Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One marks a return of sorts for the beloved director, not least with one of the most impressive casts he's ever assembled. Here's a breakdown of the characters and who plays them.
Based on the book of the same name by Ernest Cline, the film is a special effects-driven adventure the likes of which we haven't seen in quite some time from the stalwart of blockbuster cinema. Filled to the brim with cameo appearances and references from across pop culture, Ready Player One may be Spielberg at his most joyful and exuberant as he guides us through the OASIS and all its wonders. But among all the Easter eggs of past and present is one of the best cast's the filmmaker has ever assembled – here's who's who in the eighties-tinged dystopia.
RELATED: How Ready Player One Got All Its Easter Eggs
Tye Sheridan is Wade Watts/Parzival
At 23, Tye Sheridan's already been around the block as an actor, starring in several projects alongside some of Hollywood's greatest, including Brad Pitt in 2011's Tree of Life, Matthew McConnaughey in 2012's Mud and Nicolas Cage in 2013's Joe. Before leading the charge in Ready Player One, his biggest role was as team-leader Cyclops in 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse, a role he's set to reprise in the upcoming X-Men: Dark Pheonix. He plays the classical Spielbergian hero in Ready Player One - Wade Watts aka Parzival - who is obsessed with 1980's pop culture and becomes central to the fight to save the OASIS.
Olivia Cooke is Samantha/Art3mis
Another with a steady filmography to her name at a relatively young age, Ready Player One is easily the biggest role in Olivia Cooke's career so far. Horror fans might recognize her from her roles in 2016's The Limehouse Golem or 2014's Ouija, while she also had a prominent spot in 2015 indie-darling Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Playing the rebellious Samantha and her VR alter-ego Art3mis is the first big action turn from the actress, a challenge she more than rises to.
Ben Mendelsohn is Nolan Sorrento
As CEO of the evil IOI industries, Mendelsohn's turn as Nolan Sorrento is more than a tad reminiscent of his recent work as Imperial Director Orson Krennic in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Acting since the '80s, Ben's starred in an array of films and television shows throughout his career. Along with Rogue One, he was recently in the Oscar-nominated Darkest Hour and Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises. He's back in the blockbuster sphere with Captain Marvel next year.
Mark Rylance is James Halliday/Anorak
The lonely co-creator of the OASIS and instigator of the great Easter egg hunt for control of the virtual land. Ready Player One marks the third collaboration on the trot between Rylance and director Steven Spielberg. Just before this came The BFG, in which Rylance played the title role, and before that was Bridge of Spies, the Cold War legal drama also featuring Tom Hanks. And in between those, Rylance could be seen in last year's Dunkirk from Christopher Nolan.
Related: The Star Wars Easter Eggs In Ready Player One
TJ Miller is i-R0k
I-R0k is a cynical, acerbic hitman who's built a small fortune selling his services on the OASIS. In other words, he's a match made in hell for TJ Miller's dry comedic style. Though he's covered in CGI here, many will recognize his voice as that of the Merc with a Mouth's best buddy Weasel in Deadpool. Miller just finished a four-year stint on HBO comedy Silicon Valley and some other recent roles include The Emoji Movie and Big Hero 6.
Other Notable Cast-Members
Simon Pegg is Ogden Morrow: Halliday's business partner, Ogden has concerns over Halliday's ideas for the OASIS and the way people invest in the virtual world. Pegg is a bonafide icon of pop culture himself, starring in Shaun of the Dead, the rebooted Star Trek trilogy and the last three Mission: Impossible movies to name but a few.
Lena Waithe is Ache: Wade's best friend in the OASIS and a firm ally in the fight against IOI is Ache. Waithe's biggest acting role before this was in Aziz Ansari's Netflix series Master of None, but otherwise she's worked as a producer, helping bring projects like Dear White People and Step Sisters to fruition.
Hannah Jon-Kamen is F'Nale Zandor: Head of IOI's real-world operations, Zandor stops at nothing to help the corporation achieve its goals. Ready Player One is the second of three big releases for Jon-Kamen this year – she's also in Tomb Raider, currently in theaters, and she plays Ghost, the central villain, in Marvel's Ant-Man and the Wasp, which comes out in July.
Next: Ready Player One: Halliday’s Easter Egg & Ending Explained
