A lot of cinephiles (and even casual moviegoers) are looking forward to seeing Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness as it won the prestigious Palme d’Or in this year’s Cannes Film Festival. A satirical look at pervasive social prejudices and gender dynamics, Triangle of Sadness documents what happens when a luxury cruise carrying filthy rich personalities, influencers, service workers, and a Marxist captain crashes on a deserted island.
Apart from its intriguing plot, Triangle of Sadness also has a stellar cast of actors that includes icons Woody Harrelson and Dolly de Leon. The film has a lot of familiar faces as most of its cast have starred in noteworthy TV shows and films.
Harris Dickinson: The King’s Man (2021)
Available To Stream On Hulu
In Triangle of Sadness, English actor Harris Dickinson plays the model Carl who, along with his girlfriend Yaya, boards the yacht carrying the ultra-rich. While he's had some notable performances in the previous decade, particularly his portrayal of Frankie in Beach Rats, Dickinson has also appeared in the spy film The King's Man.
In Matthew Vaughn's spy film, Dickinson was given the role of Conrad Oxford, the son of the spy network leader Orlando Oxford. As Conrad, Dickinson showed that he can play an action hero while taking on several action sequences. Dickinson's performance in The King's Man proves that he can take on physically challenging roles, which is important since a huge part of Triangle of Sadness sees the characters try to survive in a remote island.
Charlbi Dean: Black Lightning (2018)
Available To Stream On Netflix.
Just like her character in Triangle of Sadness, Charlbi Dean is also a model. While the South African actor has starred in several memorable films from her home country, she's also quite known for her recurring role in the CW show Black Lightning.
Dean filled in the shoes of the assassin Syonide in Black Lightning. Despite not being included in the main roster of characters, Syonide has a rich backstory where she was taken by the villainous Tobias Whale under his wing. Syonide is a loyal character who has a tendency to be brash and merciless. While her Triangle of Sadness character can be intially perceived as a helpless model, Dean's performance as Syonide shows that she's capable of bringing strong personalities to life.
Dolly De Leon: Folklore (2021)
Available To Stream On HBO Max.
Hailing from the Philippines, Dolly de Leon is a stage, television, and film actor who has starred in numerous projects in her home country. She usually plays supporting roles in Filipino projects but is also known for collaborating with celebrated Filipino auteur Lav Diaz in his films The Halt and History of Ha.
Viewers all over the world can witness de Leon’s acting prowess by watching the HBO horror anthology show, Folklore, where she plays a police officer whose son suddenly falls critically ill. With her decades of acting experience and her performance of a desperate mother wanting for her son to be better in Folklore, there's no wonder that the veteran actor’s scene-stealing performance in Triangle of Sadness has received high praise.
Zlatko Burić: 2012 (2009)
Available To Stream On Sling TV.
Zlatko Burić is a Danish actor who has appeared in a number of successful projects, mostly by the acclaimed director Nicolas Winding Refn. However, most might recognize his face as the pompous billionaire in the disaster film 2012.
In 2012, Burić played the Russian boxer-turned-billionaire Yuri Karpov who, along with the rest of the people on earth, is trying to get into an ark designed to survive the impending apocalypse. However, Yuri falls to his death as he hurriedly tries to push his sons to get inside the ark. His role in 2012 has some similarities with his role in Triangle of Sadness, as he also plays a Russian oligarch in Östlund's film, showing that he can play rich, self-important jerks with ease.
Woody Harrelson: True Detective (2014)
Available To Stream On HBO Max.
There’s no doubt that Woody Harrelson is a Hollywood icon through and through. Harrelson’s career took off when he joined the cast of the Cheers, which is considered one of the best ‘90s sitcoms alongside Seinfeld and Friends.
But viewers might best remember the Academy Award-nominated actor for his character Marty Hart in the HBO television show True Detective, which also starred another Hollywood darling, Matthew McConaughey. Marty is a very polarizing character, who is noted for his infidelity and commitment to his work. With his superior acting chops, Harrelson can easily take on various characters, including playing the Marxist yacht captain in Triangle of Sadness.
Iris Berben: Eddie The Eagle (2016)
Available To Rent On Apple TV
German actor Iris Burben has been working since 1969. She’s most known for her attaining leading roles in German television shows, such as the comedy show Sketchup and sitcom Zwei himmlische Töchter.
Outside of Germany, Berben has also snagged a role in the 2016 feel-good movie Eddie the Eagle, where she played the café owner Petra and acted alongside Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman. Berben's character in Eddie the Eagle is kind-hearted as she's the first person who believed in Eddie and gave him a place to stay. In Triangle of Sadness, it's interesting to see Berben play a different character as a German guest who is stuck saying the same thing over and over again.
Amanda Walker: 28 Weeks Later (2007)
Available To Stream On HBO Max
Thanks to her decades of experience in acting as well as her training at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama, English actor Amanda Walker has been seen in a handful of notable movies (which includes the Wachowskis’ 2012 epic Cloud Atlas).
However, viewers might be more familiar with Walker due to the zombie horror film 28 Weeks Later, where she played a member of the house group. With her dramatic and thrilling performance in 28 Weeks Later, It will be exciting to see Walker’s performance in Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness, especially since she’s been a part of a handful of international feature films and a myriad of English television shows.
Oliver Ford Davies: Game Of Thrones (2011)
Available To Stream On HBO Max.
It seems that Östlund made sure to cast a few iconic industry veterans in his satirical Palme d’Or winning film. Joining the crew is Oliver Ford Davies, who viewers might know from the Star Wars prequel films as the outspoken Governor of Naboo, Sio Bibble.
But more recently, Davies has also brought to life a very interesting character in the HBO show Game of Thrones. Fans of the show know him as the loyal Baratheon servant Maester Cressen. Despite appearing in Game of Thrones in only one episode, Davies' role was memorable as it established the grip the witch Melisandre had over Stannis Baratheon. With his performance in Game of Thrones, Davies will surely give a captivating performance as a billionaire who made money by making weapons in Triangle of Sadness.
Jean-Christophe Folly: Irma Vep (2022)
Available To Stream On HBO Max.
Despite not having a Wikipedia page, actor Jean-Christophe Folly has been a part of many international productions, appearing in films produced in Spain, France, and Italy. Folly is also a part of the French TV show OVNI(s), which is a comedy about a space engineer named Didere Matheure.
Folly has also played a small role as a drama teacher in the HBO miniseries Irma Vep, which is based on Oliver Assayas’ 1996 film of the same name. In Irma Vep, he acted alongside other celebrated actors such as Alicia Vikander and Vincent Macaigne. While his role in Irma Vep wasn't as notable as his role in other international projects, it's thrilling to see him play one of the working-class characters who find themselves on an equal footing with the models and billionaires in Triangle of Sadness.
Sunnyi Melles: The Awakening Of Motti Wolkenbruch (2018)
Available To Stream On Netflix.
Östlund has also cast some actors from his home country Sweden in Triangle of Sadness. This includes the veteran actress Sunnyi Melles, who has attained a lot of fame in Germany and Austria.
Thanks to streaming websites, some of the films and TV shows that Melles has been a part of can be seen by audiences around the globe. This includes the comedy film The Awakening of Motti Wolkenbruch which is available to watch on Netflix, where Melles played the insurance client-slash-fortune teller Frau Silberzweig in The Awakening of Motti Wolkenbrunch. This shows that Melles has the skill to easily play quirky characters on screen, which should also be expected in Triangle of Sadness, since she plays the wife of a Russian oligarch in the film.