The Artful Dodger tells the story of Jack Dawkins, a young surgeon in Australia in the 1850s who often gets himself in trouble, and the cast list contains a handful of familiar names. The 2023 Hulu television series is based on characters from Charles Dickens’s 1838 novel, Oliver Twist. However, instead of being yet another adaptation of the famous novel, the show puts its own spin on the story by taking place 15 years following the events of Oliver Twist. As a result, the majority of characters are original and created for the series, while two are pulled directly from Dickens’s work.
The cast of The Artful Dodger includes Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Jack Dawkins/the Artful Dodger, David Thewlis as Norbert Fagin, Maia Mitchell as Lady Belle Fox, Damon Herriman as Captain Lucien Gaines, Tim Minchin as Darius Cracksworth, Damien Garvey as Governor Edmund Fox, Lucy-Rose Leonard as Lady Fanny Fox, Nicholas Burton as Dr. Rainsford Sneed, and many more actors. While the number of characters in the Hulu show is high, some are more important to the story than others. Numerous figures appear throughout the series’ eight episodes, including those mentioned above.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster As The Artful Dodger/Jack Dawkins
Thomas Brodie-Sangster stars as the titular character, the Artful Dodger, in the Hulu television show. However, following the conclusion of Oliver Twist, he mainly goes by Jack Dawkins. Jack previously worked for Norbert Fagin in London until he left the life of crime and pickpocketing behind and headed to Australia, where this story takes place, to start anew. Jack was a navy surgeon and continued this line of work in the 1850s in Australia. However, his past comes to haunt him in The Artful Dodger.
Before starring in the 2023 drama series, Brodie-Sangster appeared in numerous popular films and television shows. He is probably most known for his roles as Sam in Love Actually, Newt in the Maze Runner film series, and Benny Watts in The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix. A few of Brodie-Sangster’s other credits include Nanny McPhee, Phineas and Ferb, and Game of Thrones.
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Maia Mitchell As Lady Belle Fox
Maia Mitchell plays Lady Belle Fox in The Artful Dodger on Hulu. Lady Belle aspires to be a surgeon in the show, but since she is a woman and the governor’s daughter, becoming a doctor is a difficult task. However, things change when she meets Jack, and although their relationship is professional at first, neither can deny the sparks between them. Viewers might recognize Mitchell from her work as Callie Adams Foster in The Fosters and Good Trouble, Mack in Disney Channel’s Teen Beach film series, and Phoebe in The Last Summer.
David Thewlis As Norbert Fagin
David Thewlis appears as Norbert Fagin, a famous character from Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist, in The Artful Dodger. Fagin was Jack’s old boss in London, and he unexpectedly shows up in Australia and seeks out his former apprentice. Fagin promises to tell no one about Jack’s criminal past in London as long as the surgeon helps him in return. Thewlis is most famous for portraying Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter film series. But fans might also recognize the actor from his roles in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, War Horse, The Theory of Everything, Wonder Woman, or Enola Holmes 2.
Damon Herriman As Captain Lucien Gaines
Damon Herriman plays Captain Lucien Gaines in the Hulu drama series. Gaines is a detective in the colony who becomes suspicious of Jack and starts investigating him (and Fagin, as a result). Aside from The Artful Dodger, Herriman has starred in numerous movies and television shows, like Justified, Flesh and Bone, Mindhunter, The Nightingale, Judy and Punch, House of Wax, J. Edgar, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and many others.
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Tim Minchin As Darius Cracksworth
Tim Minchin portrays Darius Cracksworth in The Artful Dodger in Hulu. Darius cheats during a card game with Jack at the beginning of episode 1, but the surgeon doesn’t have the means to pay him (even though he lies and says he does). So, Darius is constantly threatening Jack until he gives him the money he owes. Viewers might recognize Minchin from Californication, Robin Hood, or Upright. However, Minchin is also a musician, composer, and stage performer.
Damien Garvey As Governor Edmund Fox
Edmund Fox, Lady Belle’s father, is played by Damien Garvey in the 2023 drama series. Edmund is the governor of the colony in the story, but he is also determined to find suitors for his daughters. Garvey has appeared in a plethora of films and television shows, including Daybreakers, Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Love and Monsters, Terra Nova, The Leftovers, Joe vs. Carole, and more.
Lucy-Rose Leonard As Lady Fanny Fox
Lucy-Rose Leonard stars as Lady Fanny Fox, Lady Belle’s sister and the governor’s daughter, in The Artful Dodger. Unlike her sister, Lady Fanny is focused on finding love and a husband. Aside from the Hulu television show, Leonard had roles in Neighbours, Winners & Losers, Crazy About You, and Nitram.
Nicholas Burton as Dr. Rainsford Sneed
Dr. Rainsford Sneed is played by Nicholas Burton in The Artful Dodger on Hulu. Dr. Sneed is first seen helping Jack with an amputation operation, but it quickly becomes evident that they are opponents rather than colleagues. Viewers might recognize Burton from Damaged, Pieces of Her, Barons, Safe Home, or Paper Dolls.
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The Artful Dodger Supporting Cast & Characters
Kym Gyngell as Professor Alistair McGregor – Kym Gyngell plays Alistair McGregor, a professor who thinks little of Jack in The Artful Dodger. Outside the Hulu series, Gyngell can be seen in many Australian projects, like Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Macbeth, Col’n Carpenter, Lowdown, The Little Death, Cop Shop, Full Frontal, and Black Snow.
Susie Porter as Lady Jane Fox – Susie Porter stars as Lady Jane Fox in the 2023 drama series. Lady Jane is Lady Belle’s mother and the governor’s wife, and she seemingly has a bit of influence over her husband’s business decisions. Fans might recognize Porter from Wentworth, East West 101, Cargo, The Monkey’s Mask, East of Everything, or Sisters of War.
Luke Carroll as Tim Billiberliary – Luke Carroll plays Tim Billiberliary, a man who works with Jack. Carroll has had roles in multiple Australian shows, including The Alice, RAN, and Home and Away.
Vivienne Awosoga as Hetty Baggett – Vivienne Awosoga portrays Hetty Baggett, a nurse who works with Jack at the Royal Hospital in Australia. Aside from starring in Hulu’s The Artful Dodger, Awosoga has appeared in television shows like Wentworth, Barons, After the Verdict, and The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart.
