There are two things you need to know about Black Mirror: A) it’s an anthology sci-fi extravaganza, a show consisting of stand-alone Twilight Zone-style fables from the mind of Charlie Brooker, and B) the highly anticipated season four is now available to watch NOW on Netflix.

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Click the episode titles to find out everything you need to know about the cast and characters. Expect some (very very light) spoilers ahead….

USS Callister

Join Captain Daly and his trusty crew as they explore the galaxy and the dangers of unknown alien planets.

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Jesse Plemons plays Captain Daly

Daly is the head of the titular ship, a Kirk-style captain beloved by his crew – but not for obvious reasons.

Who is Jesse Plemons?

More like this

Todd from Breaking Bad (who you probably know as Meth Damon due to his likeliness to actor Matt Damon). Plemons has also starred in The Master, Battleship, Black Mass, and US comedy Friday Night Lights.


Cristin Milioti plays Lieutenant Cole

The latest (extremely reluctant) recruit on the USS Callister.

Who is Cristin Milioti?

Milioti is best known as Tracy McConnell, the mother from How I Met Your Mother, but the actor has also had roles in Fargo, The Mindy Project and comedy A to Z. She also played Jordan Belfort’s first wife, Teresa Petrillo, in The Wolf of Wall Street.


Jimmi Simpson plays James Walton

Walton is another member of the Callister crew, one that has a special relationship to Captain Daly.

Who is Jimmi Simpson?

Yes, Westworld fans, Simpson did play William in HBO’s sci-fi/western series. He also played Gavin Orsay in House of Cards, Liam McPoyle in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Jack Spaniel in The Newsroom.


Michaela Coel as Lowry

Lowry is the communication officer aboard the USS Callister

Who is Michaela Coel?

As star and creator of comedy Chewing Gum, Coel is a Bafta-winning actor. She’s also one of the few stars to star twice in Black Mirror: Coel played an Airport Stewardess in season three’s Nosedive.


Billy Magnussen plays Valdak

There’s no other way of saying it: he's the Khan to Captain Daly’s Kirk.

Who is Billy Magnussen?

The US actor has starred in the likes of Bridge of Spies, The Big Short and Into the Woods. Magnussen is also set to play Prince Anders in Disney’s live-action Aladdin remake.


Milanka Brooks plays Elena Tulaska

Elena is the blue-coloured member of the USS Callister.

Who is Milanka Brooks?

The British actor is best known for starring as Ionela in ITV sitcom Benidorm.


Osy Ikhile plays Nate Packer

A pilot aboard the Callister.

Who is Osy Ikhile?

If you do recognise Ikhile, it’ll be from his role in In the Heart of the Sea (as Richard Peterson) or The Legend of Tarzan (as Kwete).


[SPOILER WARNING]

Aaron Paul is the Gamer Voice at the episode’s end

Who is Aaron Paul?

Like his Callister co-star Jesse Plemons, Aaron Paul starred in Breaking Bad (as lead Jesse Pinkman – the one who LOVES saying “b****”). He’s also starred in Need for Speed, The Path and lent his voice to Netflix’s BoJack Horseman.

ArkAngel

The key to good parenting is control.

Rosemarie Dewitt plays Marie

She’s the mother who decides to install Arkangel software onto her daughter Sara (below).

Who is Rosemarie Dewitt?

Over the past 20 years, Dewitt has starred in a long list of films and TV shows, most notable of which Mad Med (where she played art illustrator Midge Daniels) and La La Land (Laura – the sister of Ryan Gosling’s character).


Brenna Harding plays adult Sara

Sara is the daughter of the episode, the character who grows up with the Arkangel parental surveillance.

Who is Brenna Harding?

Although a new face to most British audiences, Harding has enjoyed roles in Australian shows such as Puberty Blues, Packed to the Rafters and Secret City.


Owen Teague plays adult Ryan

Who is Owen Teague?

Fans of the 2017 adaptation of Stephen King’s It will recognise Teague as bully Patrick Hockstetter – a member of Henry Bowers’s gang. Teague also played Nolan Rayburn in dark Netflix family thriller Bloodline.


Jodie Foster directs the episode

Yes, the Jodie Foster: the Oscar-winning actor who played Clarice Starling in Silence of the Lambs. She also played Iris in Taxi Driver, Eleanor Arroway in Contact, Sarah Tobias in The Accused and Tallulah in Bugsy Malone.

As far as directing goes, Foster has helmed several episodes of Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards. She also directed 2016 film Money Monster and 1995’s Home for the Holidays.

Crocodile

Picture what you saw.

Andrea Riseborough plays Mia Nolan

Andrea Riseborough in Crocodile
Netflix

Mia is the main character of Crocodile, an architect who tries to outrun an episode of horrible violence three years before.

Interestingly, as Charlie Brooker told Radiotimes.com, this character was initially written as a man, but Riseborough asked to play the role and the script was changed accordingly.

Who is Andrea Riseborough?

Riseborough has starred in several big-name films over the past five years, including Birdman (where she played the girlfriend of Michael Keaton’s character) and Oblivion alongside Tom Cruise. You may also recognise Riseborough as daughter Dee from National Treasure, the Channel 4 drama starring Robbie Coltrane. She also starred in Netflix’s Bloodline with Owen Teague, who stars in Arkangel.


Kiran Sonia Sawar plays Shazia Akhand

Shazia is the overworked insurance company operative who uses a memory-seeking machine to resolve claims.

Who is Kiran Sonia Sawar?

She’ll be familiar as Salma to anyone who watched harrowing BBC3 drama Murdered by My Father. Sawar has also had brief roles in The Good Karma Hospital, Father Brown, Holby City and TV Movie Diana and I.


Andrew Gower plays Rob

Rob is Mia Nolan’s former partner – one who finds himself drawn into a horrific cover-up at the start of the episode.

Who is Andrew Gower?

Outlander: that’s where you know him from. Gower played Prince Charles Edward Stuart in the time travel drama.

Being Human’s Cutler has popped up in quite a few TV series since he graduated from the Oxford School of Drama in 2010. You might know him as Monroe’s Andrew Mullery, The White Queen’s Lord Strange or The Village’s Gilbert Hankin, for example.


Claire Rushbrook plays the female detective

She’s the officer at the crime scene at the episode’s close.

Who is Claire Rushbrook?

Rushbrook’s long list of TV credits includes Dr Caroline Llewellyn in Whitechapel, Pat Simms in Home Fires, Pauline Einstein in Albert Einstein drama Genius and science officer Ida Scott in David Tennant-era Doctor Who stories The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit.


Brian Pettifer plays William Grange

Grange is the dentist that speaks to Shazia as part of her investigation.

Who is Brian Pettifer?

The veteran actor has starred in the likes of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (Honeyfoot), Rab C. Nesbitt (Andra), The Field of Blood (Father Richards) and 1970s show The Man Craig (James Craig).


James Eeles plays DC Lydon

Lydon is one of the first police officers who investigates the crime committed at the episode’s end.

Who is James Eeles?

Eeles starred as Mike in Helen McCrory drama Fearless. He also had a brief role as The Digbeth Kid in the second series of Peaky Blinders.


Armin Karima plays the receptionist

Who is Armin Karima?

As well as playing Abdul Bukhari in the tenth series of Waterloo Road, Karima has starred in Fearless (alongside James Eeles), The State and Tyrant.


Hang the DJ

Find your perfect match

Georgina Campbell plays Amy

On the hunt for love using an advance dating system, Amy is the main woman of the episode.

Who is Georgina Campbell?

Since starring as Lucy in short-lived TV show Freak in 2009, Campbell has gained acclaim in roles such as Abigail in Flowers, Anna in One of Us and Detective Constable Katie Harford in Broadchurch. Most notably though, she starred in Murdered by My Boyfriend as Ashley Jones, a role that earned her a Best Actress Bafta.


Joe Cole plays Frank

Joe Cole and Georgina Campbell in Hang the DJ
Netflix

Frank is the clumsy but charming main man of the episode who, like Amy, is using a mysterious dating system to find love.

Who is Joe Cole?

Most recognisable as John Shelby from Peaky Blinders, Cole has also enjoyed roles in thriller film Green Room, Secret in Their Eyes and Skins (he played Luke in series six).


George Blagden plays Lenny

AKA the very attractive, but very annoying sighing man that Amy is paired with.

Who is George Blagden?

Best known for his role as Athelstan in Vikings, Blagden also played Louis XIV in Versailles and Grantaire in the 2012 film adaptation of Les Misérables.


Gwyneth Keyworth plays Nicola

The welsh lady who is NOT impressed about being paired with Frank.

Who is Gwyneth Keyworth?

Keyworth played slave Clea in Game of Thrones (Tyrion Lannister comes across her in a brothel in season 5). You might have also spotted her in Misfits as the heavily pregnant Marnie, who falls in love with Nathan.


Jessie Cave plays Edna

Edna is the enthusiastic glasses-wearing woman who swears ‘the system’ really does work at the daytime event all characters attend.

Who is Jessie Cave?

Well done Harry Potter fans if you recognised her as the actor who played Lavender Brown in the last three Harry Potter films. Cave has also starred in Great Expectations, Pride and Tales of Tales, plus Sky sitcom Trollied (as Heather).


Gina Bramhill voices Coach

Coach is the voice of the dating system that the characters in the episode subscribe to.

Who is Gina Bramhill?

Can’t quite place that voice? It might be familiar to Sherlock fans: Bramhill played Faith Smith, daughter of the villainous Culverton Smith – the character Eurus Holmes impersonates.

Metalhead

Beware of Dogs.

Maxine Peake plays Bella

Maxine Peake in Metalhead
Netflix

Bella is the main character of the episode who has to flee from a frightening technology.

Who is Maxine Peake?

She is best known for her role as feisty lawyer Martha Costello in Silk. Peake’s also starred in Dinnerladies, alongside Victoria Wood, Shameless and Three Girls. And you may have seen her in Criminal Justice and in acclaimed movie The Theory of Everything, in which she played Stephen Hawking’s nurse, who he went on to marry.


Jake Davies plays Clarke

Clarke is the youngest member of the team to explore an abandoned warehouse.

Who is Jake Davies?

Fan of The Missing? Then you probably recognise Davies as the guilt-ridden Matthew Webster.


Clint Dyer plays Anthony

Anthony is the older man on the expedition team.

Who is Clint Dyer?

Dyer has had roles in several action thrillers over the past 10 years including Unknown and Acts Of Vengeance.

Black Museum

If it did something bad, chances are it's in here.

Douglas Hodge plays Rolo Haynes

Rolo Haynes is the owner of the titular Black Museum, an attraction park filled with items he has a personal connection to.

Who is Douglas Hodge?

Hodge is a five times Olivier-nominated actor/director who you might know as Whitehall bureaucrat Rex Mayhew in The Night Manager. He also had a regular role as Bartholomew Rusk in Sky Atlantic drama Penny Dreadful and featured opposite Sherlock star Andrew Scott in ITV drama The Town.


Letitia Wright plays Nish

Letitia Wright in Black Museum

Nish is the young woman who enters Rolo Haynes’ Black Museum as she waits for her solar-panelled car to charge.

Who is Letitia Wright?

As well as playing “synthie” Irene in C4’s Humans, the British actor had a starring role in Russell T Davies’ Cucumber and Banana series and TV movie Glasgow Girls, and later appeared in Doctor Who alongside Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman. Soon she’s set to hit the big-time, popping up in superhero movie Black Panther and Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One.


Daniel Lapaine plays Dawson

Dawson is the doctor who installs a device into his brain that allows him to experience his patient’s symptoms first hand.

Who is Daniel Lapaine?

Lapaine played Rob’s friend Dave in Catastrophe and mysterious Englishman Hugh in The Durrells.


Aldis Hodge plays Jack

Jack is the husband who agrees to try a very experimental mind-moving invention on his wife.

Who is Aldis Hodge?

If you haven’t seen Hodge in US series Leverage then you might know him from his various film roles: the American actor starred in A Good Day to Die Hard, Straight Outta Compton and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.


Alexandra Roach plays Carrie

Carrie is Jack’s wife, a woman who finds herself in a coma after an unfortunate accident.

Who is Alexandra Roach?

The British actor played DS Joy Freers in No Offence, Helene in Hunderby and Becky in C4 drama Utopia.


Babs Olusanmokun plays Clayton

Clayton is one of the strangest and sinister attractions in the Black Museum.

Who is Babs Olusanmokun?

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Seen Marvel’s The Defenders? Then you might recognise Olusanmokun as Sowande. The US actor has also had brief roles in The Night Of and Roots.

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