's father and a warrior from the Stonewood Clan. Strong played Merlin in both Kingsman: The Secret Service and Kingsman: The Golden Circle. He also played Dr. Thadeus Sivana in Shazam!
Theo James as Rek'yr (puppeteer: Olly Taylor) - Theo James is voicing Rek'yr, a Gelfling of the Dousan Clan. James is best known for his role as "Four" Tobias Eaton in the Divergent series.
Louise Gold as Maudra Argot/The Shadow Bender (puppeteer: Louise Gold) - Louise Gold is another veteran of The Jim Henson Company and the only puppeteer reprising their role (as skekAyuk The Gourmand) from the original Dark Crystal film. In Age of Resistance, she is also voicing and puppeteering Maudra Argot, the leader of Grottan Clan in addition to puppeteering the All-Maudra, Onica, and The Gourmand.
Kemi-Bo Jacobs as Maudra Seethi/The Skin Painter - Kemi-Bo Jacobs is voicing Maudra Seethi, leader of the Dousan Clan. Jacobs has appeared in London Has Fallen, McMafia, and Doctor Who.
The Skeksis
Jason Isaacs as skekSo/The Emperor (puppeteer: Dave Chapman) - Hollywood's go-to actor for baddies, Jason Isaacs' latest villainous role is that of the Skeksis emperor, skekSo, the ruler of Thra. Isaacs portrayed Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter series and most recently Captain Gabriel Lorca on Star Trek: Discovery.
Simon Pegg as skekSil/The Chamberlain (puppeteer: Katherine Smee, Warrick Brownlow-Pike) - Simon Pegg has perhaps the most difficult task in voicing skekSil, The Chamberlain, seeing as Barry Dennen's portrayal in The Dark Crystal is downright iconic, but Pegg proves well-suited. Most viewers will be familiar with Pegg from his and Edgar Wright's Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy as well as his work in the Mission Impossible and Star Trek films. Warrick Brownlow-Pike regularly works on such Jim Henson Company productions as Sesame Street.
Awkwafina as skekLach/The Collector (puppeteer: Helena Smee) - Actress and rapper, Awkwafina voices skekLach, The Collector, a Skeksis who as their name suggests loves to collect things, particularly other creatures. Awkwafina gained prominence with parts in Ocean's 8 and Crazy Rich Asians.
Benedict Wong as skekVar/The General (puppeteers: Katherine Smee, Kevin Clash) - Benedict Wong is another MCU alum in the mix, here voicing skekVar, The General and commander of the Skeksis' army. Wong played Master of the Mystic Arts Wong in Doctor Strange and reprised the role for both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.
Harvey Fierstein as skekAyuk/The Gourmand (puppeteer: Louise Gold) - Harvey Fierstein voices skekAyuk, The Gourmand, the Skeksis who prepares their many feasts. Fierstein is a prolific actor of the stage and is probably best known to moviegoers for his roles in Mrs. Doubtfire and Independence Day.
Andy Samberg as The Heretic (puppeteer: Damian Farrell) - Andy Samberg is voicing a Skeksis known simply as The Heretic, having been exiled by his fellow Skeksis. Samberg is a member of The Lonely Island and currently stars in the NBC (originally FOX) sitcom, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Damian Farrell frequently works as a creature and droid puppeteer in the Star Wars films.
Ralph Ineson as skekMal/The Hunter (puppeteer: Kevin Clash) - The final Game of Thrones actor involved in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is Ralph Ineson (Dagmar Cleftjaw) and he is voicing skekMal, The Hunter, the most viscious of all the Skeksis. Ineson has also appeared in the Harry Potter series and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Alice Dinnean as skekEkt/The Ornamentalist (puppeteer: Alice Dinnean) - Alice Dinnean is a veteran puppeteer for The Jim Henson Company and here she is both puppeteering and voicing skekEkt, The Ornamentalist, the Skeksis who designs their flamboyant outfits. Dinnean has also puppeteered roles for The Muppets, Sesame Street, and even that one Community episode where the characters become puppets.
Keegan-Michael Key as skekZok/The Ritual-Master (puppeteer: Victor Yerrid) - Keegan-Michael Key voices skekZok, The Ritual-Master, who is responsible for rituals like the Ceremony of the Sun. Key is best known for being one half of Key & Peele with Jordan Peele, also starring with Peele in Keanu, and most recently voicing characters in Toy Story 4 and The Lion King (2019).
Mark Hamill as skekTek/The Scientist (puppeteer: Olly Taylor) - No stranger at all to voice work, Mark Hamill is voicing skekTek, The Scientist, the Skeksis who begins experimenting on the Dark Crystal. Hamill is, obviously, best known for portraying Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films and voicing The Joker in several DC Comics animated projects.
Neil Sterenberg as skekOk/The Scroll-Keeper (puppeteer: Neil Sterenberg) - Neil Sterenberg is another veteran puppeteer who here is both puppeteering and voicing, skekOk, The Scroll-Keeper, who serves as the castle's historian. Sterenberg is also puppeteering the Gelfling Rian and Tavra.
Aughra, The Mystics & More
Donna Kimball as Aughra (puppeteers: Katherine Smee, Kevin Clash) - Donna Kimball is voicing Aughra, a character who is the embodiment of the planet Thra. Kimball is also a puppeteer for The Jim Henson Company, previously working on such projects as The Happytime Murders.
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as urVa/The Archer (puppeteer: Olly Taylor) - Ólafur Darri Ólafsson voices one of only two urRu to appear in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, urVa, The Archer, who as their name suggests is a skilled archer among the Mystics. Ólafsson has appeared in the surreal Netflix comedy, Lady Dynamite, and is currently in AMC's NOS4A2.
Bill Hader as urGoh/The Wanderer (puppeteer: Olly Taylor) - Bill Hader is voicing the other urRu, The Wanderer, a Mystic who, well, wanders. Hader is an actor and comedian currently starring in HBO's Barry as well as the impending horror film, It Chapter Two.
Victor Yerrid as Hup (puppeteer: Victor Yerrid, Katherine Smee) - Victor Yerrid provides the voice of Hup, a Podling who befriends Deet on her journey, in addition to puppeteering the character with Katherine Smee. Yerrid is also puppeteering for Kylan and skekZok. He's previously worked on such shows as Greg the Bunny, Crank Yankers, and more.
Sigourney Weaver as The Myth Speaker - As one of only two characters that isn't a puppet, Sigourney Weaver lends her voice to the narrator for the series, here called The Myth Speaker. She begins The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance by retelling a brief history of Thra. Weaver is an accomplished actress best know for Alien and will next appear in the still untitled Avatar 2 and Avatar 3.
Dave Goelz as Baffi - Dave Goelz is responsible for the vocal work (and presumably the puppeteering though that's unconfirmed) of Baffi, Maudra Fara's eyepatch-wearing Fizzgig. Goelz is veteran puppeteer for The Jim Henson Company, originating the role of Gonzo.
Theo Ogundipe as Vliste-Staba/The Sanctuary Tree - Another non-puppet character, Theo Ogundipe voices The Sanctuary Tree, Vliste-Staba, a wise tree that grows on the mountains above Grot. Ogundipe is largely a stage actor, appearing with the Royal Shakespeare Company, but he has also worked on Eastenders and Doctors.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance season 1 is now available on Netflix.