Summary
- The main cast of The Magicians has gone on to have fulfilling acting careers after the show, with notable roles in other TV shows and movies.
- Some cast have expanded their careers into writing, directing, and producing, showcasing their talent beyond acting.
- The actors have formed connections and continued to collaborate with each other outside The Magicians, such as running a lifestyle company together.
In the years since the series finale, the main cast of the Fillory and Further books.
One of the elements that made The Magicians so special was its phenomenal ensemble cast. Each character was well-developed, possessing strengths that made them crucial to the story. Nobody could leave the show without it impacting The Magicians irreparably – a truth they explored with Penny, Quentin, and Alice. Since wrapping up the show, most of the cast have gone on to have fulfilling acting careers. However, a few have gone down different career paths.
11 Jason Ralph As Quentin Coldwater
His best-known role since is Mike Carr on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
In The Magicians, Jason Ralph played Quentin Coldwater, a depressed graduate student who is thrust into the "chosen one" role repeatedly. After Quentin was killed off in The Magicians season 4, Ralph went on to act as Yvonne's boyfriend in the thriller movie I'm Thinking of Ending Things. In 2022, he took on a role in the Amazon Prime series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – his first time performing alongside his wife, Rachel Brosnahan. Ralph's character, Mike Carr, was bumped up to a series regular for the final season, which ended in May 2023. He also runs the media and lifestyle company Looks Like a Great Time with Trevor Einhorn.
10 Stella Maeve As Julia Wicker
Her best-known role since is Katie McNeill on Mayans M.C.
Stella Maeve played Julia Wicker – Quentin's best friend who is obsessed with learning magic at any cost – throughout The Magicians. After The Magicians' season 5 ending, Maeve took on a guest role as The Bride in a single episode of the horror series Bite Size Halloween. From late 2020 to early 2022, Stella Maeve didn't take on any roles, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the birth of her first child. In her first role after the break, the actress played the lead role of Rosa in the short film Hummingbird. Since then, Maeve has been a series regular in the crime drama Mayans M.C.
9 Hale Appleman As Eliot Waugh
His best-known role since is Daniel Kanowicz in American Horror Story: NYC
During The Magicians’ five-year run, Hale Appleman played the fan-favorite character Eliot Waugh, a queer Brakebills student who goes on to become the High King of Fillory. Since the show wrapped up, Appleman has taken on two roles in big-name TV series. In 2021, the actor began playing the recurring character Lachlan in season 2 of the Apple TV+ show Truth Be Told. Appleman also played the recurring role of Daniel Kanowicz in the cast of American Horror Story: NYC, the 11th installation of the anthology horror show.
8 Olivia Taylor Dudley As Alice Quinn
Her best-known role since is Charity Hudson Down on Nancy Drew
Olivia Taylor Dudley is best known for playing Alice Quinn in The Magicians – a gifted magician who tries desperately to fit in. Since season 5 wrapped up, Dudley has consistently acted in both movies and TV series. In horror, the actress has played Erin in She Dies Tomorrow, Carrie Mitchell in Crawlspace, and Farrah in Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls. She also played the recurring role of Charity Hudson Dow in Nancy Drew season 3. On top of the traditional films, she has also performed in entries for 5-Second Films, a gig she started in 2009.
7 Summer Bishil As Margo Hanson
Her best-known role since is Rina in Four Samosas
In The Magicians, Summer Bishil played Margo, the fierce and strong character who always has a perfect one-liner. Since her time on this show, Bishil hasn’t taken on many roles. In 2022, she played Rina in the indie action movie Four Samosas, which features an entirely South Asian cast. She lent her voice to a single episode of the comedy true-crime podcast That’s Messed Up: An SVU Podcast. Bishil will appear as Sonia in the comedy TV series The Deli alongside The Magicians actors Trevor Einhorn and Rizwan Manji.
6 Jade Tailor As Kady Orlaff-Diaz
After The Magicians, Tailor wrote and directed two short films
Jade Tailor is best known for playing Kady Orlaff-Diaz – a magician who gets kicked out of Brakebills and starts leading hedge witches – in The Magicians. Since finishing up her role on the show, Tailor has continued acting while also adding writer and director to her job title. In front of the cameras, the actress acted as Angela in the thriller Sinfidelity and Kiva in the drama Juke Box Hero. She also wrote and directed two short films titled Within the Silence and The Shift, both of which were well received. The former was nominated for three awards at the Cannes World Film Festival, winning Best Fantasy Film.
5 Arjun Gupta As Penny Adiyodi
After The Magcians, he starred in the movie Deborah
Throughout The Magicians, Arjun Gupta plays Penny Adiyodi, a traveler magician who uses hostility and abrasiveness to protect himself. After finishing up his role as both Penny-40 and Penny-23, the actor moved on to a stage production. Gupta played Vikram, an ER doctor, in the New York City Public Theater play The Line, which shared the experiences of medical professionals responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, he played Frank in the dramedy movie Deborah and the lead role of Arun in the short film Inheritance.
4 Trevor Einhorn As Josh Hoberman
After The Magicians, he has focused attention on his and Jason Ralph's lifestyle company
Trevor Einhorn played Josh Hoberman in The Magicians – a student from the missing Third-year class of Brakebills students who s the main cast in season 3. Since the last season of this show wrapped up, Einhorn has seemingly focused on his lifestyle and media company Looks Like a Great Time, which he runs with his Magicians co-star Jason Ralph. The company put on a one-act play titled The Great Filter, which the pair starred in together at the NYC Black Box Theatre. Einhorn has two projects in post-production.
3 Brittany Curran As Fen
Since The Magicians, she has focused more on producing films
Starting in season 2 of The Magicians, Brittany Curran played Fen, a Fillorian knife maker's daughter who marries Eliot and helps run the kingdom. Since the series finale of The Magicians, Curran has acted in a few movies but primarily switched to producing. She played Tlachinolli in the animated short Aztec Warrior God, Emergence. She produced and acted in a short drama film called The Shift. Additionally, she produced Within the Silence, which was written and directed by her Magicians co-star Jade Tailor. Curran's biggest producing project was a PBS documentary called The Water of Life, which explores the renovation of scotch whiskey.
2 Charles Mesure As The Beast
His best-known roles since is Black Beard on Once Upon a Time
In The Magicians, Charles Mesure played The Beast, the primary antagonist of the first season. Though he only appeared in a total of 10 episodes, Mesure brought one of The Magicians' darkest moments to life. After his character's death in season 2, Mesure took on minor roles on other TV shows, as well as two larger movie roles. He acted as Black Beard in Once Upon a Time and Henry Ducard in Gotham Knights. Additionally, he starred in the movies Occuption and Below Deck Deceit.
