Here's every actor in Rian Johnson's upcoming Knives Out. There couldn't be a film more highly-anticipated than Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi follow-up. Part murder mystery, part thriller, and likely full to the brim with tension, the curiosity over what exactly we should expect from Knives Out is pretty much the entire source of hype for the movie. Information about Knives Out has been kept under lock and key throughout its production, leaving us with only one big piece of the puzzle: all of the incredible actors who've been cast already.
The Knives Out synopsis describes the film's plot as "A detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family." There's some serious Brick-meets-Agatha Christie vibes to the one-sentence description. The description of the first footage shown at CinemaCon focused on the detectives played by Daniel Craig and LaKeith Stanfield meeting with the family of Christopher Plummer's character following his death, asking that everyone remain at the family mansion while the death is investigated.
Past this, we don't have too much to go on. For now, here's the complete cast breakdown of Knives Out, including their recent work, known character names, and what we think each actor will bring to the film. This will be updated with more Knives Out news as soon as it's released.
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis is set to play Linda Robinson in Knives Out, either the widow or daughter of the recently deceased patriarch whose death kicks off the film's plot. Curtis is on a roll recently, returning to her horror roots with 2018's Halloween and satire Scream Queens. Knives Out will likely be just as driven by genre tropes but it will be nice to see Curtis stretch her legs into more mystery/drama territory in her first collaboration with director Johnson.
Chris Evans
Audiences have spent so long watching Chris Evans play good boy Captain America in the MCU that it'll be weird to see him play the (probably) morally dubious character Alex Robinson in Knives Out. With no character descriptions released, we're going to guess Alex is the son of Jamie Lee Curtis's Linda Robinson. Knives Out will be Evans' first official film role since departing from Cap duty.
Daniel Craig
Plan on seeing lots and lots of Daniel Craig in Knives Out as he is playing Benoit Blanc, one of the detectives investigating the death of Christopher Plummer's character. When he's not on the clock as James Bond, Craig has popped up in Steven Soderbergh's Logan Lucky and indie drama Kings alongside Halle Berry. After Knives Out, Craig will see been in a TV adaptation of Jonathan Franzen's novel Purity and, in 2020, Bond 25.
Ana de Armas
Rian Johnson's always had a soft spot for beguiling women in his films but he's managed to utilize them in surprising ways (see: Emily Blunt in Looper or Nora Zehetner in Brick), so it'll be interesting to see how Blade Runner 2049's Ana de Armas is deployed as the daughter of Plummer's character in Knives Out. De Armas's star has been on the rise with roles in films like Knock Knock and War Dogs helping her make the transition to English-language films with ease. Knives Out will put de Arma on the map in 2019 and hopefully, her role in the next James Bond film in 2020 will ensure she remains a film fixture for the years to come.
Katherine Langford
13 Reasons Why star Katherine Langford continues to land high-profile roles following her breakout performance in the Netflix teen drama. Knives Out will be Langford's first film role since 2018's Love, Simon (she was supposed to appear in Avengers: Endgame but her scenes reportedly got left on the cutting room floor) and it will be curious to see how she does back in dramatic territory. Langford will also lend her voice to play the lead character in Netflix's upcoming series, Cursed.
Michael Shannon
You can never have too much Michael Shannon, so it's good to see he's popping up in Knives Out as Jack Bressler, hopefully a prominent supporting or lead role. Shannon has been appearing up in some interesting places since 2017's The Shape of Water, appearing in HBO's Room 104 and Farenheit 451 and TV miniseries Waco and Little Drummer Girl. Knives Out will be Shannon's only movie credit of 2019.
Toni Collette
Toni Collette is moving from the horror satire Velvet Buzzsaw to what will no doubt be a high-stakes drama mystery in the form of Knives Out. Collette's been making some interesting choices when it comes to the genre of film she works in, moving from chick flick comedy Fun Mom Dinner to horror films like Krampus and Hereditary to straightforward dramas like the Netflix series Wanderlust. Collette has exceeded in performing memorably in the aforementioned roles, as she has done her entire career, so expect this to be the case when she no doubt makes a splash in Knives Out.
LaKeith Stanfield
LaKeith Stanfield has very quickly become one of his generations biggest go-to actors. Able to blend the surreal with the real, the comedic with the dramatic, and adapt to any role put in front of him, it's no wonder Stanfield has found himself working alongside Rian Johnson in the director's next mysterious movie as one of the film's lead characters, Detective Troy Archer. Stanfield's been working in film and TV since 2008 when he broke onto the scene in the indie Short Term 12 but his most recent roles which have garnered him lots of acclaim include Get Out, Sorry to Bother You, and Someone Great.
Don Johnson
Don Johnson has had a bit of a career renaissance in recent years. The Miami Vice star has popped up in the Cameron Diaz-starring comedy The Other Woman and the chick flick Book Club alongside Jane Fonda. In addition to a lead role in HBO's Watchmen, premiering later in 2019, Johnson's character Morris Bristow will likely be a prominent supporting role in Knives Out.
Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer, a towering figure in the film industry, will be seen next in Knives Out as the patriarch whose death sets off the plot. Plummer's career has been going strong for the better part of 60 years as he has conquered television, film, and the stage. Plummer's best-known credits and most recent credits include The Sound of Music, A Beautiful Mind, All the Money in the World, and The Man Who Invented Christmas.
Frank Oz
Film buffs are going to have to keep an eye out for Frank Oz, the man who brought Yoda to life in the Star Wars universe, in Knives Out since he will reportedly have a small role. The Star Wars connection between Oz and Johnson is likely how the Yoda performer ended up in this film. Oz is a legendary actor, director, puppeteer, writer, producer, and beyond. His work on Star Wars and The Muppet Show may be his most widely-known credits to date but Oz has also appeared in films and TV shows like Pixar's Inside Out and Sesame Street and directed films like to 2004's Stepford Wives and the 1984 film adaptation of the musical Little Shop of Horrors.
Jaeden Martell
Jaeden Martell's star has been rapidly rising over the last few years, nabbing roles alongside high-profile actors like Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, and his Knives Out co-star Michael Shannon in films like St. Vincent, The Book of Henry, and Midnight Special. Martell may be best known to viewers as Bill Denborough in 2017's IT and the upcoming It Chapter Two.
Riki Lindhome
Riki Lindhome is making the jump from a supporting role on CBS's The Big Bang Theory to Knives Out. Lindhome has been a reliably comedic actress in the past, with roles in film and TV like Another Period and The Lego Batman Movie. Lindhome has also been able to find footing in more dramatic and suspenseful roles, like the 2009 remake The Last House on the Left, leaving a lot of scope for her Knives Out role.
Raul Castillo
Raul Castillo may be a familiar face to those who tuned in to watch Atypical on Netflix where he played Nick, an attractive bartender, in a handful of episodes. Castillo has also shown up on TV series like HBO's Looking, Netflix's Seven Seconds, and most recently, on Showtime's Vida.
Shyrley Rodriguez
Shyrley Rodriguez's breakout role was on Netflix's The Get Down back in 2016 but she may usher in a new chapter in her career with Knives Out. Rodriguez has built a strong portfolio of work since The Get Down, appearing in Pacific Rim: Uprising, Isn't It Romantic, and Freeform's The Bold Type in recent years.
Edi Patterson
Comedic actress Edi Patterson will appear in what will likely be a smaller role in Knives Out. Patterson has frequently worked in television, with her most notable credits to date including roles on HBO's Vice Principals and ABC's black-ish.
Noah Segan
It's no surprise that frequent Rian Johnson collaborator, actor Noah Segan, has secured himself a spot in Knives Out. In past Johnson films, Segan has played both supporting and minor characters with arguably his largest role in a Johnson joint being antagonist Kid Blue in Looper. Expect to see Segan pop up in a smaller role in Knives Out (although perhaps not as blink-and-you'll-miss-it as in The Last Jedi).
