The Whale Cast and Character Guide

Brendan Fraser stars in the psychological drama The whale alongside a talented supporting character The whale cast. Based on the 2012 play of the same name by Samuel D. Hunter The whale is directed by Darren Aronofsky, who spent over a decade trying to make the adaptation happen. The resulting film received critical acclaim following its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival in September 2022, and has been credited with helping return Fraser to prominence as a Hollywood star. Furthermore, The whale was nominated for three Academy Awards.

Set mostly on a couch in a single apartment in the college town of Moscow, Idaho, The whale revolves around the life of a morbidly obese English teacher (Fraser) who seeks to reconnect with his estranged daughter (played by Street of Fear and Stranger Things‘Sadie Sink). Here’s a guide to all the core and support ones The whale cast, who they play and what each of the actors has done before.

Actor	Paper
Brendan Fraser	Charlie
Sadie Pia	Ellie
Hong Chau	Liz
Ty Simpkins	Thomas
Samantha Morton	Mary
Jacey Pia	Young Ellie
Sathya Sridharan	Dan

Brendan Fraser as Charlie

Brendan Fraser was born in 1968

Character: Brendan Fraser plays the main character in The whalean English teacher named Charlie. He weighs over 600 pounds and is depressed about the misfortunes in his life. He is also hyperaware that his excessive eating habits will be the cause of his death and appears to be okay with it. The story progresses with Charlie’s attempt to reform his relationship with Ellie, his daughter, from his relationship with his ex-wife, Mary.

Actor: Considered Brendan Fraser’s great return to movie stardom, The whale delivers one of his best performances to date. The actor rose to fame in the 1990s and starred in a series of blockbusters, comedies and action films before disappearing from the spotlight following his own divorce. Fraser is best known for roles such as The mummy The franchise’s Rick O’Connell, the titular ape-man of Jorge da Selvaand the titular Neanderthal of Encino Man.

Sadie Sink as Ellie

Sadie Sink was born in 2002

Character: In The whale In the cast, Sadie Sink plays Ellie, daughter of the characters Charlie and Mary. Being in the full custody of his mother, Ellie hasn’t seen or spoken to her father in eight years, until one day she shows up at his apartment.. Over the course of his visits with Charlie, he discovers that his daughter has become an extremely abrupt and troubled 17-year-old in his absence.

Actor: As a young actress on the rise, Sink was credited in the Street of Fear franchise as Ziggy Berman, in Stranger Things as Max Mayfield in Dear Zoe like Tess DeNunzio, and Taylor Swift All very well: the short film as the nameless “She”. Outside of these roles, Stranger Things made her a star, as Max was one of the highlights of the fourth season, and she won the Hollywood Critics Association TV Award for her performance.

Hong Chau as Liz

Hong Chau was born in 1979

Character: Hong Chau plays Liz in The whaleCharlie’s nurse and close friend. Their relationship dates back to Charlie’s indiscretion, which led to their divorce of Mary. Because of their connection, Liz is a welcome companion to Charlie, as well as his medical caretaker. She also cares about him a lot more than she lets on and is one of the only people who actively tries to help him get better and stay alive despite all his self-sabotage.

Actor: Chau previously appeared on the sitcom how I Met Your Mother as Cook Pu, one of Ted Mosby’s architecture students. She later received her breakthrough role in Reduction as Ngoc Lan Tran. On television, she has played some major roles, including playing important characters in the psychological thriller Return home and the superhero series Watchmen. She also starred in the 2022 horror film The menu and the 2023 thriller series The Night Agent.

Whale Cast and Supporting Characters

Ty Simpkins as Thomas In The whale In the cast, Ty Simpkins plays the character Thomas, a church missionary who frequently visits Charlie in hopes of healing him spiritually with the word of God. Simpkins is best known as Dalton Lambert in James Wan’s film Insidious franchise. He also co-starred as Gray Mitchell in Jurassic World and played Harley Keener in the MCU, specifically seen in Iron Man 3 and the end of Avengers: Endgame.

Samantha Morton as Maria – Two-time Oscar-nominated actress Samantha Morton plays Charlie’s ex-wife in The whale castMary, whom he cheated on with a man. Morton is best known for her work as Mary, Queen of Scots in Elizabeth: the golden ageMary Lou Barebone in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themand pre-gear Agatha in Minority Report.

Jacey Sink as Young Ellie Jacey Sink plays the younger version of Ellie in The whale cast. Jacey is Sadie Sink’s younger sister and also played the younger version of Sadie Sink. Stranger Things character, Max Mayfield.

Sathya Sridharan as Dan – Sathya Sridharan plays Charlie’s pizza delivery man Dan in The whale cast. Charlie gives Dan specific instructions every time he delivers pizza – leave it on the porch; the money is in the mailbox. Sridharan can also be seen in Bikini Moonan independent film about perceptions of reality and the science fiction thriller Premise Moon.

The Whale’s Casting Received Critical Praise

The Whale won two Oscars with three nominations

The whale The cast of characters received widespread critical acclaim, to the point where the poignant psychological drama was nominated for three Oscars. Brendan Fraser’s portrayal of the ailing English teacher Charlie was noted by audiences and critics alikemaking it inevitable that he would receive a Best Actor nomination. The whale is Fraser’s first film project following his career comeback and his first Oscar nomination. Fraser’s award had competition, as he faced Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Bill Nighy (Living), Austin Butler (Elvis) and Paul Mescal (After-sun).

Fraser’s stunning transformation to appear at 600 pounds and at death’s door also didn’t go unnoticed at the 2023 Oscars, as The whale it was later nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Other films, such as Elvis, Batman, All Quiet on the Western Frontand Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, could have hit The whale in that category, but the film took home that award in the end.

Finally, The whale cast member Hong Chau was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for playing Charlie’s close friend and nurse, Liz. Chau also faced stiff competition, as he competed with Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin), Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything everywhere at the same time), Stephanie Hsu (Everything everywhere at the same time) and Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever). This was the film’s only Oscar loss, as Curtis won the award.