Catherine and Peter are the leads in The Great cast, and the funny fictional re-telling of Russian political history continues to impress audiences and critics alike. The Hulu series did the impossible. It took a real-life coup and the overthrow of power in a major nation and turned it into a dark comedy of manners. Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult took on the roles of Catherine the Great and Peter III, and the show took the coup Catherine successfully pulled and stretched things out by presenting a romantic comedy mixed with a political satire.

Somehow it worked. The Great has been a huge success for Hulu, picking up three Golden Globes nominations, including individual acting nominations for Hoult and Fanning. Hoult also received a Screen Actor's Guild nomination while Fanning won a Satellite Award for her performance. They were not the only great members of The Great cast, though. There were a lot of talented actors surrounding them, playing some unique and interesting characters. With both characters based on historical figures and those created specifically for the show, The Great cast ended up as one of the best on streaming today.

Elle Fanning as Catherine

Elle Fanning plays Catherine, based on Catherine the Great, Russia’s longest-reigning female leader who was the Empress of Russia from 1762 until 1796. In The Great season 1, Catherine was married to Peter having never met him before and, after becoming frustrated with his poor leadership of Russia and the way that he treated herself and others, she initiated a plan to coup him that culminated in the season 1 finale. In The Great season 2, she seizes power but keeps her husband alive and imprisoned as she waits for her son to be born, who will become heir to the throne after her.

Elle Fanning previously played Aurora in Maleficent and Alice in Super 8. Fanning picked up an Emmy nomination for her role in The Great cast.

Nicholas Hoult as Peter

Nicolas Hoult plays Peter. He is based on a strange amalgamation of Peter II, the son of Peter the Great, and Peter III, who became the Emperor of Russia for six months before being couped by Catherine. In The Great cast, Peter reveled in his power, slept with most of the court, and killed whomever he pleased. In The Great season 2, his power has been reduced by Catherine as he is technically her prisoner, but he still gets away with a surprising amount of trouble as he slowly tries to become a better person, so Catherine will love him.

Nicholas Hoult is known for his roles as R, the zombie in Warm Bodies, Hank McCoy/Beast in the X-Men movie franchise, the War Boy Nux in Mad Max: Fury Road, Dracula's familiar in Renfield​​​​​​, and in his youth as Marcus Brewer in About a Boy.

Phoebe Fox as Marial

Phoebe Fox plays Marial, a figure invented for The Great cast. Marial had lost her position as a noble and was forced to work as a maid for Catherine, helping to plant the seed of couping Peter in her mind. In The Great season 2, Marial regained her title but was changed by her experiences working for the nobility and struggles with split loyalties throughout the season. She had to marry Maxim to remain living there and have access to her wealth, but she was also Grigor's lover. Phoebe Fox played Anne in The Hollow Crown and Kaye Newman in Curfew.

Sacha Dhawan as Orlo

Orlo, played by Sacha Dhawan is loosely based on Grigory Orlov, a military leader who led the coup against Peter III and became one of Catherine the Great’s many lovers. In The Great cast, the bookish Orlo is persuaded to help Catherine to coup Peter and provides guidance on how to get the Russian people on her side and to implement gradual progressive change. In The Great season 2, Orlo became disillusioned with Catherine’s rule, but remained loyal to her, although his hatred of Peter always kept him at a distance. Sacha Dhawan has played an incarnation of The Master in Doctor Who and played Davos/Steel Serpent in Iron Fist.

Charity Wakefield as Georgina “George”

George, played by Charity Wakefield, was a member of Peter's court and technically supported him, but is ultimately most interested in saving herself. She is married to Grigor but continues a public affair with Peter, which Grigor struggles with repeatedly. She was also one of the first people in Peter's court to treat Catherine kindly, which helped earn her survival. Charity Wakefield is known for playing Leah Walker in Bounty Hunters and Lucy in Doctor Who.

Gwilym Lee as Grigor

Gwilym Lee plays Grigor, Peter’s best friend and husband to George. After attempting to kill Peter by poisoning him in The Great season 1, he had a change of heart and continued to support the emperor. When Peter became a prisoner, Grigor was one of the few people allowed to spend time with him, and he continued to offer him emotional support and work to get him back in power, even when George tries to get him to leave. He is also in a tough spot because his wife is cheating on him with Peter. Gwilym Lee is best known for his role as Queen guitarist Brian May in Bohemian Rhapsody.

Adam Godley as Archie

Archie, played by Adam Godley, is not based on a specific historical figure in The Great but rather represents the power that the church played in Russian Rule. Archie begins in The Great cast as an archbishop but becomes the Patriarch of the church and is consistently opposed to Catherine. However, he is also keen to save his own skin and willing to work with Catherine in an attempt to stay alive and keep the power of the church intact. When Catherine introduced Enlightenment to the court, she became a direct threat. Adam Godley played Elliot Schwartz in Breaking Bad and is the voice of Pogo in The Umbrella Academy.

Douglas Hodge as Velementov

Velementov, played by Douglas Hodge, is a stand-in figure for the historical importance of the military to Russian governance. Originally portrayed as a drunk and a failure under Peter’s rule, The Great season 1 worked to humanize the character by explaining that his drinking was his way of coping with the men that he had lost in battle. The Great season 2 continues this by building his relationship with Peter and showing his concern over his legacy. He is loosely based off of Prince Grigory Potemkin, one of Catherine's lovers. Douglas Hodge played Alfred Pennyworth in Joker and Hastings in Lost in Space.

Belinda Bromilow as Elizabeth

Belinda Bromilow plays Peter’s Aunt Elizabeth and another central character in The Great cast who is concretely based on a real person. Elizabeth Petrovna was Peter III’s aunt and was his predecessor as Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762 when she was succeeded by her nephew, Peter III, who she had chosen as she was unmarried and childless. Elizabeth is a strange figure fascinated with butterflies and sex but quietly pulling the strings behind the scenes to ensure the best for Russia while keeping her nephew alive. In The Great season 2, she supports Catherine, while working in the shadows to do her best to establish a lasting relationship between Peter and Catherine.

Belinda Bromilow has also appeared as Betty in Doctor Doctor and Jonquil Payne in Spirited.

Bayo Gbadamosi as Arkady

Bayo Gbadamosi plays Arkady. In The Great cast, Arkady was part of Peter’s inner circle, but he and his wife, Tatyana, always played second fiddle to Grigor and George. In The Great season 2, Arkady was keen to get Peter reinstated as emperor and fears for what will happen to him if Catherine eventually kills Peter. He also hates Catherine because she took his family dog. Bayo Gbadamosi played Vincey in Doctor Who and Kariem Gat Wich Machar in the TV series War of the Worlds.

Florence Keith-Roach as Tatyana

Tatyana, played by Florence Keith-Roach, is Arkady’s wife and the mother to his children. While Arkady’s focus in The Great cast has become how to unseat Catherine and get Peter back into power, Tatyana has become distracted and instead hopes that she might be able to take George’s place as Peter’s lover. Toggether, they might be the most opportunistic characters on the show, and that never bodes well in political narratives. Florence Keith-Roach played Caroline in Juliet, Naked and has appeared in several shorts such as A Family Affair.

Sebastian de Souza as Leo Voronsky

Peter III wanted to present his wife Catherine with a gift since it seemed she was not happy. That gift was Leo Voronosky, played by Sebastian de Souza. This was done for two reasons. Peter wanted Catherine to have a safe affair - and Leo was sterile. However, the two fell in love and Leo openly chose to help Catherine with her coup, which marked his downfall. He planned to kill Peter, but when captured, Catherine showed no loyalty and sentenced him to death. Sebastian de Souza is best known for his role as Matty in the drama Skins and as Alfonso in The Borgias.

Danusia Samal as Lady Svenska

Danusia Samal plays Lady Antonia Svenska, a noble at odds with Marial and Catherine. She was part of Peter III's court before the coup and was always openly abusive toward Marial. She also hated Catherine because she felt she did not respect Russian culture. However, she soon began making amends to protect her own life when Catherine began to take power. Catherine chose to prove to Svenska that nobles and serfs were no different by disguising a serf as a noble. When Svenska learned the truth, she murdered the serf so Marial murdered Svenska in retaliation. Danusia Samal played Ladriya in Ghost in the Shell.

Freddie Fox as King Hugo & Grace Molony as Queen Agnes

Freddie Fox was a guest in The Great cast in season 1 and a recurring star in season 2. However, by season 3, he was back as King Hugo of Poland in a main role in the cast with Grace Molony as Queen Agnes. The reason for their rise to the main cast was because they escaped a similar overthrow of their court in Sweden. However, Hugo wanted to connect with Peter for his help, only to find Catherine in charge. Freddie Fox played Mark Thatcher in The Crown. Grace Molony played Dorothy Stafford in Mary Queen of Scots.

The Great Season 2 Cameos & Supporting Cast

Gillian Anderson as Joanna: Gillian Anderson’s cameo as Joanna, Catherine’s mother, is based upon Catherine the Great’s actual mother Johanna Elizabeth of Holstein-Gottorp. The character has little relation to the historical figure. Gillian Anderson is best known for The X-Files and her role as Dana Scully.

Jason Isaacs as Peter The Great: Peter’s father, Peter the Great, appears to him when he hallucinates and is played by Jason Isaacs. Jason Isaacs played Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise and Jackson Brodie in Case Histories.

Julian Barratt as Doctor Vinodel: Catherine’s new doctor during her pregnancy is Doctor Vinodel, played by Julian Barratt, best known for his role as Howard Moon in The Mighty Boosh.

Nicholas Hoult as Pugachev: Nicholas Hoult plays the additional role of Pugachev, one of Peter’s doubles. Pugachev takes his name from a historical figure who led an uprising against Catherine after Peter’s death and claimed he was Peter himself.

Jane Mahady as Katya Velcra: Katya Velcra, played by Jane Mahady, is brought in by Catherine to teach the girls’ school but also participates in the science competition.

Ali Ariaie as Raskolvy: Raskolvy is a Russian noble who Catherine suspects might be Muslim which leads her to move for freedom of religious expression. He is played by Ali Ariaie.

Ninette Finch as “Shakey”: Ninette Finch plays “Shakey,” a serf that Mariel knows and brings in to be her own maid. Ninette Finch has appeared in Ted Lasso and Cruella.

Dustin Demri-Burns as Voltaire: Dustin Demri-Burns appears in The Great season 1 and season 2 as Voltaire, the French philosopher that Catherine has invited to the palace. Demri-Burns has appeared in Britannia, The Spy Who Dumped Me, and Alan Partridge.

Anthony Welsh as Father Basil: Anthony Welsh plays Father Basil, the cousin of Leo. Catherine makes Basil the archbishop in an attempt to have more control over the church and upset Archie. Anthony Welsh played Leo Garner in Hanna and Darius in Master of None.

Ramon Tikaram as Uncle Varnya: Ramon Tikaram plays Orlo’s Uncle Varnya who puts pressure on him to provide his region with special favors. Ramon Tikaram plays Inspector Victor Aziz in Pennyworth.

Raphael Acloque as Ambassador Sunduk: The ambassador from the Ottoman Empire, Sunduk, is played by Raphael Acloque, who played Renoir in Allied.

Billy Postlethwaite as The Sultan: The Sultan of the Ottoman Empire in The Great is played by Billy Postlethwaite, who played Bill in Tomb Raider (2018).