Where You've Seen The Cast Of Rosaline Before
Buckle up, Shakespeare lovers: There's a new take on "Romeo and Juliet" in town, and it's called "Rosaline." Hulu has made major waves in recent years by coming out with consistently high-quality original productions, including "The Handmaid's Tale," "The Great," and "Palm Springs." The celebrated streaming service continues the trend with "Rosaline," which has earned praise from critics and casual viewers alike.
A romantic comedy directed by Karen Maine, best known for her work on "Obvious Child" and "Yes, God, Yes," "Rosaline" tells the titular young woman's untold story. If her name doesn't ring a bell, here's a refresher: Rosaline is the first woman Romeo becomes infatuated with. She's a totally unseen presence in "Romeo and Juliet," yet she sets the entire story in motion. In his attempt to catch a glimpse of Rosaline at a family gathering, Romeo instead sees, and falls in love with, her cousin Juliet. Giving Rosaline any screen time is a bold move, let alone an entire movie, but "Rosaline" is that sort of gutsy production.
An adaptation of Rebecca Serle's young adult novel "When You Were Mine," "Rosaline" follows the eponymous young lady as she tries to undermine the relationship between her ex and her cousin. As even the most casual Shakespeare reader knows, she has her work cut out for her. But even if you're utterly unfamiliar with the Bard, "Rosaline" is a whole lot of fun — and its dazzling cast is a big part of why. This clever film boasts major names and exciting up-and-comers, many of whom you might recognize. Can't quite recall how you know their faces? We've got the answers. This is where you've seen the cast of "Rosaline" before.
Kaitlyn Dever
Actress Kaitlyn Dever stars as the titular Rosaline Capulet. A prominent performer who's put together an impressive filmography since starting her career in the mid-2000s, Dever is one of Hollywood's brightest young talents. Her Rosaline navigates fresh heartbreak and a burning desire for vengeance as her ex-boyfriend Romeo falls in love with her cousin, Juliet. Dever portrays Rosaline as a bright, progressive, and slightly devious young woman who will stop at nothing to prevent these two iconic lovebirds from having a happy ending. The idea of telling an entirely new tale focused on an otherwise off-screen character is a charming and clever idea. It's also not an entirely new one: Consider "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead," which is about two minor characters from "Hamlet." But "Rosaline" breathes new life into the concept, thanks, in large part, to Dever's electric performance.
Dever might seem familiar from a number of roles in several films and television shows that have made waves over the last few years. She got her start with some early television performances on shows like "Modern Family," "Party Down," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" before landing her big small screen break as Loretta McCready on "Justified." From there, Dever made a successful pivot to film with supporting roles in "Bad Teacher," "The Spectacular Now," and "Dear Evan Hansen." It wasn't until landing one of the two leading roles in Olivia Wilde's feature debut "Booksmart" that Dever really landed on people's radar, however. Since then, she has enjoyed main roles on searing series like Netflix's "Unbelievable" and Hulu's "Dopesick." Her hard work and talent is already racking up awards gold: Dever has received numerous nominations for various accolades, including an Emmy and two Golden Globes.
Isabela Merced
For a film like "Rosaline" to work, its writers, director, and actors must have a foundational understanding of the source material it's based on. William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" is a legendary play centered around the forbidden (and fatal) romance between two star-crossed lovers. Juliet is, unsurprisingly, a pretty major part of the story. Within this movie, however, she takes on more of a side role as Rosaline's naïve cousin, who starts seeing her ex-boyfriend. At first, Rosaline tries to convince young Juliet that she should see other people. But once Juliet realizes her cousin is trying to break apart her budding romance, the plot really goes off the rails, to seriously hilarious effect.
Juliet is played by up-and-coming actress Isabela Merced. Merced has had an interesting and varied career since her first major on-screen performance as CJ Martin on the Nickelodeon series "100 Things to Do Before High School." From that point on, Merced started getting roles in bigger movies, such as "Transformers: The Last Knight," "The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature," and "Sicario: Day of the Soldado." What she's probably most well-known for, however, is her performance as Dora the Explorer in 2019's "Dora and the Lost City of Gold." This major live-action adaptation of the beloved children's cartoon received generally positive reviews. Turning a show aimed at kids barely out of diapers into a success isn't easy, but Merced's effortless charm almost makes it seem so: Even adults can find a lot to love in her portrayal of the titular adventurer. Since her success as Dora, Merced has appeared in projects like "Let it Snow," "Sweet Girl," and "Father of the Bride."
Kyle Allen
Aside from Rosaline and Juliet, the most important character in "Rosaline" has got to be Romeo Montague, the dashing romantic who seems to be constantly trying to court Capulet women, no matter how intensely his family wishes he would look elsewhere. In Shakespeare's original play, he has what appears to be a somewhat unhealthy obsession with Rosaline, which inadvertently leads him to fall in love with Juliet. In "Rosaline," the story is a little bit different. Here, Romeo and Rosaline are — at first — an official couple, who have been keeping their relationship a secret because of their families' feud. Thus, Romeo's sudden decision to leave Rosaline for her cousin is more of a grievous insult than it is in the play. One line in the trailer sums this up perfectly: "He was saying things to her that he just said to me," Rosaline tells her nurse. "Three days ago. Three, nurse."
For the role of Romeo, "Rosaline" turned to Kyle Allen, who plays the character as a charming rogue. Allen is no stranger to acting — or Hulu, for that matter. He's been performing since he was a young man, his first major leading role arriving in stand-out Hulu series "The Path." Here, he plays Hawk Lane, teenage son to characters played by Aaron Paul and Michelle Monaghan. All of them are part of a mysterious cult. Allen has also been featured in other projects, such as "American Horror Story," "West Side Story," and "The In Between."
Interestingly, it seems that Allen's connection to Shakespeare's work goes deeper than his performance in "Rosaline." In an interview with Interview Magazine, Allen went into detail about how seeing a performance of "Romeo and Juliet" shaped the course of his life and career. "My second year [at the Kirov Academy of Ballet] I decided that I really wanted to be a professional dancer," he recalled. "[Then I saw] Taras Domitro. He was in the San Francisco Ballet and they performed at the Kennedy Center. He was Mercutio in 'Romeo and Juliet.' I was like, 'If I can't do that, I'm not going to be a ballet dancer.' I gave myself a year or two." We can't say for sure, but we're willing to bet Allen is pretty happy about finding his way into "Romeo and Juliet" at last.
Bradley Whitford
One of the bigger names to appear in "Rosaline" is definitely Bradley Whitford, who plays the role of Adrian Capulet. Although this character is entirely made up for the movie, he casts a major shadow as Rosaline's father and Lord Capulet's brother. Adrian starts out as someone who strictly follows the cultural norms of his era by discouraging Rosaline's brash behavior. But soon, he grows to respect his daughter's autonomy in a truly touching way. At one point, towards the end of the film, he even tells Rosaline how proud of her he is, and that she's become everything he ever could have hoped she'd be. That's a touching speech for any girl to get from her dad, let alone one living in 16th century Italy.
For a role like this, it was essential to cast an actor who could bring both humor and pathos to the role. Luckily the casting department nailed it by bringing in Bradley Whitford, an actor who you're almost certain to recognize from his decades-spanning career in the entertainment industry. He's been in almost too many things to count, but his breakout role was undoubtedly White House Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman on the celebrated political drama "The West Wing." Whitford stayed with the show for its entire seven season run, and even continued his collaboration with writer Aaron Sorkin on his later series, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." Beyond television, Whitford has also become a familiar presence in film with roles in "Billy Madison," "The Post," "The Cabin in the Woods," and "Get Out." Whitford is no stranger to Hulu productions either: Fans of "The Handmaid's Tale" will recognize him as the inscrutable Joseph Lawrence.
Sean Teale
Rosaline may have a relationship with Romeo in "Rosaline," but that doesn't mean she doesn't have to deal with all sorts of suitors attempting to woo her. Enter Dario Penza, wonderfully played by Sean Teale. Dario is introduced as a desperate wannabe beau, who distracts Rosaline from her intended meeting with Romeo. In his defense, it's not his fault: He and Rosaline are inadvertently trapped on a boat together when a serious storm descends. This sets the plot in motion, and changes Dario's role in the story. From this point on, he acts as a willing accomplice in Rosaline's scheme to break up her ex-boyfriend and cousin before it's too late. Dario and Rosaline are a seriously fun comedic duo: Watching them concoct elaborate ways to sabotage this budding relationship is never anything less than hilarious.
Sean Teale is great as Dario, but it's probably far from the only role you've seen him in. This British actor has enjoyed several major parts, but the biggest performance of his early career has got to be Nick Levan on the classic UK teen drama "Skins." Teale has also had prominent roles on "Incorporated," "The Gifted," and "Reign." When it comes to movies, Teale enjoyed roles in "We Are The Freaks," "Survivor," and "B&B" prior to his performance in "Rosaline," which is undoubtedly his biggest film role to date. His voice may also sound familiar to all the video gamers out there: Teale voices Viego, the Ruined King, in the "League of Legends" franchise.
Minnie Driver
Academy Award-nominated performer Minnie Driver is Hollywood royalty. Her talent lights up the screen in "Rosaline," as it does every film she graces. Here, she plays the role of Nurse Janet, who is an extrapolation of the "Romeo and Juliet" character known only as the Nurse. Though the Nurse's original role is a supporting one, she has a major impact on the play as Juliet's surrogate mother. In "Rosaline," she essentially plays a similar role to the titular girl — except the dynamic between Rosaline and Nurse Janet is much more confrontational. Nurse Janet tends to have less patience for Rosaline's antics, and discourages her from doing anything crazy.
Minnie Driver has put together an extensive filmography over the course of her career, which kicked off in earnest with her performance as Benny in "Circle of Friends." Since then, Driver has appeared in multiple films and TV shows, including "GoldenEye," "Grosse Pointe Blank," "The Phantom of the Opera," and "Owning Mahowny," to name just a few. Her most critically acclaimed role has to be her performance as Skylar in "Good Will Hunting," which netted her nominations for best supporting actress from both the Academy Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Additionally, Driver has enjoyed success on television with recurring roles in shows like "The Riches" and "Will & Grace." She's also a notable voice actress, having played the formidable Lady Eboshi in the English dub of Studio Ghibli classic "Princess Mononoke" and earnest Jane Porter in Disney's "Tarzan."
Christopher McDonald
Portraying another father figure in "Rosaline" is Christopher McDonald, who plays Lord Capulet, Juliet's father and the head of the Capulet family. His relationship with his daughter in the original play is strained, as his wishes for her life clash with her own. Lord Capulet is responsible for orchestrating the engagement between Juliet and Paris, an arrangement that plays a significant role in the cascade of events that lead to Juliet's death. He's no one's favorite guy, but his undeniably tragic relationship with his daughter is deeply moving. In "Rosaline," his role is similar. Lord Capulet, who is still Juliet's father, completely forbids the relationship between Romeo and Juliet, and intends to start a full-fledged war with the Montague family when he is unable to.
You stand a good chance of recognizing Christopher McDonald, as he's been around for quite a while in both movies and TV shows. He's been in so many things, in fact, that it's almost impossible to list them all. One of his biggest early roles was Shooter McGavin in the Adam Sandler comedy classic "Happy Gilmore." Other major performances include his roles in "Thelma and Louise," "Requiem for a Dream," "The Iron Giant," and "Quiz Show." His television background is just as impressive, with notable spots on shows like "Boardwalk Empire" and "American Crime Story." Recently, McDonald has earned significant attention for his performance as Vegas magnate Marty Ghilain on HBO's "Hacks" — the role even earned him an Emmy nomination for outstanding guest actor.
Spencer Stevenson
Paris is one of the most important characters in "Romeo and Juliet," so it should come as no surprise that he makes a major appearance in "Rosaline." Spencer Stevenson absolutely kills it in this role. While Paris is usually portrayed as one of Juliet's more successful suitors — he actually becomes engaged to her, thanks to the work of Lord Capulet — "Rosaline" adds an entirely new layer to the character by making him a closeted gay man. Here, he's a good friend of Rosaline — but Rosaline isn't above putting that friendship towards her own aims. She encourages Paris to try and marry Juliet under the guise of helping him out, but in reality, she just wants him to get between her cousin and Romeo.
Spencer Stevenson portrays Paris as a good person and a genuinely complicated figure. Though the actor is still new to the scene, he made significant waves with early performances in "Mindhunter" and "The Purge" before scoring his big role in "Rosaline." He was also featured in "Never Goin' Back" and "Rollers." Stevenson has a very active social media presence, especially on Instagram. He's posted numerous behind-the-scenes shots of the production process for "Rosaline," which are definitely worth checking out — the movie's elaborate costumes are especially amazing.
Alistair Toovey
Tybalt is a critical character in "Romeo and Juliet," known mainly for his unfortunate death at Romeo's hands. Known for being a hothead, Tybalt kills Mercutio in a duel, which makes Romeo so furious that he and Tybalt have a duel of their own. It doesn't go well for the latter young man. This character has been portrayed countless times by legendary actors such as Orson Wells, Alan Rickman, and John Leguizamo, which means any performer taking the role on has some big shoes to fill. Alistair Toovey takes up Tybalt's mantle in "Rosaline." As in the play, Romeo kills Tybalt in a duel that completely ruins any chance of the Capulets and Montagues getting along. It's a testament to Toovey's skill that he makes a major impression before being cut down.
Toovey is still very early in his on-screen career, but he's definitely going places. His first major role was Nahkt in the TV miniseries "Tut." He's likely best known for his video game voiceover work: Toovey contributed performances to both "Guitar Hero" and "Horizon Forbidden West." With his role in "Rosaline" lighting up screens all over the world, we're betting Alistair Toovey is someone you'll be seeing more of in the future.