Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Since the beginning, Black Mirror has been great at two things: delivering chilling social satire and casting brilliant actors. The names and faces you’re bound to see in any given episode range from stalwart stage and television favorites to up-and-coming stars of tomorrow.
Season Three of Black Mirror is upping the ante. In addition to giving us the same types of prestigious British actors as past seasons, Netflix has also cast some of the biggest names in film and TV. The result? Each episode of Black Mirror is now chockfull of faces you’ve seen before…even if you can’t always place their name.
Here’s your guide to the major players of Black Mirror season three, starting with Episode 1, “Nosedive.” Directed by Joe Wright (Atonement) and written by Rashida Jones (YES, HER) and Michael Schur (The Office, Parks and Recreation, and The Good Place)
[STREAM BLACK MIRROR, “NOSEDIVE” ON NETFLIX]
Bryce Dallas Howard
Who They Are In Black Mirror: Bryce Dallas Howard plays Lacie Pound, a young woman obsessed with her score on a social media app that rates humans.
Where You Know Them From: Bryce Dallas Howard is the daughter of Ron Howard and M. Night Shyamalan’s former muse. She’s also, coincidentally, not Jessica Chastain.
Howard has been bouncing around Hollywood for years, so there’s no limit to where you’d know her from. She was in The Village, Lady in the Water, The Help, and even The Twilight movies. However, she’s seen a recent career resurgence with roles in big films like Jurassic World and Pete’s Dragon.
Alice Eve
Who They Are In Black Mirror: Alice Eve plays Naomie, Lacie’s childhood best friend. She has a high score as a person and a mean streak in real life.
Where You Know Them From: Over the years, British beauty Alice Eve has developed a weird sort of niche for herself playing either fictional movie stars (or women beautiful enough to be movie stars) in such varied fare as Starter For 10, The Decoy Bride, and She’s Out of My League.
That said, we’re guessing you’re best familiar with her work in Star Trek Into Darkness. She played a new version of Dr. Carol Marcus, one who inexplicably stripped down to her underwear.
James Norton
Who They Are In Black Mirror: James Norton plays Lacie’s gamer brother Ryan.
Where You Know Them From: So James Norton is someone who has popped on Decider’s radar a lot in 2016. Not only is he one of the favored actors to take up the mantle of James Bond when Daniel Craig (maybe) leaves the Bond franchise, but he’s been in a lot of great TV lately. Norton has starred in Netflix Original Happy Valley, PBS’s Grantchester, and A&E’s sumptuous miniseries version of War & Peace.
Cherry Jones
Who They Are In Black Mirror: Cherry Jones is Susan, a grizzled truck driver who takes pity on Lacie.
Where You Know Them From: Wow, oh wow, Cherry Jones is in everything. The Tony Award-winning actress has been in everything from Signs to The Perfect Storm and 24. More recently she’s been on both 11.22.63 and Transparent. Coincidentally, she co-starred with Howard in The Village.
Michaela Coel
Who They Are In Black Mirror: Michaela Coel plays a snotty stewardess who helps kick off Lacie’s downward spiral.
Where You Know Them From: It’s less where you know her from than it is where you will know her from. Coel is the writer/creator/composer/star of Chewing Gum. The new Netflix Original will debut on October 31st. Think of it as Netflix’s answer to Amazon’s Fleabag.
