Dunkirk has one of the most exciting ensemble casts ever put together by Christopher Nolan, as the movie follows the titular battle from the perspectives of different characters. Taking an unconventional approach when it comes to its World War II setting, Dunkirk refuses to directly show the German forces even though their suggestive presence is enough to establish a haunting atmosphere.
While Dunkirk is one of Nolan's least confusing movies, but its plot and the structure of its storytelling still weigh upon the viewer after the credits roll. In the face of an imminent tragedy, allies, generals, soldiers, and citizens all fight their own inner battle to keep their humanity. These individuals that make up Dunkirk's cast of characters are played by a range of talents, including Hollywood veterans and fresh young actors, all of them doing their best to convey a realistic war tale.
Fionn Whitehead As Tommy
One of the main characters in Dunkirk, Tommy is a young soldier and the sole survivor of a violent German ambush. Despite being traumatized by the massacre he witnessed at such a young age, Tommy tries his best to help the wounded and guide his fellow soldiers to safety.
Casting a novice actor in a leading role isn't among Christopher Nolan's trademarks, but Fionn Whitehead delivers an impeccable performance. Whitehead made his acting debut in the British miniseries Him in 2016, one year before his breakthrough role heading the cast of Dunkirk. His career skyrocketed after the movie's success, with parts in ambitious projects such as the interactive movie Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and the biopic Emily, in which Whitehead plays the real-life painter Branwell Brontë.
Aneurin Barnard As Gibson
Gibson is a French soldier who steals the identity of a British soldier he buried in order to be evacuated with the others, but he winds up being suspected of being German. Different from the character he plays, Aneurin Barnard is a Welsh actor known for his prolific career in TV, having appeared in Peaky Blinders' final season and in the mystery show 1899, where he plays Daniel Solace. His breakthrough role was Richard Duke of Gloucester in the British miniseries The White Queen.
Harry Styles As Alex
Harry Styles was considered for many movie roles after his acting debut in Dunkirk. In Nolan's war movie, he plays Alex, one of the soldiers saved by Tommy. In contrast, Alex indirectly causes the death of a soldier by putting his own life first.
Styles certainly is the most popular face in the Dunkirk cast, although Nolan chose him solely for his potential as an actor. Styles rose to fame as a member of the boy band One Direction, though the Grammy-winning artist is now involved in a well-received solo career. Styles actively ed the film industry following Dunkirk's success, starring in critically divisive movies such as Don't Worry Darling and My Policemen. Styles is also part of the MCU in the role of the powerful Eros, a.k.a Starfox.
Barry Keoghan As George Mills
George, the teenage hand that sets out to the war in secret and meets a tragic fate, is another hard-hitting historical role in Barry Keoghan's career. The actor is a rising star, gaining major recognition after winning a BAFTA Film award and earning an Oscar nomination for his performance in The Banshees of Inisherin. The actor came into the spotlight after a spine-chilling performance as Martin in The Killing of a Sacred Deer, a role that certainly set the path for Keoghan to be cast as the Joker in Matt Reeves's Batman universe.
Mark Rylance As Mr. Dawson
Mr. Dawson is the man in charge of steering the small boat Moonstone toward Dunkirk, hoping to evacuate as many soldiers as he can. Dawson is a loyal and patriotic man based on a real person named Charles Lightroller. The character is played in Dunkirk by Mark Rylance, a critically acclaimed actor who is part of the star-studded casts of Don't Look Up and The Trial of the Chicago 7. Rylance won a Best ing Actor Oscar in 2015 for his performance in Bridge of Spies and received unanimous praise for his chilling role in Bones and All.
Tom Glynn-Carney As Peter
Peter, Mr. Dawson's son and sailing companion, is played by Tom Glynn-Carney, another young actor who rose to prominence because of his breakthrough role in Dunkirk's cast. Following the movie's success, Glynn-Carney co-starred in Netflix's The King alongside Timothée Chalamet. He also has appeared in prominent TV shows including Rogue Heroes, Mayflies, and The House of the Dragon, where he plays Aegon II in his teenage years.
Cillian Murphy As Unnamed Soldier
The shell-shocked soldier rescued by Mr. Dawson is played by Cillian Murphy, who regularly works with Christopher Nolan. He appears in the filmmaker's Dark Knight trilogy as the villain Scarecrow, plus he can be seen in the mind-bending sci-fi movie Inception and the biopic Oppenheimer, where he stars in the title role. However, Murphy is most commonly known for his role as Tommy Shelby in the period TV show Peaky Blinders and for playing the lead actor in Danny Boyle's innovative zombie movie 28 Days Later.
Kenneth Branagh As Commander Bolton
Commander Bolton, who is in charge of overseeing the risky Dunkirk evacuation, is played by renowned actor and film director Kenneth Branagh. He's most widely familiar for his role in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets as Professor Gilderoy Lockart. In 2021, Branagh released the semi-autobiographical drama Belfast, a movie about Irish history that recounts his memories of growing up in the titular city during the Troubles. As a prolific artist, Branagh also has the tendency of starring in his own movies, such as in the William Shakespeare adaptations Hamlet and Henry V, the latter of which earned him Best Director and Best Actor nominations at the Oscars.
Tom Hardy As Farrier
Farrier, the skilled fighter pilot who saves the day in Dunkirk, is played by Tom Hardy. The actor previously worked with Nolan in Inception and as the villain Bane in The Dark Knight Rises. Among Hardy's best movies are Mad Max: Fury Road, in which he takes over the iconic title role, and the intimate drama Locke. On television, Hardy had a recurring character in Peaky Blinders, Alfie. Curiously, Hardy's face is covered up in many movies, and this includes his role as Farrier, as the pilot spends most of the film with his mask on.
Dunkirk ing Cast & Characters
Jack Lowden as Collins - Collins, the fighter pilot whose plane is hit and then is rescued by Mr. Dawson's boat, is played by Jack Lowden, the star of the war drama Benediction. Lowden is also part of the TV show Slow Horses, in which he co-stars with Gary Oldman.
Lee Armstrong as Grenadier - One of the of the Grenadier Guards at Dunkirk is played by Lee Armstrong, who is known for small TV appearances in shows such as Call the Midwife and The Nevers.
Damien Bonnard as French Soldier - The French soldier who is seen in Dunkirk accompanying Tommy is played by Damien Bonnard. The French actor also plays a police officer in Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch.
