What Happened To The Queen's Gambit Cast?

When "The Queen's Gambit" roared onto Netflix in October of 2020, no one could have predicted what it would become: an international sensation that helped cement the streamer as a hub for modern prestige TV. The series swept through award shows on the coattails of Anya Taylor-Joy's commanding lead performance and its stunning production design, winning eleven Primetime Emmys and two Golden Globes. In the time since, "The Queen's Gambit" has remained the gold standard for other high-budget streaming miniseries to be measured.

There are a lot of reasons why the show became such a hit. The Emmy-winning cinematography of Steven Meizler captures the tangled world of Beth Harmon's chess crusade beautifully, accentuated by a beautiful range of period costumes and gorgeously adorned sets. The script is tight and compelling as well. But of course, no television series becomes truly transcendent without an equally great cast, and "The Queen's Gambit" has an excellent one.

Because Beth is the only main protagonist of the show, all the other characters appear and vanish based solely on her orbit. Yet, even the smaller supporting roles in "The Queen's Gambit" are memorable — brought to life by an ensemble of talented stars. But how did the series' success impact the careers of those actors? And what are they all up to now? Here's what has happened since to the cast of "The Queen's Gambit," and where you can find them today.

Though Anya Taylor-Joy plays Beth Harmon for the majority of "The Queen's Gambit," she isn't the only one to bring the character to life. The series follows Beth through multiple decades, with Annabeth Kelly ("The Small Francis") playing her as a very young child, and Isla Johnston playing her during her formative years at the Methuen Home for Girls. Johnston does an exceptional job as the young Beth, taking her through complex stages of trauma and grief and the beginnings of her chess career. But what else has the young star been up to?

Johnston has remained active in television since the end of "The Queen's Gambit." In 2021, she played the role of Lucy Spencer in the Apple TV+ original series "Invasion" — a sci-fi saga about an alien assault on Earth. She is also set to appear in the upcoming BBC adaptation of author Kate Atkinson's novel "Life After Life," which coincidentally will also feature Anya Taylor-Joy's "Last Night in Soho" co-star Thomasin McKenzie.

Moses Ingram made a big splash when "The Queen's Gambit" premiered, playing Beth's longtime friend Jolene. Her performance earned an Emmy Award nomination and launched her to well-deserved recognition in Hollywood, leading to some exciting new projects. She played Lady Macduff in Joel Coen's "The Tragedy of Macbeth," which has earned nominations for several Academy Awards, and she is in the Michael Bay action thriller "Ambulance" alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Eiza González.

Perhaps most exciting, however, is Ingram's upcoming "Star Wars" debut in the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" show, in which she will play the Third Sister — one of the Empire's elite Jedi-hunting Inquisitors. The Disney+ series is one of the most highly anticipated "Star Wars" projects in years, and it should be fun to see Ingram cross blades with Ewan MacGregor's disgraced Jedi master. Fans will get to discover Ingram's new character for themselves when "Obi-Wan Kenobi" premieres on May 25, 2022.

"Harry Potter" alum Harry Melling co-stars in "Gambit" as Beth's on-again, off-again friend and chess compatriot Harry Beltik (which might be one Harry too many for this sentence). Beltik is Beth's first truly competitive opponent when she begins entering tournaments, and after she quickly surpasses him in skill, their relationship evolves in curious ways, ultimately turning them into good friends and confidants. Melling plays Beltik with an interesting blend of awkwardness and ego, which sets him apart from other characters like Beth and Benny Watts.

In the past, Melling has appeared in a number of feature films, most famously playing Dudley Dursley in five of the "Harry Potter" movies, but also featuring in "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs," "The Devil All the Time," and "The Old Guard," among others. A seasoned stage actor, Melling most recently appeared alongside Moses Ingram in Joel Coen's "The Tragedy of Macbeth," in which he played the role of Malcolm. He's also set to appear in the upcoming 1950s period drama "Please Baby Please," written and directed by Amanda Kramer, and in Scott Cooper's "The Pale Blue Eye," in which he'll portray famed author Edgar Allen Poe alongside Christian Bale and Gillian Anderson.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster was already a pretty recognizable star before his Emmy-nominated performance as Benny in "The Queen's Gambit." His early roles included films like "Nanny McPhee," "Love Actually," and the "Maze Runner" movies, in which he plays Newt. He also had prominent roles in several major TV series as a young actor, playing Jojen Reed in HBO's "Game of Thrones" and voicing Ferb in Disney's "Phineas and Ferb," among other appearances.

In the wake of "The Queen's Gambit," Brodie-Sangster hasn't been terribly active on screen, but fans certainly haven't seen the last of him. At the moment, he's set to feature in the upcoming FX miniseries "Pistol," which will tell the story of Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones (Toby Wallace). The "Queen's Gambit" actor will appear in the series as Malcolm McLaren — the band's manager and self-professed master swindler. Brodie-Sangster will also star in the upcoming World War II audio drama series "Unsinkable," alongside the likes of Brian Cox and John Malkovich.

British actor Akemnji Ndifornyen may not have as much screen time as some of the other members of the "Queen's Gambit" main cast, but he still plays a significant role in the series as Mr. Fergusson, the Methuen orderly whose rampant administering of various pills kicks off Beth's drug addiction. Ndifornyen has long been a staple of British TV, with an extended tenure on the BBC One medical soap opera "Doctors" and a starring role as Niccolò Machiavelli on the children's series "Leonardo."

In addition to his onscreen work, Ndifornyen is also a seasoned writer and producer. He won a BAFTA in 2019 for his work on the sketch comedy series "Famalam," which he helped write, produced, acted in, and even composed the music for. Coming up, fans can catch him in Lena Dunham's medieval comedy film "Catherine, Called Birdy," which stars Andrew Scott, Billie Piper, and Bella Ramsey.

If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Beth Harmon's late mother Alice is one of the most interesting characters in "The Queen's Gambit." Though she only appears in occasional flashbacks, she casts a long shadow over the entire show and affects Beth's arc in numerous ways. When Alice does appear on camera, she's played by Chloe Pirrie, a seasoned screen actor from Scotland whose feature film credits include "Kindred," "Burn Burn Burn," and the 2020 adaptation of Jane Austen's "Emma," which coincidentally also starred Anya Taylor-Joy. Pirrie is perhaps better known for her career in television, with prominent appearances in recent shows like "Black Mirror," "Temple," "Carnival Row," and "Troy: Fall of a City."

Pirrie's biggest role since "The Queen's Gambit" came in the third season of the Amazon Prime Video sci-fi series "Hanna," in which she played CIA operative Brianna Stapleton. She can soon be seen in the 2022 crime drama miniseries "Under the Banner of Heaven," starring Andrew Garfield.

Last but not least on our list is Polish actor Marcin Dorociński, who plays Beth's Russian rival Vasily Borgov in "The Queen's Gambit." Though he's become more of an international star in recent years, Dorociński spent years as a prominent actor on the Polish cinema scene, winning numerous awards for his spectacular performances. He co-starred with David Tennant and Janet Montgomery in the 2013 BBC miniseries "Spies of Warsaw," featured prominently in the 2016 crime drama series "Cape Town," and played the leading role in the Polish HBO show "Pakt," which ran from 2015 to 2016. Since "The Queen's Gambit," Dorociński has continued to appear primarily in Polish films, such as 2020's "Bialy Potok" and 2021's "Tesciowie."

As another fun "Queen's Gambit" "Star Wars" connection, Dorociński also voiced the villainous Kylo Ren in the Polish dub of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" — the dark side warrior played by Adam Driver.