There are horror movies that are more of the same thing, like a franchise we’ve seen a thousand times over and over again, or some offering the same kind of slash and dash expectations that we always think of when we remember the most iconic horror movies.
And then, there are horror movies that truly change the game and turn such interesting premises into scary stories – like a creepy Airbnb for Barbarian earlier in 2022, or, what we’re going to talk about today, the weird tasting menu for a chef in The Menu.
The highly-anticipated film has finally been released, along with its star-studded cast that includes Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Ralph Fiennes and so many more. If you just went to see the movie and you’re wondering the actors look so familiar, here is where you might have seen The Menu cast before.
Ralph Fiennes (Chef Julian Slowik)
Starting off strong, we take a look at Ralph Finnes, who plays Chef Julian Slowik in The Menu, the chef who designed this tasting experience. Fiennes is an actor who has been in the business for years, appearing in several big-time films. Most people probably know him for his famous role as Voldemort in the Harry Potter franchise, but Fiennes has been in plenty of other amazing films.
Some of his best live-action performances have been in movies such as Schindler’s List, The English Patient, the Duchess, The Hurt Locker, the Wes Anderson-directed The Grand Budapest Hotel, The King’s Man, and more. He portrayed Gareth Mallory in the most recent Daniel Craig James Bond films, and voiced Ramses in The Prince of Egypt. Truly, a man of many talents – and the perfect choice for the lead of this film.
Anya Taylor-Joy (Margot)
Next up, we take a look at Anya Taylor-Joy, a young actress who has been making strides in the world of movies and television the past several years. She portrays Margot in The Menu.
Taylor-Joy made headlines for her performance as Beth Harmon in The Queen’s Gambit, but she has done plenty of other work in the industry. She had a big role in the series, Peaky Blinders, but besides that, she’s appeared in many great films as well, including The Northman cast, Radioactive, the A24 horror film The Witch, Last Night in Soho, 2022’s Amsterdam, Emma. and so many others. She also appeared in the M. Night Shyamalan flick, Split, and its sequel.
Nicholas Hoult (Tyler)
Margot's lover in the film is Tyler, and he's portrayed by Nicholas Hoult. The young actor has made strides in his career by appearing in well-regarded movies such as About a Boy, but became famous when he appeared on the hit teen show, Skins, as well as in the X-Men franchise.
Since then, he’s only grown in his talent. He’s on the Hulu original series, The Great, which is getting a third season soon, but has appeared in a variety of different movies such as Mad Max: Fury Road, The Banker, the forbidden romance film Warm Bodies, Tolkien, The Current War, Clash of the Titans, and so many others.
Hong Chau (Elsa)
Portraying Elsa in The Menu is Hong Chau, an actress who has been around for ages in the movie industry. Soon, she is also going to be appearing in the anticipated 2022 film, The Whale, but she’s appeared in a variety of previous films and TV shows.
In terms of television, she was a part of the hit HBO series, Watchmen, as well as the sci-fi series, Homecoming. She was also a part of the show Treme, and had a recurring part in Big Little Lies
In movies, she’s had roles in films such as Inherent Vice, Downsizing, American Woman, Driveways, and more.
Janet McTeer (Lillian Bloom)
Next up, we take a look at Janet McTeer, who portrays Lillian Bloom in The Menu. McTeer got her start on Broadway, but also transferred her talents to television and movies after that. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in Tumbleweeds, but has appeared in many films since then, such as Albert Nobbs, Wuthering Heights, Hawks, The Woman in Black, Maleficent, Me Before You, the Divergent series, and so many more.
In terms of television, she was the star of the series, The Governor, and has been in several shows such as The White Queen, The Honourable Woman, as well as Ozark on Netflix.
Reed Birney (Richard)
Reed Birney portrays Richard in The Menu, and like many others on this list, he’s worked on both Broadway and Off-Broadway, but has used his talents for the film and TV industry, as well. Some of his most known work in film includes Crimewave, Twelve Thirty, Morning Glory, Jackrabbit, The Hunt, Lost Girls, and more.
He’s guest starred on several television shows, but most notably had a recurring role on House of Cards, and is currently on The Blacklist and Titans. Most recently, he portrayed Sylvester Lisko in Home Before Dark.
Judith Light (Anne)
Judith Light is arguably one of the most known talents on this list since she has been around for decades and has done so much. She started her career on Broadway, but has made a name for herself in Hollywood, with a lot of work in the television industry.
She was the star of Who’s the Boss? on ABC, and only continued to have major roles in popular shows such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Ugly Betty, Dallas, Transparent, and The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Most recently, she was a part of the Season 2 cast of American Horror Stories.
Light has also had plenty of time in the spotlight on film. Some of her most known have been Before You Know It, Digging For Fire, We’ll Never Have Paris, and in 2021, she was a part of the Tick, Tick…Boom! cast.
Paul Adelstein (Ted)
Moving on, we take a look at Paul Adelstein, who plays Ted in The Menu. Adelstein is mainly known for his role as Paul Kellerman on the popular drama, Prison Break, but has had many major roles in television shows since, including Private Practice, I Feel Bad, Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, Scandal, Chicago P.D. and more.
Adelstein has also appeared in several movies, including Mothers and Daughters, Intolerable Cruelty, Memoirs of a Geisha, The Missing Person, and most recently in 2022, he had a part in The Greatest Beer Run Ever.
Aimee Carrero (Felicity)
Next up, we have Aimee Carrero, who plays Felicity in The Menu. Carrero is mainly known for her voice work, as she voiced She-Ra in the popular under-the-radar series, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, and she’s also voiced Princess Elena in Elena of Avalor. But, other than that, she’s also had several main roles in television shows such as Young and Hungry and Level Up.
Carrero also appeared in multiple films, including Wander Darkly, The Last Witch Hunter, Devil’s Due, and Holidate.
Arturo Castro (Soren)
Arturo Castro plays Soren in The Menu, and the young actor has done plenty of work before his role in this 2022 horror film. Castro is primarily known for his roles on both the Netflix television series, Narcos, as well as his role as Jaime Castro on Broad City. But, he also appeared in several other shows as guest stars, including Room 104, Flipped, The Terminal List, and more.
Castro has also appeared in movies such as the 2022 film, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Dating and New York, Yes Day, Lady and the Tramp, and others.
Rob Yang (Bryce)
Rob Yang plays Bryce in The Menu, and like his co-stars, has done plenty in television and movies. He portrayed Dr. Degroff in One Life to Live, Don Seong in The Americans, Logan Kim in The Resident, and most recently, Deputy Steve Park in the Showtime original series, American Rust.
In movies, he’s made appearances in films such as The Unidentified, Certainty, Stockholm, Pennsylvania, Glass, and The Kitchen.
Mark St. Cyr (Dave)
Next up in The Menu cast is Mark St. Cyr, who portrays Dave. Most notably, he has had a main recurring role in the popular Disney+ series, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, but St. Cyr has also had big roles in several other television shows, including Giving Me Life (in the Land of Deadass), Doomsday, Finding Me: The Series, The Verge, and Mumbai Chopra: Misadventures of an It Girl.
He has also appeared in films like Marshall and Triple Threat.
John Leguizamo (Movie Star)
Last but not least, we take a look at a literal movie star, John Leguizamo – who literally portrays a movie star in The Menu. Leguizamo is sort of a legend in Hollywood, as he has been in so much great work.
Some of his best films include the 2014 movie, Chef, Super Mario Bros., Carlito’s Way, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, Romeo + Juliet, Body Count, Moulin Rouge!, Collateral Damage, and 2014's John Wick. Leguizamo is also known for his voice work, as he voiced Sid in the Ice Age movies, and Bruno as part of the Encanto cast.
That’s right – he’s the Bruno we can’t talk about.
Leguizamo has also done some television work as well, having main roles in shows such as Bloodline, The Kill Point, and a recurring role on ER. He also had a part in the acclaimed miniseries, When They See Us.
With so many amazing stars, it’s no wonder that The Menu is probably going to be an amazing hit. And now, you can find some other awesome stuff to watch, too – after enjoying this feast of a movie first, of course.
