Where You've Seen The Cast Of The Terminal List Before
Amazon Prime's series "The Terminal List" has been garnering a lot of attention. The series, based on the novel of the same name by Jack Carr, follows Lieutenant Commander James Reece (Chris Pratt) as he fights against corrupt forces that endanger his personal life after he returns home from a mission where his team was ambushed and mostly killed. Although the series was widely panned by critics, audiences have shown their love for "The Terminal List," making it one of the most watched series on Amazon Prime (via Tom's Guide).
When the series was first revealed, it was shown to be a shadowy and action-packed thrill ride filled with endless intensity and a dark desire for truth and vengeance. Many also noted "The Terminal List" featured a star-studded cast of rising and established talent. From a lead who's wrangled dinosaurs and flown across the galaxy with a unique group of heroes to a rising talent who's made big waves in the indie film scene, "The Terminal List" has got plenty of big names that audiences have seen before.
Chris Pratt
A tough and strong-willed soldier like James Reece needs someone just as strong to play him, and Chris Pratt was a fitting choice. Although he's mostly known for his charmingly comedic performances that started when he played Andy Dwyer on "Parks and Recreation," Pratt can have some good dramatic roles and personally emotional parts to his characters. In the "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies and other MCU appearances, Pratt has shown that he can blend hilarious energy with more personal character beats.
Pratt is well known for his charming leading man-type roles, though, and it's been a big part of the reason that he become a household name. He just recently completed his time in the "Jurassic World" trilogy with "Jurassic World Dominion" where he reprised his role as heroic raptor trainer Owen Grady alongside franchise veterans. Pratt's screen presence has only grown more with each big role, but many might not realize that he also hit big with a voice role.
Believe it or not, Pratt provides the voice for lead character Emmet in the well-recieved "The LEGO Movie," although he has also landed some big voice roles that everyone isn't exactly thrilled about. The news of Pratt voicing Mario and Garfield has divided fans on the internet, and many have expressed their confusion and concern over his casting.
Constance Wu
As seasoned war correspondent Katie Buranek, Constance Wu presents tenacity and determination in her mission to help James understand the truth behind the ambush. Wu's has career taken off in the last few years as she's shown herself to be a strong presence with a wide range on both the big and small screen. Many viewers probably first saw Wu play a comedic lead in the ABC sitcom "Fresh Off the Boat," where she played family matriarch Jessica Huang. However, after "Fresh Off the Boat," Wu became a wider recognized name thanks to two big film roles.
The first came when she starred in the game-changing film "Crazy Rich Asians" as Rachel Chu. There, she showcased a great mix of personal strength and comedic charm to make Rachel a character anyone could get behind as she attempts to stay afloat amid her boyfriend's wealthy family — particularly in the eyes of his judgmental mother. Wu also starred in the 2019 film "Hustlers" where she delivered an underrated performance amongst a star-studded cast as the savvy stripper Destiny.
Wu also stars in the live-action adaptation of Bernard Waber's children's story "Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile" as Mrs. Primm, the mother of a family who moves into an NYC flat only to discover a singing crocodile named Lyle (voiced by Shawn Mendes) living in their attic.
Riley Keough
As James' personal support system and motivation, James' wife Lauren plays a major role in his story arc and is excellently played by Riley Keough. While Keough isn't exactly a big name in the mainstream film scene, she's a total icon in the indie film space with numerous performances that show her as a true rising talent. The list of indie films that Keough rocks it in continues to grow yearly as she's starred in A24 films like "Zola," "Under the Silver Lake," and "American Honey." Beyond that, she has also appeared in some notable indie horror flicks like "The Lodge" and "The House that Jack Built."
However, Keough's biggest role was in Steven Soderbergh's 2017 "Logan Lucky" as Mellie Logan. Even amongst top acting talents like Daniel Craig and Adam Driver, Keough stands out through Mellie's stylish looks and comedic charm that give her a strong screen presence. Keough's most recent notable film role was in Netflix's "The Devil All the Time" as Sandy, one-half of a serial killer couple. Also, for those looking for a fun fact about Keough, she is actually the granddaughter of Elvis Presley and shared some emotional thoughts about the recent biopic "Elvis."
Keough is undeniably one of the most versatile performers out there and she's quickly becoming a talent everyone should have their eyes on.
Taylor Kitsch
Taylor Kitsch is no stranger to starring in action thrillers, which makes it fitting for him to play Ben Edwards, James' former Navy SEAL teammate and current CIA operative. Kitsch is a veteran actor who first caught the eyes of audiences playing heartthrob high school fullback Tim Riggins on NBC's "Friday Night Lights," where he masterfully depicted Tim's alcohol and family struggles. Once Kitsch's stint on "Friday Night Lights" ended, he starred in multiple action thrillers that never quite ended up making him the breakout star he could've been.
Unfortunately, Kitsch led two total blunders within the same year when he starred in Disney's 2012 box-office disaster "John Carter" and led the heavily maligned 2012 action epic "Battleship." Even worse is that Kitsch also co-starred in the poorly received "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" where he played fan-favorite hero Remy LeBeau, better known as Gambit.
While Kitsch's potential to be in franchise blockbusters never really panned out, he's made a very solid career out of starring in some well-received action thrillers. Whether it was Kitsch's time in "Lone Survivor," "Savages," "21 Bridges," "American Assassin," or his stint on Season 2 of HBO's "True Detective," he's had some strong performances that have more than made up for past blunders.
Jeanne Tripplehorn
Jeanne Tripplehorn plays Secretary of Defense Lorraine Hartley in "The Terminal List" and is a key player in protecting the cover-up that Reece is trying to expose. Tripplehorn is a veteran actress who has appeared in some notable films like "Basic Instinct" and "Waterworld" but is better known for her big roles in some of the most popular TV shows out there. Aside from her recurring role in Amazon Prime's "Undone" and main role in FX's "Mrs. America," Tripplehorn also gained widespread recognition for co-starring in HBO's "Big Love."
In "Big Love," Tripplehorn plays Barb Henrickson, one of the main wives of polygamist Bill (Bill Paxton), and stands out amongst a talented cast through her consistently strong performance. Tripplehorn stood out amongst a prolific cast again when she joined the cast of "Criminal Minds" at the start of Season 8 as FBI Linguistics expert Alex Blake. Tripplehorn's role in "Criminal Minds" could've just been a couple of episodes as a guest role, but she was able to make a distinct enough mark to have a respectable two season run before leaving the series.
JD Pardo
As FBI special agent Tony Layun, who is constantly hot on Reece's trail after he goes rogue, JD Pardo delivers a potential breakout performance that adds to the thrills. Pardo is a rising talent who's appeared in plenty of TV series throughout his career like "Revolution" and "The Messengers," but it's his role as Ezekiel 'EZ' Reyes in the "Sons of Anarchy" spinoff series "Mayans M.C." that's really launched his career.
EZ is the main protagonist of "Mayans M.C." and acts as an audience surrogate as we see his journey in joining the Mayans and dealing with his troubled past. Pardo has always been a driving force for the series delivering a memorable performance that evokes the strength and anguish that EZ goes through in his personal life in and out of the Mayans. Pardo also appeared in "F9: The Fast Saga" as Dom and Jakob's father Jack and fans will be thrilled to know that Pardo also stars in a mystery thriller from Robert Rodriguez titled "Hypnotic."
Alexis Louder
Alexis Louder is a prominent up-and-comer who plays Nicole Deptul, a subordinate to Layun who is also on the hunt for Reece. While Louder is a newbie, she's already become a proven talent given some of the notable shows and film gigs she's had. She's not only had recurring roles in top shows like The CW's "The Originals," HBO's "Watchmen," and "Chicago P.D.," but had a breakout performance in the incredibly under-watched action thriller "Copshop."
Even working alongside action veterans like Gerard Butler and Frank Grillo, Louder managed to make an impact and deliver some great lines as rookie cop Valerie Young. Louder delivered the full package of being an action hero who channeled Clint Eastwood in "Copshop" and showed that she deserves to have a bigger spotlight in the genre. Perhaps with more roles like this, Louder could become a talent we'll see more often, leading to some action thrillers of her own.
Jai Courtney
With "The Terminal List," Jai Courtney adds another notable villain role to his repertoire as he plays Steve Horn, a corrupt CEO of a wealthy tech company. Courtney has become known for his various villainous roles in big film franchises like Captain Boomerang in the "Suicide Squad" movies and Eric in the "Divergent" series. He even faced off against Liam Neeson in the action flick "Honest Thief" as a corrupt FBI agent. However, it's worth noting that Courtney hasn't always been stuck to playing villains.
In the 2015 sequel "Terminator Genisys," Courtney helps protect Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) from a villainous version of John Connor (Jason Clarke) as Kyle Reese. He also worked alongside Bruce Willis' John McClane as his son Jack in "A Good Day to Die Hard." Even when Courtney played Captain Boomerang, underneath his grimy demeanor, he was able to bring out some likable charm that's made his portrayal a fan favorite.
LaMonica Garrett
Appearing in "The Terminal List" as Commander Bill Cox, actor LaMonica Garrett has enjoyed a career with a lot of notable TV roles. While Garrett might not be a name many would recognize immediately, he's already played some significant recurring and main roles on some well-known shows. Throughout the Arrowverse, Garrett played both the Monitor and the Anti-Monitor in several episodes of "Arrow," "Supergirl," and "DC's Legends of Tomorrow."
Garrett also scored a main role in the "Yellowstone" prequel series "1883" as Pinkerton agent Thomas. Audiences also might recognize Garrett from his recurring roles on series like "Sons of Anarchy" and "The Last Ship" as well as the central role he had on "Designated Survivor" as Mike Ritter. Garrett might not be a household name yet, but considering how he's landing some big roles on some big shows, it may only be a matter of time until he becomes one.
Christina Vidal
As another entity that works with Layun in tracking down Reece, Christina Vidal plays US Marshal Mackenzie 'Mac' Wilson. Vidal is a veteran actress with a slew of supporting and main roles across film and TV. Arguably her biggest film role came when she starred in the cult horror slasher "See No Evil," where she fended off a relentless killer in a grimy abandoned hotel. "See No Evil" was far from being loved by critics, but it remains a cult flick that many horror fans can recall.
Vidal has honestly seen more success on the small screen by starring and appearing in various well-known shows. In 2020, Vidal co-starred with Will Sasso in the short-lived family sitcom "United We Fall" showing a more comedic side to her acting. She also had a recurring role in Amazon Prime's crime thriller series "Sneaky Pete." Her biggest part to date, before "The Terminal List," on the small screen was likely in CBS' series adaptation of "Training Day" where she played Valeria Chavez.
Paul McCrane
Paul McCrane is another actor who's generally known for his more villainous roles who is given a character with a bit more of a sympathetic turn in "The Terminal List" as pharmaceutical CEO Mike Tedesco. "ER" fans likely know McCrane for portraying Dr. Robert Romano for over ten seasons of the series. On "ER," McCrane was known for making Romano a nasty antagonist for the series generally lacking empathy or a soul when it came to how he treated those around him and his patients. He's also known for having some bad run-ins with helicopters, first losing an arm to a helicopter blade and later dying when he is crushed by one.
McCrane has also appeared in an antagonist role in the CBS legal drama series "All Rise" as conservative judge Jonas Laski, where he also directed some episodes. Although his appearances as Laski can be brief, McCrane also brings a swift cruelty that helps his character earn the title of "Punisher."
Nick Chinlund
A top target on Reece's hit list is commanding officer Admiral Gerald Pillar, played by Nick Chinlund. Chinlund is a veteran actor who has really done it all, playing roles big and small across film and TV. From supporting roles in films like "Lethal Weapon 3," "Training Day," and "The Legend of Zorro" to larger roles in films like "The Chronicles of Riddick" as Toombs and "Tears of the Sun" as Michael Slowenski, Chinlund has touched just about every genre with a clear enjoyment of action flicks.
Viewers with sharp ears might also recognize Chinlund's voice in "Young Justice" as he voices fan-favorite DC villain Lawrence 'Crusher' Crock, better known as Sportsmaster. So, if you're ever wondering who's spouting Sportsmaster's quips, trash-talk, and threats, it's Chinlund. He also voices Bane in "Young Justice" on occasion as well and has been with the franchise through both its original and rebooted run.
Tyner Rushing
Tyner Rushing is a fast-rising talent who plays Liz Riley, a pilot rescued by Reece and his team, in the series. Although Rushing doesn't have a ton of credits to her name, the ones she does have are pretty noteworthy. Not only has she had recurring and guest spots in big series like "The Purge," "Miracle Workers," "Creepshow," and "Lovecraft Country." In addition, "Stranger Things" fans might recognize her for playing Virginia Creel in Season 4.
As the kind and gentle matriarch of the Creel family, Rushing's character Virginia and her family played a significant role in establishing new lore in the franchise. Rushing also appeared in a recurring role in FX's breakout detective mini-series "Under the Banner of Heaven" as Emma Smith. Perhaps Rushing's filmography might look small, but if she keeps landing some decent and sizable roles on some big-name series, she could easily become a name people should watch out for.
Patrick Schwarzenegger
As the youngest member in Reece's platoon, Donny Mitchell, Patrick Schwarzenegger continues to expand his portfolio. If you hadn't guessed it from just looking at his last name, Schwarzenegger is the son of action hero legend Arnold Schwarzenegger and is also ironically the brother-in-law to Chris Pratt, but he has already made an impression on the acting world. His breakout performance in the 2019 psychological horror film "Daniel Isn't Real" as the titular imaginary friend Daniel has already shown him to be a potential star, and it's a big part of what makes the film a total must-watch.
Other places that viewers might have seen Schwarzenegger are in HBO's "The Staircase," "Scream Queens," "Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse," and the 2018 romance drama "Midnight Sun," where he starred alongside Bella Thorne. Schwarzenegger's filmography might not be as robust as his dad's, but he certainly has gotten a strong start.