Meet the cast of Boy Swallows Universe
The new Australian series is led by child actor Felix Cameron.
Journalist Trent Dalton’s debut novel Boy Swallows Universe took the world by storm when it was first released back in 2018.
Now, the book has been adapted into a seven-part Netflix series, which follows 12-year-old Eli Bell (Felix Cameron), a precocious child growing up in the outer suburbs of Brisbane who's desperate to make the best of his life against all odds: his mother is a recovering addict, his stepfather a drug dealer and his brother a teenager with selective mutism.
The novel, and by correlation the TV series, is inspired by a true story and based on Dalton's own childhood, though almost all of the characters have been fictionalised, except for Eli’s mentor Arthur 'Slim' Halliday (Bryan Brown), who is closely based on Dalton's real life babysitter.
Alongside Cameron and Brown, the series also boasts other familiar acting talents such as Phoebe Tonkin (The Vampire Diaries) and Sophie Wilde (Everything Now).
But who else stars in the Netflix series and who do they play? Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of Boy Swallows Universe.
Who's in the cast of Boy Swallows Universe on Netflix?
The new series is led by the stellar Felix Cameron as the young Eli, who we follow throughout the eight episodes on his particularly tricky life journey of family trauma, school and more.
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The rest of the cast of Boy Swallows Universe is as follows, but scroll on to find out more about the characters and where you may have seen the actors before.
- Felix Cameron as Eli Bell
- Lee Tiger Halley as Gus Bell
- Phoebe Tonkin as Frances Bell
- Travis Fimmel as Lyle Orlik
- Simon Baker as Robert
- Bryan Brown as Slim
- Sophie Wilde as Caitlyn Spies
- Anthony LaPaglia as Tytus Broz
- Deborah Mailman as Poppy Birkbeck
- Christopher James Baker as Ivan Kroll
- Zac Burgess as (older) Eli Bell
- Ben O'Toole as Teddy
- Millie Donaldson as (older) Shelley Huffman
- Eloise Rothfield as (younger) Shelley Huffman
- Zachary Wan as Darren Dang
- HaiHa Le as Bich Dang
- Adam Briggs as Alex Bermuda, Eli’s pen pal
- Toby Schmitz as Tim Cotton, a Queensland detective
- Jordy Campbell as Bobby Linyette, a bully
- Auden Ryan as (younger) Eli
- Jake Cockburn as (younger) Gus
Felix Cameron plays Eli Bell
Who is Eli Bell? Eli is a 12-year-old boy growing up in Brisbane in the '80s but he is increasingly forced to face the problems of adulthood way before his time. We follow him as, in spite of all that is going on, he dreams big and remains optimistic about the future.
What else has Felix Cameron been in? The young Australian actor has appeared in Penguin Bloom, with Boy Swallows Universe marking his major leading role in a TV series.
Lee Tiger Halley plays Gus Bell
Who is Gus Bell? Gus is Eli's older brother and hasn't said a word since he was seven years old. While the family don't think there's anything especially 'wrong' with Gus, they do know he's very intelligent and has been known to tell the future.
What else has Lee Tiger Halley been in? Halley has starred in The Heights as Big Mike and Crazy Fun Park as Gonzo.
Phoebe Tonkin plays Frances Bell
Who is Frances Bell? Frances is Eli and Gus's mother who tries to do the best for her sons but struggles in her recovery from drug addiction.
What else has Phoebe Tonkin been in? You'll likely recognise Tonkin for her previous breakout role in H2O: Just Add Water, as well as The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off series The Originals. Tonkin has also starred in Westworld and Babylon.
Travis Fimmel plays Lyle Orlik
Who is Lyle Orlik? Lyle is Frances's boyfriend and is step-father to the boys, juggling jobs but also dealing drugs to bring in more money to the household.
What else has Travis Fimmel been in? Fimmel is known for various roles in TV series such as his breakout role in Vikings, Raised By Wolves and most recently leading the cast of detective drama Black Snow.
Simon Baker plays Robert
Who is Robert? Robert is Eli and Gus's father who is an alcoholic and someone who loves his sons a lot but is generally absent from their lives and flawed. He is, according to Baker, someone who is based heavily on author Trent Dalton's own father.
What else has Simon Baker been in? Most people will recognise Baker for his starring role in The Mentalist as Patrick Jane, but the actor has also starred in The Guardian, Home and Away and films like The Devil Wears Prada and Breath.
Bryan Brown plays Slim
Who is Slim? Slim is referred to by Eli as his babysitter but is someone that Lyle met in prison when Slim was serving time for murder. Now, he's a no-nonsense force in the boy's lives and looks after them when their parents are busy.
What else has Bryan Brown been in? Throughout his career, Brown has starred in over 100 films and TV shows, but many will recognise him from starring roles in Blood Money, Kim, F/X and most recently, Anyone But You.
Sophie Wilde plays Caitlyn Spies
Who is Caitlyn Spies? Caitlyn is a journalist who works at Courier Mail, in a job position that Eli dreams of for himself one day.
What else has Sophie Wilde been in? Wilde has most recently been seen on our screens in Talk To Me and Everything Now but has also starred in Tom Jones, You Don't Know Me and Eden.
Boy Swallows Universe is available to stream on Netflix. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
