Netflix’s take on the wildly popular 3 Body Problem book series is fast approaching. Before the first season kicks off, brush up with our full rundown on every cast member we know about thus far, along with early details on their characters.
Chinese author Liu Cixin set the sci-fi genre on fire with their trilogy of books dealing with the fallout of humanity’s first contact with an alien race. Since its translation into English, the series has only continued exploding in popularity, to the point Game of Thrones showrunners have made this their first project since departing the HBO franchise.
While there’s plenty of ground to cover, and plenty of time skips to speak of too, Season 1 of their Netflix adaptation looks to cover the events of the first book in the series, itself titled The Three-Body Problem.
So to wrap your head around the expansive cast before diving in, here’s our full rundown on every actor involved along with details on the character they play in Netflix’s 3 Body Problem.
Contents:
- Benedict Wong: Da Shi
- Rosalind Chao: Ye Wenji
- Zine Tseng: Ye Wenjie (Young)
- Sir Jonathon Pryce: Mike Evans
- Ben Schnetzer: Mike Evans (Young)
- Liam Cunningham: Thomas Wade
- Jess Hong: Jin Cheng
- Jovan Adepo: Saul Durand
- Eiza González: Auggie Salazar
- John Bradley: Jack Rooney
- Alex Sharp: Will Downing
- Marlo Kelly: Tatiana
- Sea Shimooka: Sophon
- Saamer Usmani: Raj Varma
- Eve Ridley: Follower
3 Body Problem cast & characters
Benedict Wong: Da Shi
Benedict Wong, of Doctor Strange and Black Mirror fame, plays the role of Shi Qiang in 3 Body Problem, commonly referred to by a nickname of Da Shi.
Da Shi is a police officer who just so happens to take the Trisolarian threat seriously much sooner than most others. Da Shi begins the show by looking into the many similar deaths of acclaimed scientists around the globe.
Rosalind Chao: Ye Wenjie
Readers of the book series will know the name Ye Wenji all too well as one of the leading characters in the first chapter. Portrayed in one era by Rosalind Chao of recent Sweet Tooth fame and dozens more before that, the pivotal character largely serves as the catalyst for events set to transpire across multiple seasons.
Zine Tseng: Ye Wenjie (Young)
We first see Ye Wenjie as a younger girl left as a victim of the Chinese Cultural Revolution. This era’s depiction of the character is portrayed by newcomer Zine Tseng in her very first major role.
Sir Jonathon Pryce: Mike Evans
Game of Thrones enjoyers are in luck once again as Sir Jonathon Pryce, aka the High Sparrow, has also reunited with the show’s creators here to take on the role of Mike Evans. A pivotal character in the 3 Body Problem, Evans is portrayed across multiple eras, throwing his billionaire economic weight around amid the Trisolarian crisis.
Ben Schnetzer: Mike Evans (Young)
Ben Schnetzer of Snowden and Warcraft fame is set to play the younger version of Mike Evans throughout this adaptation, though just how much we see of the character in this era is anyone’s guess for now.
Liam Cunningham: Thomas Wade
One last Game of Thrones callback, the showrunners have recruited Liam Cunningham once again, this time in the role of Thomas Wade. This character leads the world’s top intelligence operation and thus carries extreme weight in the aftermath of the Trisolaris discovery.
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Jess Hong: Jin Cheng
Relative newcomer and New Zealand-based actress Jess Hong stars as Jin Cheng in the 3 Body Problem series on Netflix. As a new character not from the book series, Cheng is a member of a group known as the ‘Oxford Five,’ a select gathering of exceedingly talented theoretical physicists.
Jovan Adepo: Saul Durand
Next in the Oxford Five, we have Jovan Adepo of Watchmen, Babylon, and Overlord fame, taking on the role of Saul Durand. This character appears vital to the research group in helping map out the show’s central mystery.
Eiza González: Auggie Salazar
From Godzilla vs. Kong, Hobbs & Shaw, and many other Hollywood flicks, Eiza González joins the show as Auggie Salazar. Also a member of the Oxford Five, this character is set on helping the world today, not planning for hypotheticals in the future.
John Bradley: Jack Rooney
Game of Thrones fans will be familiar with John Bradley who played Samwell Tarly in the HBO series, and now reunites with its showrunners as Jack Rooney in 3 Body Problem. Another member of the Oxford Five, this character used their wits to ‘develop a snacks empire’, as an official description reads.
Alex Sharp: Will Downing
Rounding out the Oxford Five is Alex Sharp as Will Downing. Sharp has appeared in the likes of Oscar-nominated works such as The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Living. Little is known about his character beyond the fact he’s a physics teacher set to take on his biggest challenge yet.
Marlo Kelly: Tatiana
A brand new character for the show, Australian actress Marlo Kelly enters the series as Tatiana, a mysterious figure born in the shadow of Mike Evans. Her leaning appears to be that of embracing the alien race, no matter the cost.
Sea Shimooka: Sophon
Without delving into spoilers, the name Sophon may ring a few bells for readers of the book series. Here, the nature of the role appears somewhat different, embodied by Arrow actress Sea Shimooka in the show’s virtual reality world.
Saamer Usmani: Raj Varma
Having recently appeared in Succession, Saamer Usmani jumps into 3 Body Problem as another new character in naval officer Raj Varma.
Eve Ridley: Follower
Young actress Eve Ridley makes her on-screen debut in the 3 Body Problem as a character simply titled ‘Follower.’ Exactly how this child plays into the bigger picture remains to be seen.
So that’s all we know about the cast of Netflix’s 3 Body Problem for the time being. Rest assured, we’ll update you here with any further details as we get closer to the show’s March 21, 2024 debut.
