When it comes to binge-watching, there are few things more frustrating than watching a movie or a show and recognizing the cast, but then not quite being able to place them. It's easy to spend half the movie's runtime falling down the cast list rabbit hole on Internet Movie Database. Moonshot is no exception to this.
Besides big-name recognition for actors like Cole Sprouse, Zach Braff, and Lana Condor, other cast members have prior roles in popular streaming titles like Fear Street and The White Lotus. This gives Moonshot's cast span the full spectrum of recognizability.
Sunita Deshpande (Celeste)
Playing one half of the shuttle couple the main characters are introduced to is Sunita Deshpande as Celeste. Celeste is Mars-focused, often at the expense of her partner, Tabby. Surprisingly, Celeste ends up proposing to Tabby, becoming the excuse for a shuttle-wide dance party. While Deshpande doesn't have a ton of screen time in Moonshot, her quiet character is good for laughs.
Deshpande is best known for her role as Seema Nadeem in season 3 of Daredevil. Deshpande brings her character's emotions about her husband and his involvement with Kingpin to life, as his plans to flip on Wilson Fisk and take down Kingpin results in their family being targeted and her husband's death.
Cameron Esposito (Tabby)
The other half of the shuttle couple, Cameron Esposito goes for even more laughs as Tabby, Celeste's partner. Tabby is not quite as space-oriented as Celeste, but her head is a little in the clouds. Goofy, endearing, and hopelessly devoted to Celeste, Tabby's willing to go this distance to support her partner.
Cameron Esposito is a professional comedian whose work has been featured on multiple websites, podcasts, and specials. When it comes to fictionized series, Esposito has recently been seen in season four of the drama series, A Million Little Things. Playing the role of Greta Strobe, they added humor and heart while rekindling a childhood romance with the main character, Kathrine Saville.
Christine Adams (Jan)
Filling the role of Sophie's mother figure in Moonshot is Christine Adams. With limited screentime, Jan's appearances focus on centering the idea of motherhood, mentorship, and positive female role models for Sophie. These moments reinforce the film's message about the feelings and pressure felt when it comes to making and accomplishing life plans.
Playing an inspirational mother raising strong and empowered women is nothing new for Adams. Previously, she was seen as Lynne Pierce/ Stewart, the ex-wife of the Arrowverse’s Black Lightning, Jefferson Pierce, and the mother of Anisa and Jennifer. Much like Adams’s role in Moonshot, her role in Black Lightning emphasized a combination of emotional comfort and intellectual leadership as a feminine role model.
Emily Rudd (Ginny)
As Walt's one-night-only dream girl, Ginny is played by Emily Rudd. Her slightly sardonic wit and quick retort spike up a kinship with Walt that he interprets as a romantic interest, even as Ginny leaves for the Mars program the morning after the two met. Walt's passion for Mars inspires Ginny to take the risk and make the trip, even though she describes herself as a commitment-phobe.
Before playing Ginny, Rudd played Cindy Bergman in Part Two of the Fear Street series, echoing and subverting the trope of horror film final girls. Her relatability in both films is a testament to her versatility, as Moonshot's quirkiness differs significantly from the darker tone of the horror film series.
Lukas Gage (Dalton)
Moonshot is full of champion short scene stealers. These quick appearances play an important part in progressing the film's plot and comedic pacing. One of these is Dalton, Walt’s best friend. Even though Lukas Gage is only onscreen for a few moments, Dalton's less-than-stellar pep talk to convince Walt to behave like a “normal person” sent the events of the movie in motion.
Gage’s turn as Dalton in Moonshot is far more family-friendly than his previous scene-stealing role as Dillion in HBO's The White Lotus. Playing a resort employee whose boss is fawning over him, Gage made headlines after his explicit scene offered viewers a different kind of moon shot.
Mason Gooding (Calvin)
Mason Gooding plays Calvin, Sophie's long-term boyfriend. On paper, he seems like a perfect guy. In fact, Sophie has a checklist, and Calvin ticks off all the boxes. Unfortunately, Calvin's long-term plans and goals don't align quite with what he and Sophie had agreed upon.
Previously, Gooding had been seen as the popular jock, Andrew, in Love, Victor. Andrew is vastly different from Calvin, allowing Gooding to show off his wide range of skills as he portrays the traditional tough-guy sports-focused character foil to Victor's far more emotionally open character. Gooding is also the son of Cuba Gooding Jr., which further explains his natural talent and flexibility when it comes to character choices.
Michelle Buteau (Captain Tarter)
As Captain “my-father-was-the-sauce” Tarter, Michelle Bateau follows her streak of modern-day comedic relief roles. The captain first appears to be totally out of the loop and incompetent, letting stowaway Walt slip through her fingers without so much as an inking of his scheme. Later on, after it’s revealed that she knew everything that was going on, thanks to Leon Kovi.
Bateau’s specific style of character acting is apparent not only in Moonshot but also in films like Always Be My Maybe. In her role as Veronica, Allie Wong's character's best friend, Bateau's brand of comedy physicality and lack of filter fills in for the audience's external commentary on Wong's denial of feelings.
Zach Braff (Leon Kovi)
It's not a space travel comedy without an eccentric billionaire disconnected from reality, and Moonshot fills that spot with Leon Kovi, played by Zach Braff. A little morally ambiguous, focused on developing his brand, and making money, Leon Kovi thinks he's the smartest guy in the room, and his ambition and ego feed on the comedic dressing down of Walt's intelligence and average-ness.
Braff is best known for his comedic chops, after starring as J.D. in Scrubs for nine seasons. His physical comedy highlighted the character's awkwardness and his multitude of facial expressions always reveals what the character's thinking. Braff’s skill is in bringing to life characters who have no self-awareness, in a humorous way.
Lana Condor (Sophie)
Moonshot's Sophie is focused on her life goals and is a keen planner. Her fear of flying keeps her physically grounded, but her plans are deeply rooted in her views on success and achievement.
Lana Condor's most famous role, as Lara Jean in To All the Boys I've Loved Before, offers similarities between Sophie and Lara Jean, as both characters are intelligent but end up in situations where they have fake boyfriends. Condor manages to keep the two feeling different by removing Lara Jean's sense of naïveté and giving Sophie a focus on duty and responsibility. She has a great balance between playing uptight and inflexible characters without letting them be unlikable.
Cole Sprouse (Walt)
Walt is Moonshot's everyman. He's a goofy, likable, underachiever with big dreams he can't quite seem to make work out for him. Cole Sprouse plays him in a way that's easy to relate to and just a smidge over the top in the best kind of farcical way.
Sprouse is no stranger to over the top. A former Disney Channel star, he's redefined his career with his role as Jughead in Riverdale. While Walt is certainly strange, his level of weirdness is nothing compared to Jughead's iconic "I'm a weirdo" persona. Sprouse shines in roles where his characters don't quite fit in alongside their peers, and Moonshot is no exception.