The anticipated Death On The Nile is heading to cinemas and it’s packed full of talented actors. But fans might know them already from a range of fantastic projects. This is quite a change of pace for many of these performers, considering some have never actually starred in a period piece or indeed a murder mystery before.
It’s unclear what they will bring to the table in regards to their performances, but considering what was pulled off with the original Murder On The Orient Express, it’s fair to say that audiences are in for a treat as the creative team brings the best out of these stars.
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh is the man behind this adaptation of Poirot but also the visionary behind the current franchise. After directing and starring in the previous version of Murder On The Orient Express he is indeed returning for the Agatha Christie sequel, where he is taking on the same duties.
Branagh’s days in the industry have included a number of global franchises like Harry Potter where he starred as Gilderoy Lockhart, and have seen him tour the theater numerous times with some of Shakespeare’s best works. He recently directed the film Belfast, about his childhood.
Tom Bateman
As part of the cast of the first Murder On The Orient Express Tom Bateman makes his return as Poirot’s upper-class sidekick Bouc. The actor was beloved in the role and brought great charm and insight which is sure to be a major part of his performance in the sequel.
With Thirteen Lives currently in development and Behind Her Eyes having been recently released, Tom Bateman is certainly staying busy. Fans may also know him from other shows such as Beecham House and Vanity Fair where he maintained consistent roles.
Gal Gadot
Gal Gadot is playing Linnet Ridgeway in the upcoming movie and she appears to be taking a central focus in the plot. Of course, fans will largely know her for her superhero role of Wonder Woman, where she has starred in two solo films and a Justice League spinoff, alongside Batman V. Superman.
Outside of this though, Gadot has continued to prove her worth as an action star in the hugely successful Red Notice, as well as a voice-over talent as Shank in Ralph Breaks The Internet. She is also lining up her next project, Cleopatra where she reunites with Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins for the historical flick.
Annette Bening
Annette Bening is a veteran of the screen. She’ll be bringing some gravitas to the role of Euphemia Bouc, the mother of Tom Bateman’s character who represents a significant expansion in this fictional, on-screen universe. She hasn’t previously appeared in this saga.
Bening will be known to Marvel fans after playing the Supreme Intelligence and a former version of the Captain in Captain Marvel. Recently Bening lent her talents to films such as Life Itself, The Report, and Hope Gap. She brings a level of intensity and wisdom to every part.
Ali Fazal
Ali Fazal will be playing another guest on the ship leaving to cruise along the Nile when he takes on the role of Katchadourian, who will be one of the suspects of the trip. This is the first time that the actor has appeared in the Agatha Christie adaptation.
However, Fazal has plenty of credits to his name, including multiple popular Indian series such as Mirzapur, or Bang Baaja Baaraat. The talented performer has also stepped his toe into the film world and has upcoming projects such as Khufiya and Tadka.
Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Saunders is being brought in with her comedy partner Dawn French, which fans will know from the long-running series French And Saunders, alongside plenty of other projects. In Death On The Nile, Saunders will be portraying Marie Van Schuyler.
Of course, in the comedy world, Saunders is a giant, also teaming up with Joanna Lumley to star in Absolutely Fabulous. On the big screen, Jennifer Saunders used her incredible voice for roles such as the Fairy Godmother in Shrek 2 while also starring in thrillers on streaming like The Stranger.
Dawn French
Dawn French, the other half of this famed comedy partnership will also be starring in Death On The Nile as a guest and suspect aboard the ship, in the role of Bowers. Harry Potter fans may also recognize her as the lady in the Gryffindor Common Room portrait.
Dawn French has been involved in some massively successful British comedy shows such as The Vicar Of Dibley where she was the titular lead. She has also taken part in all manner of other shows like The Wrong Mans and Delicious, where her comic timing is second to none.
Rose Leslie
Rose Leslie looks to have a particularly complex role in the film, as she takes on the part of Louise Bourget. While her incredible skills are clearly going to be on show here, most of the audience will know her for her life and dramatic death as Ygritte in Game Of Thrones.
She’s currently working on a serialized version of The Time Traveller’s Wife and just came off of the back of both Vigil and The Good Fight. Of course, her varied roles on TV, like Luther, have also inspired work on the big screen in the likes of The Last Dance or Morgan.
Emma Mackey
Emma Mackey is getting the huge opportunity on the big screen to star as Jacqueline de Bellefort in Death On The Nile. Her career is slightly limited thus far as the actress really got her big break as Maeve Wiley in Netflix’s critically acclaimed Sex Education.
Before this, she had a handful of roles like The Winter Lake and Eiffel. While she will be in the next series of Sex Ed she is now also preparing for the role of a lifetime, as she is set to portray Emily Brontë in a biopic simply titled Emily.
Sophie Okonedo
Sophie Okonedo is an incredibly underrated actress who has starred in countless genres and continues to demonstrate both the diversity of characters she can portray and the level of quality she brings to a role. She will be Salome Otterbourne in Death On The Nile.
After a brief appearance in Wheel Of Time, Doctor Who, and His Dark Materials, Okonendo has demonstrated she can perform in huge franchises. Series like Flack, Wanderlust, and The Slap really does demonstrate her range in dramatic roles as well.
