Knives Out 3 cast - Full list of confirmed actors for Wake Up Dead Man
Benoit Blanc will soon be back on the case.
There are a few things that come as a guarantee with a new Knives Out film: an expertly scripted murder mystery that includes both jaw-dropping twists and a generous helping of humour; Daniel Craig chewing the scenery as Southern-accented detective Benoit Blanc; and, of course, an exceptional supporting cast stuffed with the best Hollywood acting talent.
For the third entry in the series, writer/director Rian Johnson has once again pulled out all the stops in securing some stellar names to play the various suspects in Blanc's latest case, with an eclectic list of actors given moments to shine.
The biggest role goes to Josh O'Connor, who follows on from Ana de Armas and Janelle Monae in playing the character who ends up serving as Blanc's closest confidant on the case. But there are plenty of other major stars involved too, including eight-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close, popular star of Sherlock and Fleabag Andrew Scott, and rising star Cailee Spaeny.
Ahead of the release, we chatted exclusively to some of the cast, who spoke of their joy at becoming part of the series, with Kerry Wahington explaining that Craig's lead turn is "one of the most iconic performances of our time."
Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of Knives Out 3, which is now showing in select cinemas ahead of its Netflix release on 12th December.
Knives Out 3 cast - who stars with Daniel Craig?
The confirmed cast is as follows:
- Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc
- Josh O'Connor as Rev Jud Duplenticy
- Glenn Close as Martha Delacroix
- Josh Brolin as Msgr Jefferson Wicks
- Mila Kunis as Geraldine Scott
- Jeremy Renner as Dr Nat Sharp
- Kerry Washington as Vera Draven, Esq
- Andrew Scott as Lee Ross
- Cailee Spaeny as Simone Vivane
- Daryl McCormack as Cy Draven
- Thomas Haden Church as Samson Holt
- Jeffrey Wright as Langstrom
- Annie Hamilton as Grace Wicks
- James Faulkner as Reverend Prentice Wicks
- Bridget Everett as Louise
- Noah Segan as Nikolai
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a baseball announcer (cameo)
Read on for more information about the actors and where you've seen them before.
Daniel Craig plays Benoit Blanc
Who is Benoit Blanc? Benoit Blanc is the eccentric world-famous, Southern-accented detective who drove Rian Johnson's two previous instalments in the franchise.
Fans will remember that the second film confirmed that Benoit was married to a character played by Hugh Grant. But speaking to W in 2023, Craig said he hopes his character will remain as mysterious as possible in future instalments.
"Even though we've now seen a bit of his home life, I do hope that Benoit remains something of a mystery," he said. "I like that he arrives from some glamorous place and then disappears to another glamorous place, only to reappear again. He has a dream life."
Where have I seen Daniel Craig before? The actor remains best known for his role as James Bond in five films. He has also appeared in films such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Golden Compass, Layer Cake, Enduring Love and Queer.
Josh O’Connor plays Rev Jud Duplenticy
Who is Rev Jud Duplenticy? A young priest and former pro boxer, Jud is sent to a smaller parish as punishment for an incident which saw him punching a deacon – and soon finds himself a murder suspect.
Where have I seen Josh O’Connor before? After previously starring in The Durrells, O'Connor rocketed to superstardom thanks to his role as the young Prince Charles in The Crown. He went on to star in films including Emma., starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Sky Original film Aisha and the romantic drama God’s Own Country.
More recently, O’Connor has starred in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, Alice Rohrwacher's La Chimera and Kelly Reichardt's The Mastermind, while he has lead roles in upcoming films from legendary directors Steven Spielberg and Joel Coen.
Glenn Close plays Martha Delacroix
Who is Martha Delacroix? A devout church lady who has been a parishioner since girlhood and is fiercely loyal to Monsignor Wicks.
Where have I seen Glenn Close before? Close made her feature-length debut back in 1982 with The World According to Gary, before going on to star as Sarah Cooper in The Big Chill (1983) and Iris Gaines in The Natural (1984). The actress is also known for her roles in Fatal Attraction (1987), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), 101 Dalmatians (1996), Albert Hobbs (2011), The Wife (2017) and Hillbilly Elegy (2020) among many others. She also shares the record for the most acting Oscar nods without a win – having been nominated on eight occasions.
Josh Brolin plays Msgr Jefferson Wicks
Who is Jefferson Wicks? The a charismatic and domineering priest who has built up a small but devoted band of congregants – but who soon winds up murdered.
Where have I seen Josh Brolin before? A Hollywood mainstay, Josh Brolin is best known for his roles in The Goonies, No Country For Old Men, Milk, True Grit, Vice, Everest, Sicario, and for his role as Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. More recently, he starred as Gurney Halleck in the Dune films, while his busy 2025 has also seen him star in Weapons and The Running Man.
Mila Kunis plays Geraldine Scott
Who is Geraldine Scott? The local police chief who is stumped by the murder and calls for Benoit Blanc's assistance.
Where have I seen Mila Kunis before? Kunis rose to fame through her role as Jackie Burkhart in That '70s Show and went on to appear in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Black Swan, Friends with Benefits, Ted, Oz the Great and Powerful, and Bad Moms. She has also voiced Meg Griffin on Family Guy since 1999. More recently, she led the cast of Luckiest Girl Alive on Netflix.
Jeremy Renner plays Dr Nat Sharp
Who is Nat Sharp? The recently divorced town doctor who is one of Wicks's congregants.
Where have I seen Jeremy Renner before? These days, Renner is perhaps best known for his role as Clint Barton/Hawkeye in the MCU, but he has a wealth of other film credits to his name including 28 Years Later, The Hurt Locker, The Town, The Bourne Legacy, the Mission: Impossible franchise, Amercian Hustle and Arrival. Meanwhile on the small screen, he also has the lead role in Paramount+ crime thriller series Mayor of Kingstown.
Kerry Washington plays Vera Draven, Esq
Who is Vera Draven? A tightly-wound lawyer who is another of Wicks's congregants.
Where have I seen Kerry Washington before? Washington is known for her roles in ABC drama Scandal and Hulu miniseries Little Fires Everywhere, as well as films including Ray, Mr and Mrs Smith, The Last King of Scotland Django Unchained and most recently The Six Triple Eight.
Andrew Scott plays Lee Ross
Who is Lee Ross? A best-selling author who has left behind a more glamorous life in Hollywood and is now another of Wicks's congregants.
Where have I seen Andrew Scott before? Scott is best known for his BAFTA-winning role as Moriarty in the BBC's Sherlock series, while Fleabag fans will also know him as the ‘Hot Priest’ and last year he had the title role in Netflix series Ripley.
The actor has also appeared in Pride, the war film 1917, All of Us Strangers and the recently released Blue Moon. Meanwhile, Scott’s casting marks an exciting James Bond reunion, as the actor previously starred alongside Craig in Spectre.
Cailee Spaeny plays Simone Vivane
Who is Simone Vivane? A disabled former concert cellist who is also one of Wicks's congregants.
Where have I seen Cailee Spaeny before? Spaeny previously appeared in the 2019 Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic, The Basis of Sex, as well as the TV shows Devs Mare of Easttown. Recently, she's had a string of major film roles including Civil War and Alien: Romulus, while her performance as Elvis Presley's ex-wife, Priscilla, in Sofia Coppola's 2023 biopic of the same name was especially acclaimed.
She will next appear in the second season of Netflix series Beef.
Daryl McCormack plays Cy Draven
Who is Cy Draven? Vera's adoptive son, Cy is an aspiring politician who also dabbles in online conspiracy theories.
Where have I seen Daryl McCormack before? After a small role in Peaky Blinders, McCormack has had a string of impressive credits, including a BAFTA-nominated turn in Good Luck to You, Leo Grande and a major part in Apple TV+ drama Bad Sisters. Other credits include Pixie, The Lesson, The Woman in the Wall and Twisters while he will next star in Netflix's upcoming adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
Thomas Haden Church plays Samson Holt
Who is Samson Holt? The church's groundskeeper, who is close with Martha.
Where have I seen Thomas Haden Church before? After early TV work on Wings and Ned and Stacey in the 90s, Church starred in a number of prominent films inckuding George of the Jungle, Sideways, Spider-Man 3 and Easy A. More recently, he's been seen on the small screen in Twisted Metal and Tires.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is now showing in UK cinemas and is coming to Netflix on 12th December. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
