A more fitting title for this article might be “Where Have You Not Seen The Red Notice Cast Before?” since writer and director Rawson Marshall Thurber’s action-comedy boasts some incredible star power, with Hollywood heavies Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot as its central leads.
Of course, there are some other great talents in Red Notice whom you may recognize from some of their past projects. Well, we are here to help you become better acquainted with the cast of this exciting blockbuster, which is available to stream on Netflix as of November 12, but, first let’s talk about the top-billed stars.
Dwayne Johnson (John Hartley)
As FBI agent John Hartley - who bears similarities to his Fast and Furious movies character - we have Dwayne Johnson, who rose to fame as WWE’s “The Rock” before playing his father on That ‘70s Show and transitioning into film in 2001’s The Mummy Returns as the Scorpion King. If Red Notice (his third collaboration with Rawson Marshall Thurber after Central Intelligence and Skyscraper) garners a follow-up, it will only be the umpteenth franchise under his belt, along with his Jumanji sequels and almost too many other titles to mention here all at once.
If we never see a San Andreas or Rampage sequel, we can still count on The Rock voicing Krypto in DC League of Super-Pets, playing Kamehameha in The King from director Robert Zemeckis, and title role of Shane Black’s adventure story Doc Savage. Johnson will also make his live-action DC movies debut as the title role of Black Adam in 2022 and is working on a sequel to Big Trouble in Little China.
Ryan Reynolds (Nolan Booth)
A Red Notice cast member already known for superhero movies (for better or worse) is Ryan Reynolds, whose performance as master thief Nolan Booth calls to mind his defining role as Deadpool in two (soon-to-be three) self-titled Marvel movies. Some like to cite his earlier roles in National Lampoon’s Van Wilder or Waiting… as proof that Mr. Blake Lively was born to play the Merc with a Mouth and one day redeem him from his grossly inaccurate portrayal in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
The Canadian actor, producer, and entrepreneur had a big year in 2021 before Red Notice by reprising Michael Bryce in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard and playing the title role of Free Guy (one of the best Ryan Reynolds movies as of late). Reynolds has another Netflix original in the works called The Adam Project, a musical update of A Christmas Carol called Spirited, the sci-fi comedy Everyday Parenting Tips, and adaptations of the classic games Clue and Dragon’s Lair - all of which he also produces.
Gal Gadot (Sarah Black/The Bishop)
Also known for playing a superhero in DC movies is Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot, who plays another notorious art thief known as “The Bishop” whom Hartley and Booth are forced to team up against in Red Notice. Gal Gadot previously starred alongside Dwayne Johnson in four Fast and Furious movies and also played Ryan Reynolds’ widow in Criminal from 2016.
There are many fascinating upcoming Gal Gadot movies to look forward to, including the long-awaited Death on the Nile, another spy thriller called Heart of Stone, and a live-action remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in which she will play the Evil Queen. Gadot is also playing the title role of two biopics: one about Polish, World War II-era nurse Irena Sandler and another about Cleopatra from director Patty Jenkins, whom she will also reunite with for Wonder Woman 3.
Chris Diamantopoulos (Sotto Voce)
As Spanish arms dealer Sotto Voce, we have Chris Diamantopoulos, who is no stranger to comic book adaptations either, having lent his voice to Batman Unlimited as Green Arrow, various characters on Justice League Action, and Donald Ferguson on the Invincible cast more recently - although his most esteemed voice acting role is probably Mickey Mouse.
Before starring in an action-comedy like Red Notice, the Greek-Canadian actor sprung into action on 24 and has turned in quite a few memorable comedic performances, such as his recurring role on the Silicon Valley cast, “The Old Man” on NBC’s A Christmas Story Live cast, and the 2012 The Three Stooges movie as a modern-day Moe. Also in 2021, Chris Diamantopoulos will return for Season 2 of Netflix’s animated Centaurworld, voices the father of the hero of Disney+’s animated Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie, and is now working on the animated sci-fi drama Pantheon for AMC.
Ritu Arya (Inspector Urvashi Das)
As Inspector Urvashi Das, we have Ritu Arya, who has previously starred in a number of Netflix projects before joining the Red Notice cast including the Harlan Coben-inspired miniseries The Stranger, the romantic-dramedy series Feel Good, and The Umbrella Academy as Lila Pitts.
Ritu Arya first broke out in 2013 on the British soap opera Doctors, leading to guest appearances on shows like Sherlock for a 2014 installment and Doctor Who opposite Jodie Whittaker in 2020, a recurring role on the AMC sci-fi drama Humans, and the holiday rom-com Last Christmas in 2019.
Ivan Mbakop (Tambwe)
Appearing on the Red Notice cast as Tambwe is Ivan Mbakop, who made his feature-length debut in 2010 with Baby Mama’s Club, Per his IMDB bio, the actor and app designer took a break from acting after that to focus on his business. He returned to acting when he appeared in the 2017 short Victus (which he also directed) and landed a guest spot on the short-lived CW drama Valor the same year.
Ivan Mbakop has since starred in (and done other behind-the-scenes work for) smaller films like 2019’s Bricked or The Millennial in 2020 - during which he also appeared on Showtime’s western miniseries The Good Lord Bird. Red Notice is the actor’s second big 2021 release after the sci-fi drama Reminiscence, and he is currently working on a new film called Hunther, which he also writes, executive-produces, and is the director of photography for.
Vincenzo Amato (Director Gallo)
Playing Director Gallo in Red Notice is Vincenzo Amato, who made his feature-length film debut in 1997 with the Italian indie comedy Once We Were Strangers before making his official English-language debut with 2001’s Prison Song and later appearing in rom-com Did You Hear About the Morgans? in 2009.
Television would become the Italian actor’s main source of notoriety in the States with guest spots among the Gossip Girl cast, on the Martin Scorsese-produced period drama Boardwalk Empire on HBO, and on The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story to name a few. Vincenzo Amato is perhaps known best on the big screen as Anthony Zamperini in director Angelina Jolie’s 2014 biopic Unbroken and its 2018 sequel.
Rafael Petardi (Security Chief Ricci)
Starring in Red Notice as Security Chief Ricci is Rafael Petardi, whose first time working with Netflix was on the platform’s animated Carmen Sandiego series - which is just one of his many impressive voice acting credits like Beverly Hills Chihuahua in 2008 and various video game franchises including Call of Duty and Uncharted.
As for live-action projects, you might have seen Rafael Petardi play an Italian journalist in 2009’s Angels and Demons, appear alongside Keanu Reeves in the 2018 action flick Siberia, or in one of his various guest appearances on TV shows that range from NCIS to Disney Channel’s K.C. Undercover with Zendaya. Petardi is currently working on a family drama called Depth of Field, which he also co-produces.
While Red Notice is clearly the Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot show, it's great to see the actors accompanied by a stunning supporting cast.
Red Notice is now streaming on Netflix.
