The new Mr. & Mrs. Smith cast: See the actors from the series vs. the movie

Brad Pitt and Donald Glover (John Smith)

Pitt was in the midst of his (admittedly lengthy) hot streak when he originated the role of John Smith. He had just come off of box office hits Ocean’s Eleven and Twelve (2001, 2004) and Troy (2004) when he took on Mr. and Mrs. Smith. His star only continued to rise from there, with a string of Oscar darlings like The Departed (2006), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Moneyball (2012), and numerous other successes. His personal life, especially his marriage and divorce with Smith costar Angelina Jolie, has also remained a tabloid fixture. 

Before succeeding Pitt as the second actor to play Mr. Smith, Donald Glover carved out a name for himself as one of the most varied and talented voices in his industry. He broke out as a writer for 30 Rock and star of Community before gaining further recognition under his musical alter ego, Childish Gambino. He created and starred in the FX series Atlanta (2016–2022), where fellow Mr. and Mrs. Smith co-creator Francesca Sloane also served as a writer. He recently played a young Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) and assumed the role of Aaron Davis / The Prowler in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023).

Angelina Jolie and Maya Erskine (Jane Smith)

Much like Pitt, Jolie had already established a successful career when she took on the role of Jane Smith. She had earned an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Girl, Interrupted in 1999 and was fresh off her role as video game heroine Lara Croft in Tomb Raider (2001) and The Cradle of Life (2003). She’s since starred in films like Maleficent (2014) and Eternals (2021) while aiding various humanitarian efforts. 

Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) was originally slated to assume Jolie's role on the new series, but she left early on and was replaced by Maya Erskine, who rose to fame on Hulu’s brilliant coming-of-age series Pen15. She memorably stole scenes in Wine Country (2019) as Paula Pell’s love interest and starred alongside Jack Quaid in Plus One (2019). Up next for Erskine is a role in her partner Michael Angarano’s film Sacramento.

John Turturro

John Turturro made his name with the Coen Brothers’ Barton Fink (1991) and had a memorable role as Jesus Quintana in The Big Lebowski (1999). He later reprised that part for The Jesus Rolls (2020), which he also directed. Most recently, Turturro starred as Carmine Falcone in The Batman (2022) and voiced Dottore in Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022). Mr. & Mrs. Smith is the third high-profile series Turturro has lent his name to as of late, following The Night Of (2016) and Severance (2022).

Paul Dano

Paul Dano has an admirably varied résumé, having first made waves in Little Miss Sunshine (2006) before taking on intense roles in There Will Be Blood (2008), 12 Years a Slave (2013), and Prisoners (2013). Dano is also a noted writer, director, and producer, releasing the accomplished melodrama Wildlife in 2018. Alongside Turturro, he co-starred in The Batman as The Riddler. In 2022, he earned an Oscar nomination for playing a version of director Steven Spielberg’s father in The Fabelmans. Last year, he appeared as Keith Gill in Dumb Money.

Sarah Paulson

Sarah Paulson, a favorite on stage and screen, seemingly plays the Smiths’ long-suffering therapist in the reboot, if the trailers are any indication. The role was previously carried by character actor extraordinaire William Fichtner in Liman’s original, although he never actually appeared onscreen and was not credited.

Paulson got her start on Broadway and broke out in Ryan Murphy’s anthology series American Horror Story through several roles, plus an Emmy-winning turn in the excellent The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016). She appeared alongside Dano in 12 Years a Slave (2013) and had a memorable role in Carol (2015). Recently, she starred in Run (2020) and as Linda Tripp in Impeachment: American Crime Story (2021).

Parker Posey

Parker Posey rose to prominence in the ‘90s as the “Queen of the Indies” with movies like Party Girl (1995) and House of Yes (1997) before stealing scenes in Christopher Guest mockumentaries. She was the best thing about Scream 3 and starred in Zoe Cassavetes’ Broken English (2007). Recently, Posey led Netflix’s reboot of Lost In Space (2018–2021) and assumed the spirited attorney Freda Black on The Staircase (2022). Last year, she played against type in Ari Aster’s Beau Is Afraid and reportedly joined the upcoming third season of Mike White’s The White Lotus.

Wagner Moura

Wagner Moura is an acclaimed Brazilian actor, writer, and director who has been in the industry for nearly 25 years. He’s best known for playing Pablo Escobar on Narcos and Narcos: Mexico. He also starred in Joe and Anthony Russo’s The Gray Man (2022) and voiced the Big Bad Wolf in the surprisingly excellent Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022).

Michaela Coel

British actor Michaela Coel broke out with her stunning HBO series I May Destroy You (2020), which won her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special, making her the first Black woman to accept the honor.

Before joining the cast of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, she held a small role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), led the thriller series Black Earth Rising (2018), and starred as Aneka in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).

Alexander Skarsgård

Alexander Skarsgård broke out in 2001’s Zoolander and gained further attention as Eric Northman on HBO’s True Blood (2008–2014). The Swedish actor enjoyed villainous turns in movies like Straw Dogs and Melancholia (2011). Recently, he’s appeared in some wonderfully outrageous extreme cinema, headlining The Northman (2022) and Infinity Pool (2023), while still making time for Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). He also returned to HBO with an Emmy-winning turn on Big Little Lies (2017–2019) as Lukas Matsson in the final two seasons of Succession.