Meet the cast of Westworld
From Anthony Hopkins to Thandie Newton, Sky Atlantic's ambitious new drama is crammed full of familiar faces
HBO and Sky Atlantic’s new drama Westworld, a re-imagining of the classic 70s movie, is set to be both gripping and unsettling in equal parts.
Set in a 'theme park' based on the Wild West, hyper-realistic androids help rich clients – or “Newcomers” – live out their fantasies in a risk-free environment with no consequences. That is, until the android “Hosts” start behaving erratically…
Here’s everything you need to know about the key characters, and who plays them, ahead of the series debut tonight at 9pm on Sky Atlantic.
Sir Anthony Hopkins – Dr Robert Ford
Who does he play?
The creative director of Westworld, Dr Robert Ford is seemingly cut from the same cloth as Jurassic Park boss John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) – perhaps not a coincidence, as both the dinosaur movie and the original 1973 Westworld film were written by Michael Crichton. Like Hammond messing with ancient genetics, Dr Ford has started to re-program his androids to dream and access old memories.
Where have I seen him?
Better known for his big-screen roles, the 78-year-old acting heavyweight memorably starred as cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter in the movie The Silence of the Lambs.
Evan Rachel Wood – Dolores Abernathy
Who does she play?
Dolores is a belle of the American West who discovers that her entire life is not everything it seems.
Where have I seen her?
Having started acting at a young age, Wood starred alongside Kevin Bacon in Digging to China (1998). More recently she has attracted attention for roles in Woody Allen’s Whatever Works and as vampire queen Sophie-Anne Leclerq in True Blood.
Ed Harris – the Man in Black
Who does he play?
The gunslinger’s identity and motivations are shrouded in mystery, but the Man in Black – playing a similar character to Yul Brynner’s mysterious Host in the original movie - is a visitor to Westworld who may or may not be human.
Where have I seen him?
This will be familiar territory for Harris after his role in The Truman Show, where he played the creator of a simulated TV program whose subject begins to realize he is living a lie. The four-time Oscar nominee has also starred in movies including Pollock, Apollo 13 and The Hours.
Jeffrey Wright – Bernard Lowe
Who does he play?
Bernard is head of the Westworld Programming Division and creates artificial people.
Where have I seen him?
Wright starred in The Hunger Games movies as tribute Beetee Latier. He has also played Balentin Narcisse in TV series Boardwalk Empire, and CIA agent Felix Leiter in James Bond movies Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.
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