The hotly anticipated adaptation of Neil Gaiman's popular comic book series The Sandman is poised to premiere on Netflix on August 5, 2022. Talented English actor Tom Sturridge leads a tremendous international ensemble as Morpheus, the king of dreams who after a century held in captivity, mounts a daring escape and begins rebuilding the surreal realm of the Dreaming.
To prepare ardent and casual fans alike for the Netflix release next month, it's time to get reacquainted with the top-tier crop of actors tasked with realizing the imaginative story as credibly as possible. From Game of Thrones, and more, the cast of The Sandman has a killer collective resume.
Tom Sturridge - Sweetbitter (2018-2019)
No stranger to such acclaimed English period dramas as Vanity Fair, Being Julia, Mary Shelley, and more, English actor Tom Sturridge vastly increased his visibility by taking on his first starring TV role on the Starz original series Sweetbitter in 2018. In his most substantial role to date, Sturridge played the role of Jake on the series for 14 episodes as the series male lead and main romantic interest.
Sweetbitter follows Tess (Ella Purnell), an idealistic 22-year-old who moves to New York and lands a job in a popular downtown restaurant, only to descend into an excessive lifestyle of drugs and alcohol, offering a rare glimpse behind the curtain of the service industry. Sturridge has been a terrific actor since the days of Pirate Radio (The Boat That Rocked) and should acquit himself just fine as Morpheus.
Gwendoline Christie - Game Of Thrones (2012-2019)
If fans don't recognize her role as Captain Phasma in loved-and-hated Game of Thrones character. A commanding screen presence, there's no wonder why the talented English actress has been cast to play Lucifer Morningstar in The Sandman, the ruler of Hell.
Currently ranked #13 on IMDb's Top 250 TV Shows of All Time, Game of Thrones follows a sprawling war among rival Houses in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and Essos as factions battle for ultimate supremacy. Christie excels as Brienne, a ruthless female warrior who aligns with House Stark. There's no doubt she'll be just as frightening as Lucifer.
Boyd Holbrook - Narcos (2015-2016)
American actor Boyd Holbrook depicts The Corinthian on The Sandman, a terrifying nightmare who fled the Dreaming. Many will recall seeing Holbrook in such movie roles as Quinn in Gone Girl, most will not be able to shake his performance as Steve Murphy in the first two seasons of the hit crime drama Narcos, which he also narrated.
Narcos tracks the tragic rise and triumphant fall of Colombian cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar (Pedro Pascal), with Holbrook playing his number one legal rival, the wily DEA operative Steve Murphy. After playing a moderate good guy for 20 episodes, it'll be fascinating to see how Holbrook interprets The Corinthian in The Sandman.
Jenna Coleman - Doctor Who (2012-2017)
Riffing on John Constantine, English actress Jenna Coleman plays Johanna Constantine in The Sandman, a detective investigating the occult nature of the Dreaming. Coleman recently starred in the title role of ITV's historical drama series Victoria, in which she portrayed Queen Victoria for three seasons and 25 episodes.
However, Victoria can hardly compete with the massive popularity of Clara Oswald in 40 of the best episodes, marking her biggest and longest role to date. As a companion to the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctors, Clara irably filled in for the absent alien adventurers and acquitted herself quite well. Hopefully, she'll do the same in The Sandman.
David Thewlis - Harry Potter Franchise (2004-2011)
Venerated English actor David Thewlis portrays John Dee in The Sandman, Ethel Cripps' son who sets out to uncover the truth about the Dreaming. While serious cinephiles know that Thewlis' best performance comes as Johnny in Mike Leigh's Naked, his most recognizable role to date is that of Harry Potter franchise.
Harry Potter traces the wizarding ways of the young magical sorcerer (Daniel Radcliffe) as he takes on the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) while protecting his friends Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint). Thewlis stood out as Lupin, the lycanthropic Hogwarts teacher and uncle who specialized in the Defense Against the Dark Arts. Arguably the finest actor in the cast, fans can expect big things from Thewlis in The Sandman.
Joely Richardson - Nip/Tuck (2003-2010)
English actress Joely Richardson plays Ethel Cripps in The Sandman, John's mother and Roderick's wife. Many will recall seeing Richardson as Catherine Parr on The Tudors or as Glinda on Ryan Murphy's TV show Nip/Tuck.
The popular medical drama concerns the odious exploits of plastic surgeons Sean McNamara and Christian Troy, with Joely playing the former's unhappy wife who ultimately divorces her husband and begins life anew. Joely earned two Golden Globe nominations for her performance on the show.
Mason Alexander Park - Cowboy Bebop (2021)
Non-binary American actor Mason Alexender Park plays Desire in The Sandman, the sibling of Death and Despair. The relative newcomer is fresh off their biggest role to date as Gren in the short-lived Netflix adaptation of the neo-noir space-western Cowboy Bepop.
The live-action remake of the mega-popular Sunrise anime follows Spike (John Cho) and Jet (Mustafa Shakir), a pair of intergalactic bounty hunters out to bring down the universe's most dangerous criminals. Park more than held their own as Gren, the skilled jazz musician who works in Ana's nightclub and serves as her trusted sidekick.
Kirby Howell-Baptiste - The Good Place (2018-2020)
English actress Kirby Howell-Baptiste portrays Desire's sister Death in The Sandman, doing so fresh off completing her 8-episode arc on the popular TV show The Good Place.
The Good Place concerns a bunch of recently deceased people who end up in a heaven-like afterlife, only to realize the place is not quite what it seems. Howell-Baptiste proves her comedic chops as Simone, an Australian neuroscientist who is sent to the experimental Good Place and believes she's hallucinating. From one form of death to another, The Sandman is the next good place for Howell-Baptiste to shine.
Razane Jammal - Paranormal (2020)
British-Lebanese actress Razane Jammal plays Lyta Hall in The Sandman, Hector's widow and Rose's close friend. Jammal lands the plum role after starring in the recent Egyptian horror series Paranormal on Netflix, a show that holds an 8.0 IMDb rating and 96% Rotten Tomatoes score. If fans don't recognize her from Paranormal, perhaps they should go back and discover the hidden horror gem.
Paranormal follows University of Cairo hematologist Refaat Ismail (Nick Shakoour) who skeptically investigates a series of supernatural phenomena. Jammal excels as Maggie, Refaat's old college buddy helping him solve the paranormal and attempt to save their most loved ones. As such, her casting in The Sandman makes perfect sense.
Charles Dance - Game Of Thrones (2011-2015)
The great Charles Dance depicts Roderick Burgess in The Sandman, the fraudulent occultist who causes all sorts of trouble in the Dreaming. With over 150 movie and TV credits dating back to 1974, Dance should be universally recognized for a multitude of projects, none bigger than his towering role as Tywin Lannister on HBO's landmark series Game of Thrones.
With recent stints on The Dropout, and The Widow as well, it's hard to imagine a role more memorable or significant than Tywin, the head of House Lannister who serves as the ruthless leader of Casterly Rock and wields more political influence than almost anyone in Westerosi history. Casting Dance in the role of Burgess is as inspired as one might expect from Neil Gaiman and company.