Searchlight's comedy-horror film The Menu boasts a star-studded cast of recognizable names, including a few award winners like Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes in starring roles. Directed by Mark Mylod from a screenplay by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy, The Menu follows a group of wealthy people who travel to an island to experience the exclusive menu of a celebrity chef but soon get more than they bargained for. Offering a bitter look at the state of fine dining, The Menu left its mark through its shocking use of violence and darkly comedic themes.
The Menu had its premiere at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival and was released in theaters on November 18th, 2022. Met with largely positive reviews from critics, The Menu was especially praised for the performances from its cast and its satirical execution. Though the storytelling was superb, and The Menu's ending was deliciously appropriate for its dark satire, it was still the cast of The Menu that was its strongest aspect.
Ralph Fiennes As Julian Slowik
Julian Slowik is a famous chef who caters his cuisine experiences to the wealthy, having bought a remote island to house his exclusive restaurant that foodies pay a lot of money to attend. Slowik is portrayed by Ralph Fiennes in the cast of The Menu, who is best known for his roles as Justin Quayle in The Constant Gardener, Monsieur Gustave H. in The Grand Budapest Hotel, and, most famously, Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter films. Fiennes also appeared as Gareth Mallory in Daniel Craig’s James Bond movies and earned Oscar nominations for his portrayal of Amon Goeth in Schindler's List and Count László Almásy in The English Patient.
Anya Taylor-Joy As Margot
Played in the cast of The Menu by Taylor-Joy, Margot attends the dinner experience as the foodie Tyler’s date, but her true identity intrigues Chef Slowik. Taylor-Joy is best known for her Golden Globe-winning role as Beth Harmon in the cast of The Queen’s Gambit, and she also played Gina in Peaky Blinders. Taylor-Joy has also landed major starring roles such as Princess Peach in The Super Mario Bros. Movie and the titular character in the 2020 adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma. Touching nearly every genre in her short but impressive career thus far, Taylor-Joy is also recognizable from her horror movie role Thomasin in The Witch.
Nicholas Hoult As Tyler
Nicholas Hoult plays Margot’s food-obsessed date, Tyler, who is a big fan of Chef Slowik that has dreamed of attending one of his restaurant experiences. Hoult is known for his early role as Marcus in About a Boy, but he also made a splash as Hank McCoy/Beast in X-Men: First Class. Though it was a supporting role, Hoult turned heads as Nux in Mad Max: Fury Road, and played the co-starring role of R in the horror rom-com Warm Bodies. Hoult was nominated for an Emmy for his turn as Peter III in Hulu's The Great, and he played the titular role in the horror comedy Renfield.
Hong Chau As Elsa
Elsa is Chef Slowik’s right-hand woman in the cast of The Menu who runs a tight ship in terms of the restaurant and keeping guests in check. Elsa is portrayed by Hong Chau, who is best known for her Oscar-nominated portrayal of Liz in the controversial Brendan Fraser film The Whale. Chau is also recognizable from her appearance as Lady Trieu in the HBO series Watchmen, and she co-starred as Ngoc Lan Tran in the Matt Damon vehicle Downsizing. Chau appeared as Polly in the Wes Anderson film Asteroid City, and she also had a notable role as Jackie on Big Little Lies.
The Menu Supporting Cast & Character Guide
Janet McTeer as Lillian Bloom - Lillian Bloom is a food critic who has reviewed Chef Slowik over the years. Janet McTeer is best known for her role as Edith Prior in the sci-fi film series Divergent, and she also gained attention for her role as Hubert Page in Albert Nobbs which scored her an Oscar nomination. She had previously earned the same distinction for playing Mary Jo in Tumbleweeds.
Judith Light as Anne - Anne is a guest at Chef Slowik’s island restaurant, and is someone who frequents the establishment along with her husband. Anne is played in The Menu's cast by Judith Light who is best known for her role as Angela Bower in the comedy series Who’s the Boss and as Claire Meade in Ugly Betty. Light also played Rosa Stevens in the cast of tick, tick… Boom!, and earned an Emmy nomination for her memorable role as Shelly Pfefferman in the Prime Video original series Transparent.
John Leguizamo as Movie Star - John Leguizamo portrays a washed-up movie star who is still coasting on his past fame, and who is a guest at Chef Slowik’s restaurant. Leguizamo is best known for playing Toulouse-Lautrec in Moulin Rouge!, and he also worked with director Baz Luhrmann when he played Tybalt in Romeo + Juliet. Leguizamo gained attention for his voice acting work as well, and is remembered fondly for playing Sid in the Ice Age franchise and as the dynamic character of Bruno in Disney's Encanto.
Reed Birney as Richard Liebbrandt - Richard Liebbrandt is Anne’s husband, whose marital issues are on display throughout The Menu. Reed Birney is best known for playing Richard in Mass, Donald Blythe in the Netflix series House of Cards, and Dr. Adamson in the DC superhero series Titans.
Paul Adelstein as Ted - Ted is Lillian's editor and her guest at Chef Slowik’s restaurant. Paul Adelstein is best known for his roles as Wrigley in the romantic comedy Intolerable Cruelty, and he also played notable TV roles such as Jason Crawford on Chicago P.D.
Aimee Carrero as Felicity - Felicity is the movie star’s personal assistant who is on the verge of quitting and attends the dinner as his guest. Though joining the cast of The Menu is one of Aimee Carrero's biggest roles, she is also recognizable for providing the voice of the titular character in the animated series Elena of Avalor. She also appeared as Ana Montes in the thriller series Blindspot.
Arturo Castro as Soren - Soren is a spoiled and wealthy tech bro who is a guest at Chef Slowik’s restaurant. Outside of starring in his own series, Alternatino with Arturo Castro, Arturo Castro is best known for his turn as one of Broad City's funniest supporting characters, Jaimé Castro. Castro also played Pablo Escobar in Weird: The Al Jankovic Story.
Mark St. Cyr as Dave - Dave is a friend of Soren and a fellow tech bro. Mark St. Cyr is best known for his role as Mr. Mazzara in the Disney+ series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
Rob Yang as Bryce - Bryce is Soren and Dave’s friend. Appearing in the cast of The Menu, Rob Yang is best known for the HBO series Succession where he played Lawrence Yee, and he also appeared in the major role of Steve Park in American Rust.
Rebecca Koon as Linda - Linda is Chef Slowik’s mother. Rebecca Koon starred as Lydia in the comedy film Let's Be Cops and she appeared as Dell in the thriller A Time to Kill. Koon also played the ongoing role of Nate's Mom in The Detour.
Peter Grosz as Sommelier - The Sommelier attends to the guests and ensures their wine pairs well with Chef Slowik’s meals in The Menu. Peter Grosz is best known for his role as Sydney Purcell in Veep and played the real-life figure of Earl Silbert in HBO's miniseries White House Plumbers.