Murderbot cast: Full list of actors in Apple TV+ sci-fi drama
Alexander Skarsgård plays a sentient android attempting to go undetected.
Alexander Skarsgård is bringing a beloved literary character to life in the Apple TV+ comedy-drama Murderbot, where he portrays an android who gains sentience – and then attempts to keep this fact from being detected.
Of course, that's easier said than done as the Security Unit has little understanding of human behaviour, and soon ends up living in close quarters with a scientific research crew on a deadly alien planet.
Suspicions quickly start to grow that something isn't quite right with the refurbished android supposed to serve as their protector, with signs ranging from its apparent love of soap opera to its designated nickname: Murderbot.
David Dastmalchian (Dune) and Noma Dumezweni (The Little Mermaid) co-star, while Marvel's Clark Gregg and Star Trek's John Cho are set to make striking appearances as futuristic soap stars.
If that doesn't sell you on this wacky new show, we're not sure what will – but here's a guide to the full Murderbot cast in the meantime.
Murderbot cast: Full list of actors in Apple TV+ drama
Here's a round-up of the main cast in Apple TV+ comedy-drama Murderbot – read on for more detailed breakdowns on each character and the actor playing them, including where you might have seen them before.
- Alexander Skarsgård as Murderbot
- David Dastmalchian as Gurathin
- Noma Dumezweni as Mensah
- Sabrina Wu as Pin-Lee
- Tattiawna Jones as Arada
- Akshay Khanna as Ratthi
- Tamara Podemski as Bharadwaj
- Anna Konkle as Leebeebee
- Clark Gregg as a Lieutenant in The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon
- John Cho as a Captain in The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon
- DeWanda Wise as a navigation unit in The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon
- Jack McBrayer as TBC in The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon
Alexander Skarsgård as Murderbot
Who is SecUnit Murderbot? The main character of Murderbot is a Security Unit android – or 'SecUnit' – charged with protecting human life and following the instructions of its owners. However, when he manages to hack his hardware, he overrides his commands and is able to live life somewhat on his own terms. The catch is, he can't let the humans around him catch on to the fact that he has gained sentience, as it would likely lead to deactivation – or worse!
He names himself Murderbot, which wouldn't help his case if he were to be detected.
What else has Alexander Skarsgård been in? Skarsgård rose to fame in the cast of HBO's steamy vampire drama True Blood, where he played the leading role of Eric Northman. He went on to star in major blockbusters The Legend of Tarzan, Godzilla vs Kong and The Northman. Most recently, he returned to HBO for a recurring role in its media satire Succession, where he played cunning tech entrepreneur Lukas Matsson.
Noma Dumezweni as Dr Mensah
Who is Dr Mensah? She is the leader of a team of scientists dispatched to survey a dangerous alien planet, inhabited by huge and terrifying monsters. Dr Mensah purchases SecUnit to be serve as their protector in the unfamiliar environment, settling on this particular model for the job due to its discounted price as a refurbished model.
What else has Noma Dumezweni been in? Viewers may recognise Dumezweni from her roles in mystery dramas The Undoing and The Watcher, which debuted on HBO and Netflix respectively. More recently, she has appeared in Hulu's Only Murders in the Building and acclaimed Apple TV+ series Presumed Innocent, opposite Jake Gyllenhaal. On the big screen, she played Queen Selina in Disney's recent live-action remake of The Little Mermaid.
David Dastmalchian as Gurathin
Who is Gurathin? Gurathin is a member of the scientific research team, who immediately has suspicions about their new security unit – sensing that something isn't quite right about it.
What else has David Dastmalchian been in? Dastmalchian is probably best known for his roles in major blockbusters, such as Polka-Dot Man in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, Kurt in Marvel's Ant-Man films and Piter De Vries in Denis Villeneuve's Dune. He's also taken supporting roles in Blade Runner 2049 and Oppenheimer as well as garnering attention for buzzy independent horror film Late Night with the Devil.
Sabrina Wu as Pin-Lee
Who is Pin-Lee? Another member of the research team, who also acts as their lawyer.
What else has Sabrina Wu been in? After making their name as a stand-up and writer, Wu has recently appeared in comedy film Joy Ride and acclaimed sitcom Abbott Elementary.
Tattiawna Jones as Arada
Who is Arada? Another scientist on the expedition.
What else has Tattiawna Jones been in? Jones has bagged recurring roles in several other high-profile shows, including dystopian dramas The Handmaid's Tale and The 100, sci-fi adventure Lost in Space and recent Orphan Black spin-off Echoes.
Akshay Khanna as Ratthi
Who is Ratthi? A fellow scientist and crew member on the survey mission.
What else has Akshay Khanna been in? Khanna has recently appeared in comedy films Polite Society and Red, White and Royal Blue, as well as Star Wars spin-off Andor and psychological thriller Chloe.
Tamara Podemski as Bharadwaj
Who is Bharadwaj? Bharadwaj is the final member of the space crew blessed (or burdened?) with the company of the so-called Murderbot.
What else has Tamara Podemski been in? The actor is best known for crime drama Coroner, sci-fi western Outer Range and Canadian miniseries Essex County. She also voices Uvenda in Prime Video's fantasy animated hit The Legend of Vox Machina.
Clark Gregg as a Lieutenant in The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon
Who is the Lieutenant? He is a character in an in-universe soap opera that SecUnit (aka Murderbot) enjoys watching.
What else has Clark Gregg been in? Gregg is probably best known as Agent Phil Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who appeared in several Phase One films including 2012's The Avengers. From that point, he span off into ABC television series Agents of SHIELD, but did make a brief return to the big screen for the '90s-set Captain Marvel. His other credits include The West Wing, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Painkiller and Zero Day.
John Cho as a Captain in The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon
Who is the Captain? The Captain is another character from soap opera The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, which follows the entangled social lives of a space crew.
What else has John Cho been in? Cho is no stranger to sci-fi, having played Hikaru Sulu in JJ Abrams's rebooted Star Trek universe, Spike Spiegel in live-action anime adaptation Cowboy Bebop and the main role of Demetri Noh in FlashForward. His other notable credits include the American Pie and Harold & Kumar comedy franchises.
DeWanda Wise as a navigation unit in The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon
Who is the navigation unit? It is an android character featured in the fictional soap opera.
What else has DeWanda Wise been in? Wise has previously appeared in films The Harder They Fall, Jurassic World: Dominion and Imaginary. Meanwhile, her small screen credits include the Netflix series version of She's Gotta Have It and hard-hitting drama miniseries Shots Fired.
Jack McBrayer as TBC in The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon
Who is Jack McBrayer in Murderbot? He plays another character in the soap opera The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary moon; a show within the Murderbot continuity.
What else has Jack McBrayer been in? McBrayer is no doubt best known for the roles of Kenneth the page in NBC sitcom 30 Rock and Fix-It Felix in Disney's animated Wreck-It Ralph franchise.
Murderbot is available to stream on Apple TV+.
Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
