The Brutalist: Full list of cast explored

The Brutalist is a 2024 epic historical drama, released on November 8, 2024. Directed and produced by Brady Corbet, The Brutalist has quickly become a must-watch for fans of historical and dramatic cinema with its 8.1 IMDb rating.

This historical drama looks deeper into Hungarian-born Jewish architect László Tóth. László survives the Holocaust and immigrates to the US. The Brady Corbet-directed and produced film stars Adrien Brody as László, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Emma Laird, Isaach de Bankolé, and Alessandro Nivola.

László flees Budapest during World War II after being forced to leave his wife Erzsébet and niece Zsófia. Afterward, László struggles to rebuild his life and career in Philadelphia.

Before wealthy industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren notices his architectural talent, he fails many times. Harrison gives László an American Dream by hiring him to design a community center.

László struggles with personal and professional issues during the project. He becomes addicted to heroin after working with fellow addict Gordon.

The Brutalist comes with an impressive cast including Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn, Raffey Cassidy, Stacy Martin, Emma Laird, Isaach de Bankolé, and Alessandro Nivola.

Main cast list of The Brutalist explored

The Brutalist features a stellar ensemble cast that brings depth and authenticity to the film.

1) Adrien Brody stars as László Tóth

A still from the movie: Adrien Brody stars as László Tóth (Image via A24)

The story revolves around protagonist László Tóth's journey from Budapest to America. Famous American actor Adrien Nicholas Brody was born on April 14, 1973. At 29, he became the youngest Academy Award winner for Best Actor for his role as Władysław Szpilman in The Pianist (2002).

Brody won a César for the same performance. Some of his movies include King Kong, The Thin Red Line and so on. Often working with Wes Anderson, he appeared in Grand Budapest Hotel. Brody received Emmy nominations for Peaky Blinders and Succession.

2) Felicity Jones plays Erzsébet Tóth

Felicity Jones plays Erzsébet Tóth in The Brutalist (Image via A24)

Felicity Jones as László's wife Erzsébet Tóth helps him through his struggles. Famous English actress Felicity Rose Hadley Jones was born on October 17, 1983. She debuted in The Treasure Seekers (1996) and The Worst Witch (1998) as a child.

Jones received BAFTA and Oscar nominations for The Theory of Everything (2014). She played Jyn Erso in Rogue One (2016) and Ruth Bader Ginsburg in On the Basis of Sex (2018).

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3) Guy Pearce as Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr.

A still from The Brutalist: Guy Pearce as Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr. (Image via A24)

Guy Pearce plays Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr., a wealthy industrialist who admires László's architecture. Australian actor, Guy Edward Pearce was born on October 5, 1967. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), L.A. Confidential (1997), and Memento (2000) brought him global fame.

Mildred Pierce (2011) earned Pearce a Primetime Emmy, and she appeared in Prometheus (2012) and Iron Man 3 (2013). His talent shines in TV shows like Mare of Easttown.

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4) Joe Alwyn as Harry Lee

Joe Alwyn as Harry Lee in The Brutalist (Image via Instagram/@joe.alwyn)

Harry Lee, Harrison's son, is played by Joe Alwyn. He gets involved in both László's personal and professional life. Joseph Matthew Alwyn is a talented English actor who was born on February 21, 1991.

His first movie role was in Ang Lee's Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2016). Movies like The Favourite (2018), Mary Queen of Scots (2018), and Harriet (2019) got him a lot of praise.

In addition, Alwyn was in the Hulu shows Conversations with Friends (2022) and Catherine Called Birdy. He went to school at the University of Bristol and the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. At Cannes, he won the Trophée Chopard and was named to Time's 2022 Next list.

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5) Raffey Cassidy as Zsófia

A still from The Brutalist (Image via A24)

Raffey Cassidy plays László's niece Zsófia, who stands for his past and the purity he wants to keep safe. The British actress Raffey Camomile Cassidy was born on November 12, 2001, in Salford.

Her first job was as a child in the 2009 TV movie Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen. Her roles in Dark Shadows (2012) and 32 Brinkburn Street (2011) made her famous.

Cassidy played the lead role in Tomorrowland (2015) and had two roles in Brady Corbet's Vox Lux (2018). In 2019, she got the lead role in The Other Lamb.

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6) Stacy Martin as Maggie Lee

Stacy Martin as Maggie Lee in The Brutalist (Image via Instagram/@_stacymartin)

Stacy Martin is cast as Maggie Lee, adding another layer to the intricate relationships within the story. Born in Paris on March 20, 1990, Stacy is a gifted French actress. Notable for her performance as Young Joe in Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac (2013), she received nominations from the Robert and Bodil Awards.

Martin starred in The Childhood of a Leader (2015) and All the Money in the World (2017). Having studied Media and Cultural Studies, she trained in the Meisner technique and has shown her flexibility in both fashion and acting by modeling for companies like Miu Miu.

7) Isaach De Bankolé as Gordon

Isaach De Bankolé plays Gordon in The Brutalist (Image via Instagram/@alessandro.nivola)

Isaach De Bankolé plays Gordon, a fellow struggler whose collaboration with László leads to unforeseen challenges. De Bankolé is a famous Ivorian actor who was born on August 12, 1957, in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. He works in both France and the United States.

He won the César Award for Most Promising Actor in 1987 for Black Mic Mac, and Chocolat (1988) made him famous all over the world.

De Bankolé is well-known for his role as Steven Obanno in Casino Royale (2006) and Black Panther (2018) and its follow-up. He went to school in Paris and studied physics and theatre. In 2007, he was made a Knight of the French Legion of Honour.

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8) Alessandro Nivola as Attila

Alessandro Nivola plays Attila in The Brutalist (Image via Instagram/@alessandro.nivola)

Alessandro Nivola portrays Attila in the movie. The distinguished American actor Alessandro Antine Nivola was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 28, 1972. He won the Screen Actors Guild Award and British Independent Film Award and was nominated for the Tony and Independent Spirit Awards.

Nivola appeared in Face/Off, American Hustle, Selma, and The Many Saints of Newark. As a producer, he runs King Bee Productions, creating HBO’s Doll & Em and the acclaimed film To Dust. In 2024, he stars as The Rhino in Sony’s Kraven the Hunter.

Supporting characters

The supporting characters in The Brutalist include,

Ariane Labed as Older Zsófia
Michael Epp as Jim Simpson
Emma Laird as Audrey
Jonathan Hyde as Leslie Woodrow
Peter Polycarpou as Michael Hoffman
Maria Sand as Michelle Hoffman
Salvatore Sansone as Orazio
Zephan Hanson Amissah as Teenage William
Charlie Esoko as Young William
Orban Levante as Hungarian Refugee
Benett Vilmányi as Binyamin
Peter Deutsch as Habbi Zuniz
Abigél Szõke as Nun
Daniel Washington as HIAS Representative 1
András Borgula as HIAS Representative 2
Zsolt Páll as Border Officer
Anna Mészöly as Prostitute 1
Mariann Hermányi as Servant
Nick Wittman as Volunteer at Church
Robert Jackson as Townsperson 1
Peter Linka as Townsperson 2
Jeremy Wheeler as Party Guest
Stephen Saracco as Construction Supervisor
Jaymes Butler as Bar Manager
David Puskas as Hired Man
Laurent Winkler as Guest
Hermina Fátyol as Madame
Dóra Sztarenki as Woman Dancing with Laszlo
Natalie Shinnick as Receptionist

Crew details

The crew in The Brutalist include,

Director and Producer: Brady Corbet
Writers: Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
Co-Executive Producer: Yuchuan Cao
Executive Producers: Ron Curtis, Mark Gillespie, Jiarui Guo, Aaron Himmel, David Hinojosa, Joshua Horsfield, Pamela Koffler, Max Kondziolka, Scott Lake, Mark Lampert, Sarah Meyohas, Oleg Nodelman, Michael Orcutt, Jesse Ozeri, Kelly Peck, Thomas Pierce, Emily Richardson, Ronald Richardson, Klaudia Smieja, Carter Stanton, Kyle Stroud, Christine Vachon, Ruby Walden, Scott Weber
Producers: Saskia Gigi Duff, Nick Gordon, D.J. Gugenheim, Andrew Lauren, Trevor Matthews, Andrew Morrison, Brian Young
Music by: Daniel Blumberg
Cinematography by: Lol Crawley
Editing by: Dávid Jancsó
Casting By: Kristina Erdely, Cassandra Kulukundis
Production Design by: Judy Becker
Art Direction by: Csenge Jóvári, Alexander Linde, Virág Tyekvicska

The Brutalist is available now in theatres.

Edited by pshmueni