Since making his debut with 2009’s Crazy Horse, which earned Jeff Bridges a Best Actor Oscar, Scott Cooper has managed to put together some of the best casts for his various directorial efforts like Out of the Furnace, Black Mass, Hostiles, and Antlers. Well, with the debut of the 2023 Netflix release of The Pale Blue Eye, that tradition looks to continue a little while longer.
The new mystery thriller, which centers on Christian Bale’s detective, August Landor, as he attempts to solve a murder at 1830s West Point, features multiple mainstays of the Harry Potter movies, superb character actors, and the star of one of the biggest TV shows of the 1990s. Here is where you’ve seen The Pale Blue Eye cast before.
Christian Bale (Augustus Landor)
Leading off the cast of The Pale Blue Eye is Christian Bale, who takes on the role of the film’s protagonist, Augustus Landor, a detective tasked with solving the murder of a West Point cadet, per Netflix's Tudum website.
This is Bale’s third movie directed by Scott Cooper, as the actor-director duo previously paired up for Out of the Furnace and Hostiles. Bale was most recently seen in Thor: Love and Thunder, in which he portrayed central antagonist, Gorr the God Butcher. However, Bale is best known for a different comic character thanks to his portrayal of Bruce Wayne and Batman in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy, another director whom he has worked with a considerable amount throughout his career.
Harry Melling (Edgar Allan Poe)
Harry Melling shows up in The Pale Blue Eye as a young Edgar Allan Poe, who helps Augustus Landor in his investigation after the renowned detective is summoned to the military academy.
Melling, who first came to fame with his portrayal of Dudley Dursley in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (he would go on to appear in four more Wizarding World movies), has become something of a hot commodity the past few years with a series of memorable film and TV appearances. This includes shows like The Queen’s Gambit and His Dark Materials, as well as a string of movies that includes The Old Guard, The Devil All the Time, and The Tragedy of Macbeth.
Toby Jones (Dr. Daniel Marquis)
Stepping in as West Point doctor Daniel Marquis in The Pale Blue Eye is veteran actor Toby Jones, who brings the mysterious figure to life.
Over the course of his career, Jones has appeared in multiple billion-dollar franchises including the Marvel Cinematic Universe (he played Arnim Zola in the first two Captain America movies), the Hunger Games movies, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and various Harry Potter titles, in which he voiced Dobby the house elf. But he’s also appeared in multiple decorated dramas like the Truman Capote movie Infamous, Frost/Nixon, My Week with Marilyn, and much more. He’s next set to appear in the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.
Gillian Anderson (Mrs. Marquis)
Taking on the role of Julia Marquis, the matriarch of the Marquis family and wife of Daniel, is Gillian Anderson.
Prior to joining the Pale Blue Eye cast, Anderson earned a Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy (her second of each) for her depiction of former United Kingdom Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on The Crown Season 4. Best known for her portrayal of Dana Scully on The X-Files throughout the ‘90s, Anderson has gone on to appear on shows like The Fall, Hannibal, and Sex Education.
Lucy Boynton (Lea Marquis)
Lucy Boynton appears in The Pale Blue Eye as Lea Marquis, the daughter of Daniel and Julia who always seems to catch the eye of Cadet Poe.
Ever since making her feature film debut as a young Beatrix Potter in Miss Potter, Boynton has gone on to appear in movies like Sing Street, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, Murder on the Orient Express, and Bohemian Rhapsody. During that same stretch of time, Boynton has popped up on TV shows like The Politician, Modern Love, and multiple others.
Harry Lawtey (Artemus Marquis)
Next up is Harry Lawtey, who shows up in The Pale Blue Eye as Artemus Marquis, a cadet at West Point.
Over the course of the past decade, Lawtey has mostly found work on the small screen, with major roles on shows like Industry, The Letter for the King, and Marcella, though he has appeared in two movies: City of Tiny Lights and Benediction. Lawtey will likely become a bigger player in the coming years thanks to his casting in Joker: Folie à Deux alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga.
Timothy Spall (Colonel Thayer)
Taking on the role of West Point authority figure Colonel Thayer in The Pale Blue Eye is Timothy Spall, yet another Harry Potter alum to appear in the new Netflix movie.
Outside of playing the villainous Peter Pettigrew in all but the first two Harry Potter movies, Spall is probably best known for his six collaborations with director Mike Leigh, with the most recent being 2014’s Mr. Turner. Spall has also earned praise for roles in movies such as The King’s Speech, The Damned United, Enchanted, The Last Samurai, and dozens upon dozens of other productions.
Robert Duvall (Pepe)
Taking on the role of occult expert Pepe in The Pale Blue Eye is Academy Award-winning actor and Hollywood legend Robert Duvall.
If you pull up a list of the best movies of all time, you’ll also find memorable performances by Duvall, including titles like The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, Network, and To Kill a Mockingbird. But that is just a fraction of a fraction of Duvall’s work from throughout his career, as he has also given commanding performances on TV events like Lonesome Dove, The Man Who Captured Eichmann, and Broken Trail, to name just a few. Duvall previously worked with director Scott Cooper on Crazy Horse.
Simon McBurney (Captain Hitchcock)
Simon McBurney shows up in The Pale Blue Eye as Captain Hitchcock, an official at West Point.
Yet another member of the Pale Blue Eye cast to have also appeared in a Harry Potter movie (he voiced Kreacher the house elf in the penultimate chapter), McBurney has also appeared in movies like Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, The Manchurian Candidate, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and The Theory of Everything. His more recent TV credits include The Casual Vacancy, Carnival Row, and The Loudest Voice.
Charlotte Gainsbourg (Patsy)
And then there is Charlotte Gainsbourg, who appears in The Pale Blue Eye as Patsy, a local barmaid in the nearby village.
Over the course of her career, the actress and singer has appeared in movies like I’m Not There, The Science of Sleep, Happily Ever After, and a handful of films directed by Lars von Trier, including Antichrist, Melancholia, and Nymphomaniac, to name only a few.
The Pale Blue Eye is currently available to stream for anyone with a Netflix subscription. If you want even more to watch after completing Scott Cooper’s new thriller, there are plenty of great movies on Netflix worth checking out.
