Asteroid City cast: Meet the stars of Wes Anderson's new movie
The star-studded ensemble cast features both Anderson regulars like Jason Schwartzman and Tilda Swinton and new collaborators such as Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson.
Wes Anderson has been able to count on extremely impressive casts for a couple of decades now, but the ensemble for his latest film Asteroid City is star-studded even by his lofty standards.
The film – which recently premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to some very positive reviews – is set in a US desert town in the 1950s and tells the story of a Junior Stargazer convention that is disrupted by unusual events.
In addition to a roster of Anderson regulars such as Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody, and Edward Norton, the cast also include a number of A-listers collaborating with the acclaimed auteur for the first time – among them Margot Robbie, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, and Steve Carrell.
Meanwhile, there are also roles for Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston, Stranger Things star Maya Hawke and recent Oscar nominee Hong Chau among many many more.
Ahead of the film's UK release next month, read on for everything you need to know about the cast – including who they're playing and where you might have seen them before.
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Jason Schwartzman plays Augie Steenbeck
Who is Augue? A war photographer and father to Woodrow.
What else has Jason Schwartzman been in? Schwartzman is a frequent Wes Anderson collaborator having made his film debut in Rushmore back in 1998 and also appeared in The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs, The French Dispatch. Other key roles include I Heart Huckabees, Marie Antoinette and the fourth season of Fargo.
Jake Ryan plays Woodrow Steenbeck
Who is Woodrow? Augie’s son and Stanley’s grandson, and a Junior Stargazer winner
What else has Jake Ryan been in? Ryan has previously had roles in the Wes Anderson film's Moonrise Kingdom and Isle of Dogs, while he also starred in Eighth Grade.
Scarlett Johansson plays Midge Campbell
Who is Midge? An actress and mother to Dinah
What else has Scarlett Johansson been in? One of the biggest movie stars in the world, Johansson's major film credits include Ghost World, Lost in Translation, Match Point, The Prestige, Her, Under the Skin, Ghost in the Shell, Marriage Story, and Jojo Rabbit – the latter two of which both earned her Oscar nods. She also played Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in multiple MCU films between 2010 and 2021, while her only previous Wes Anderson credit was a voice role in Isle of Dogs.
Grace Edwards plays Dinah Campbell
Who is Dinah? Midge’s daughter, and a Junior Stargazer winner.
What else has Dinah Campbell been in? Campbell has previously appeared in the film Call Jane and one episode of the anthology drama Modern Love.
Tom Hanks plays Stanley Zak
Who is Stanley? Augie’s father-in-law
What else has Tom Hanks been in? Another huge name, Hanks has starred in a huge number of prominent film roles throughout his career – including famously winning two consecutive Best Actor Oscars for Philadelphia and Forrest Gump. Other highlights on his impressive CV include Splash, Big, The Burbs, Sleepless in Seattle, Apollo 13, That Thing You Do, You've Got Mail, Saving Private Ryan, The Green Mile Cast Away, Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal, Captain Phillips, Saving Mr Banks, Bridge of Spies, The Post, A Beutiful Day in the Neighbourhood and Elvis. He also voiced Woody in all four Toy Story films.
Tilda Swinton plays Dr. Hickenlooper
Who is Dr Hickenlooper? A scientist at a local observatory.
What else has Tilda Swinton been in? This is Swinton's fourth Anderson picture after roles in Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The French Dispatch. She is also an Oscar winner for her supporting turn in Michael Clayton while other key roles include Caravaggio, Orlando, Vanilla Sky, Adaptation, Julia, We Need to Talk About Kevin, Snowpiercer, A Bigger Splash, Doctor Strange, Suspiria, The Souvenir, Memoria, and Three Thousand Years of Longing.
Jeffrey Wright plays General Grif Gibson
Who is General Grif? The host of the Junior Stargazer awards.
What else has Jeffrey Wright been in? On the big screen, Wright is probably best known for his roles as Felix Leiter in the Daniel Craig James Bond films, as Beetee Latier in The Hunger Games films, and as Commissioner James Gordon as The Batman while he's had major TV roles in Angels in America, Boardwalk Empire and Westworld. He previously appeared in a key role in Anderson's last film The French Dispatch.
Edward Norton plays Conrad Earp
Who is Conrad? A legendary playwright.
What else has Edward Norton been in? Norton achieved huge success in the '90s with roles in films such as Primal Fear, American History X, and Fight Club while other key big screen credits include 25th Hour, Kingdom of Heaven, The Incredible Hulk, The Bourne Legacy, Birdman, Motherless Brooklyn, and Glass Onion. His previous collaborations with Anderson include Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Isle of Dogs.
Adrien Brody plays Schubert Green
Who is Scubert? A director.
What else has Adrien Brody been in? Brody is the youngest man ever to win a Best Actor Oscar for his lead role in The Pianist, while other major film credits include The Thin Red Line, The Village, King Kong, Predators, Midnight in Paris, Blonde, and See How They Run. He is another Anderson regular having appeared in The Darjeeling Limited, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The French Dispatch, while he starred as villain Luca Changretta in the fourth season of Peaky Blinders.
Willem Dafoe plays Saltzburg Keitel
Who is Saltzburg Keitel? An acting teacher.
What else has Willem Dafoe been in? A major name in Hollywood for several decades, Dafoe has had memorable roles in a wealth of films such as To Live and Die in LA, The Last Temptation of Christ, Mississippi Burning, Wild at Heart, The English Patient, American Psycho, Antichrist, John Wick, The Florida Project, The Lighthouse, Nightmare Alley, and The Northman, while he famously played supervillain Norman Osborn / Green Goblin in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. He has also starred in Anderson's films The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The French Dispatch.
Hong Chau plays Polly
Who is Polly? Schubert Green's wife
What else has Hohn Chau been in? Hong Chau had a big year in 2022 – Oscar-nominated for her supporting turn in The Whale and also playing a key role in The Menu. Other key credits include the films Inherent Vice and Downsizing and the series Big Little Lies, Homecoming, Watchmen and The Night Agent.
Rupert Friend plaus Montana
Who is Montana? A singing cowboy interested in June.
What else has Rupert Friend been in? Friend's past credits include The Libertine, Pride & Prejudice, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, The Young Victoria, The Death of Stalin, and At Eternity's Gate, while TV credits include Homeland, Anatomy of a Scandal and Obi-Wan Kenobi. He made his Wes Anderson debut with a cameo in The French Dispatch.
Maya Hawke plays June Douglas
Who is June? A teacher who is interested in Montana.
What else has Maya Hawke been in? The daughter of actors Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, Hawke is best known for her role as Robin in Stranger Things, while film credits include Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Mainstream, and Do Revenge.
Bryan Cranston
Who does Bryan Cranston play? The host of an anthology television show.
What else has Bryan Cranston been in? Best known for his iconic TV roles as Walter White in Breaking Bad and Hal in Malcolm in the Middle, Cranston's film credits include Saving Private Ryan, Little Miss Sunshine, Drive, Argo, Trumbo, The Infiltrator, and Power Rangers. His only previous appearance in an Anderson film was a leading voice role in Isle of Dogs.
Liev Schreiber
Who does Liev Schreiber play? The father of a Junior Stargazer awardee.
What else has Liev Schreiber been in? Schreiber also had a key voice role in Isle of Dogs, while he also appeared in The French Dispatch. Highlights from his screen career include playing Cotton Weary in the Scream films, roles in The Hurricane, The Manchurian Candidate, and Spotlight, and the leading role in the TV series Ray Donovan.
Hope Davis
Who does Hope Davis play? The mother of a Junior Stargazer awardee.
What else has Hope Davis been in? Davis' key film credits include Flatliners, The Daytrippers,About Schmidt, Infamous and Synecdoche New York, while she played Maria Stark in Captain America: Civil War. TV roles include In Treatment, Mildred Pierce, The Newsroom and Succession.
Stephen Park
Who does Stephen Park play? The father of a Junior Stargazer awardee.
What else has Stephen Park been in? Park has had memorable roles in films such as Do the Right Thing, Falling Down and Fargo and made his first Wes Anderson appearance in The French Dispatch. He is also known for being a cast member of the sketch comedy series In Living Color.
Steve Carell
Who does Steve Carell play? A motel manager.
What else has Steve Carell been in? Carell is best known for playing Michael Scott in the US version of The Office and for major roles in a number of comedy films such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Evan Almighty, Get Smart, Date Night, and, Crazy, Stupid, Love, More dramatic roles include parts in Little Miss Sunshine, Foxcatcher, The Big Short, and The Battle of the Sexes while recently he's also had major roles in the TV shows Space Force and The Morning Show.
Matt Dillon
Who dies Matt Dillon play? A mechanic.
What else has Matt Dillon been in? Dillon broke through as a teenager in the 1980s and has gone on to star in a wealth of films including Rumble Fish, The Outsiders, To Die For, There's Something About Mary, Crash, You, Me and Dupree, and The House that Jack Built. He also has a main role in the new Apple TV+ drama High Desert.
Margot Robbie
Who does Margot Robbie play? A television actress.
What else has Margot Robbie been in? After first finding fame playing Donna Freedman in Neighbours, Robbie has become one of the biggest stars in the world – with key roles including The Wolf of Wall Street, I Tonya, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Bombshell, and Babylon. She's also played Harley Quinn in multiple DCU films and will play the titular role in the highly anticipated Barbie film.
The film also includes undisclosed roles for: Jeff Goldblum, Sophia Lillis, Fisher Stevens, Ethan Josh Lee, Aristou Meehan. Rita Wilson, Jarvis Cocker and Bob Balaban.
Asteroid City is released in UK cinemas on Friday 23rd June 2023. Visit our Film hub for the latest news and features, or find something to watch tonight with our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
