Our Flag Means Death boasts a formidable cast of characters, with several great comedians making cameo appearances in the first three episodes. The historical pirate comedy is the brainchild of writer/producer David Jenkins, but it has gained considerable attention due to some of the creative people involved in its production. Chief among these are frequent collaborators Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi
Loosely based on real events, Our Flag Means Death centers around wealthy landowner Stede Bonnet. Bored with his life of leisure, Bonnet bought a ship and decided to become a pirate. His career on the high seas was short, yet he somehow managed to team up with the legendary Blackbeard, win a pardon for his crimes, seek redemption as a privateer and return to piracy over the course of 20 months before being hanged in December 1718.
It remains to be seen if Our Flag Means Death will give its version of Stede Bonnet the same ignominious end that he met in real life. Certainly, the show does take some liberties with the historical figures portrayed, but no more than the Pirates of the Caribbean movies' treatment of Blackbeard. However, the show is as hilarious as it is anachronistic and its crew of actors works together far better than Stede Bonnet's crew on the pirate ship Revenge.
Our Flag Means Death Main Characters
Rhys Darby as Stede Bonnet
A wealthy English gentleman with dreams of high adventure, Stede Bonnet abandoned his wife and children for the sea. Unfortunately, he proves as well-suited towards managing a pirate ship as a fish is to climbing mountains. Bonnet is played by New Zealander comedian Rhys Darby, who is best known as Murray Hewitt in Flight of the Conchords. He also previously worked with Taika Waititi on What We Do In The Shadows, where he played the werewolf Anton.
Taika Waititi as Blackbeard
The most fearsome pirate in the world, Blackbeard is everything that Stede Bonne is not. Blackbeard is played by Taika Waititit, who also directed the pilot episode of Our Flag Means Death. Beloved in nerd circles for his work on multiple properties as a writer, director and actor, Waititit's next big film release is Thor: Love and Thunder.
The Crew of the Revenge in Our Flag Means Death
Ewen Bremner as Buttons: Viewed as a stalwart companion and true friend by Stede Bonnet, Buttons is biding his time until the inevitable mutiny by contemplating which members of the crew should be eaten first in an emergency. Buttons is played by Scottish actor Ewen Bremner, who is perhaps best known for playing Spud Murphy in Trainspotting. He also played the role of the sniper Charlie, who was part of Diana's commando team in Wonder Woman.
Joel Fry as Frenchie: The bard of the Revenge's crew, Frenchie's lute might be a comfort if he wrote rousing sea shanties instead of disturbing songs about the inevitability of death. Frenchie is played by English actor/musician Joel Fry, who is best known for playing Hizdahr zo Loraq in Game of Thrones. More recently, he played Jasper in Cruella.
Samson Kayo as Oluwande: The one member of the Revenge crew who seems to honestly like Stede Bonnet, Oluwande serves as the unlikely voice of reason in dealing with both his effete captain and the more murderous crewmates. He is played by English writer/actor Samson Kayo, who may be best known for his recent performance alongside Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in Truth Seekers, playing ghost chaser Elton John. Kayo recently co-starred with Jane Horrocks in the paramedic comedy series Bloods, which he also co-created.
Nathan Foad as Lucius: The scribe of the Revenge's crew, it is Lucius' sad duty to chronicle the misadventures of Stede Bonnet. He earned his lofty post by being the only member of the pirate crew who could read or write. Lucius is played by Nathan Foad, who previously played the role of Spencer in Bloods.
Vico Ortiz as Jim/Bonifacia: An experienced pirate who is deadly with a knife, Bonifacia adopted the alias of Jim along with a fake beard and false nose to start a new life on the Revenge. As the series opens, only Oluwande is aware of her deception and the reason why Bonifacia went into hiding. Bonifacia is played by gender-fluid actor/activist Vico Ortiz, who first found fame playing Cindy in Transparent. More recently, they played the role of Tova in The Sex Lives of College Girls.
Matthew Maher as Black Pete: While Black Pete claims to have once been the right-hand man of Blackbeard, it seems unlikely he'd be serving on the Revenge if half his claims about his past were true. He'd be the first to lead a mutiny if it weren't for the fact that the rest of the crew find his boasting more annoying than Captain Bonnet's incompetence. Black Pete is played by Matthew Maher, who may be recognized by MCU fans as the Skrull scientist Norex from Captain Marvel.
Kristian Nairn as Wee John Feeney: The muscle of the Revenge's crew, Wee John is slowly coming to appreciate his new captain's way of doing things. If nothing else, he likes having his talent for sewing encouraged. Kristian Nairn will be instantly recognizable to Game of Thrones fans as the gentle giant Hodor.
Samba Schutte as Roach: Serving as the Revenge's cook, Roach has come to relish his new captain's requests for formal dinners and tapas. That being said, he'd still rather be torturing prisoners and other honest pirate activities. Roach is played by Dutch-Mauritanian writer/comedian Samba Schutte, who is best known for playing Hakim in the sitcom Sunnyside.
Our Flag Means Death Supporting Cast and Cameos
Leslie Jones as Spanish Jackie: A fearsome pirate queen with many husbands, Spanish Jackie is a figure of power in the Republic of Pirates. She is played by Saturday Night Live cast member Leslie Jones, who might also be remembered for her recent role as Mary Junson in Coming 2 America.
Rory Kinnear as Captain Nigel Badminton: A former schoolmate of Stede Bonnet, Nigel Badminton looks back on their youth much more fondly than Bonnet does. A Captain in the British Navy, Nigel has the misfortune to be the first victim of Stede Bonnet's brand of piracy. Captain Badminton is played by Rory Kinnear, who will be instantly recognizable to James Bond fans as Bill Tanner.
Con O'Neill as Izzy: A member of Blackbeard's crew, Izzy is tasked with tracking down the Revenge to satisfy his captain's curiosity regarding the so-called "gentleman pirate." Izzy is played by English actor Con O'Neill, who is most often recognized as Viktor Bryukhanov in Chernobyl. He can also be seen in The Batman playing Chief Mackenzie Bock.
Gary Farmer as Chief Mabo: Leader of a native tribe with a low tolerance for colonizers, Chief Mabo is quick to realize that Stede Bonnet is a greater danger to himself than he is to his people. He is played by veteran character actor Gary Farmer, who was born in Ohsweken, Ontario, into the Cayuga nation and Wolf Clan. He previously played Uncle Brownie in Taika Waititi's Reservation Dogs and Dan Twelvetrees in Resident Alien.
The first three episodes of Our Flag Means Death premiere on HBO Max on March 3, 2022.