Lift, a new heist movie directed by F. Gary Gray for Netflix, is just around the corner – so here’s your spoiler-free guide to the cast and characters you need to know.
January 2024 was anything but quiet for Netflix — kicking off with its latest Harlan Coben adaptation Fool Me Once, which had everyone hooked when it dropped the full season on New Year’s Day.
But it didn’t stop there, with the streaming giant chasing this up with TV shows such as The Brothers Sun and Gyeongseong Creature Part 2, and movies like Society of the Snow and Good Grief.
Gary Gray’s latest flick came next, an action-comedy heist movie with some big names heading up the drama. Here’s everything you need to know about the cast of Lift.
Contents
- Cyrus Whitaker: Kevin Hart
- Abby Gladwell: Gugu Mbatha-Raw
- Denton: Vincent D’Onofrio
- Dennis Huxley: Sam Worthington
- Camila: Ursula Corbero
- N8: Jacob Batalon
- Magnus: Billy Magnussen
- Luke: Viveik Kalra
- Mi-Sun: Yun Jee Kim
- Lars Jorgensen: Jean Reno
- Cormac: Burn Gorman
- Donal: Paul Anderson
Cyrus Whitaker: Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart leads the Lift cast as Cyrus Whitaker, a well-trained thief who considers himself to be a bit of a Robin Hood in the art world. As stated by his character description, Cyrus “finds himself cajoled into working with the government for one last heist.”
Speaking about Hart’s commitment to the role, Gray said: “Kevin was willing to do whatever it took to embody the character Cyrus Whitaker. Interestingly, while I prefer rehearsing before shooting a movie, Kevin, who is historically not inclined to do so, being one of the busiest people I’ve ever met, made it a priority. His commitment and investment, I believe, made a significant difference in his performance.”
Hart is best known as a stand-up comedian, his latest release in this field being Kevin Hart & Chris Rock: Headliners Only. He’s also starred in a number of movies over the years, including Scary Movie 3, Ride Along, and the Jumanji spinoffs.
Abby Gladwell: Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays Abby Gladwell, a smart and straight-talking Interpol agent who is forced to team up with Cyrus and his crew for a risky mission. This is made all the more awkward by the fact that she has a bit of history with Cyrus after an undercover operation in Paris.
Gray said of Mbatha-Raw’s performance: “Collaborating with Gugu was an absolute pleasure. Her persistence and generosity shone through as she supported every actor with unwavering energy, from the first take to the last… The chemistry between Kevin and Gugu, with their diverse backgrounds, brought this Yin and Yang energy that was a complementary vibe to the whole process.”
You may remember Mbatha-Raw as the glorious Kelly in Black Mirror’s ‘San Junipero’. The star has also appeared in Loki, The Morning Show, A Wrinkle in Time, and Beauty and the Beast.
Denton: Vincent D’Onofrio
Vincent D’Onofrio plays Denton, the master of disguise in the Lift crew and a close friend of Cyrus’. As per his character description: “Cyrus’s dear friend Denton uses disguises to play his part in the team’s heists but an error in Venice leads to a new path for the gang.”
D’Onofrio is a seasoned actor and filmmaker, having starred in Men in Black, Ed Wood, and Full Metal Jacket, as well as a number of Marvel projects as Kingpin.
Dennis Huxley: Sam Worthington
Sam Worthington joins the Lift cast as Dennis Huxley, Abby’s Interpol boss who orders her to enlist Cyrus and the gang for the gold heist to stop it “from falling into the hands of global terror.”
Worthington is arguably best known for his role as Jake Sully in the Avatar franchise. He’s also appeared in Clash of the Titans, Terminator Salvation, and Manhunt: Unabomber.
Camila: Ursula Corbero
Ursula Corbero plays Camila, the team’s no-nonsense getaway driver – but she’s got her work cut out for her when she’s tasked with flying a private jet.
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Corbero’s acting accolades include Money Heist, the Snatch TV series, and Snake Eyes, to name a few.
N8: Jacob Batalon
Jacob Batalon plays N8, a Banksy-esque artist who appears early on in the movie.
Batalon is best known as Peter Parker‘s best friend Ned Leeds in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. More recently, he took on the lead role in Reginald the Vampire.
Magnus: Billy Magnussen
Billy Magnussen plays Magnus, described as the group’s “genial safecracker… and, occasionally, a wisecracker to be tolerated (barely).”
You may recognize Magnussen from such titles as No Time To Die, The Big Short, Game Night, and Spy Kids: Armageddon.
Luke: Viveik Kalra
Viveik Kalra plays Luke, another Lift crew member who is a “thoughtful engineer with a beautiful mind” – but when it comes to the heist, does he have what it takes to help pull it off?
A number of Kalra’s other acting credits include Next of Kin, Blinded by the Light, Beecham House, and Voyagers.
Mi-Sun: Yun Jee Kim
Yun Jee Kim joins the Lift cast as Mi-Sun, Cyrus’ smart electronics expert who revels in “keeping a digital eye on potentially shady plane passengers.”
As a singer, Yun Jee Kim is known by her stage name NS Yoon-G. She also has a number of acting accolades under her belt, including Road Kill, The Last Empress, and Mine.
Lars Jorgensen: Jean Reno
Jean Reno plays Lars Jorgensen, Lift’s antagonist. Lars “uses his status as a seemingly upstanding citizen to cloak a life devoted to financial terrorism.”
Reno took on the titular character in the iconic 1994 movie Leon. He also starred in Die Hart alongside Kevin Hart, as well as The Pink Panther reboot movies and The Big Blue.
Cormac: Burn Gorman
Burn Gorman plays Cormac, a character who may prove a problem for Cyrus and his team.
Gorman has appeared in The Dark Knight Rises, Enola Holmes, Game of Thrones, and The Expanse.
Donal: Paul Anderson
Paul Anderson joins the Lift cast as Donal, who you’ll find out more about when you tune into the Netflix film.
You may recognize Anderson as Arthur Shelby in Peaky Blinders. A number of his other credits include Legend, The Firm, and Silent Witness.
Lift is available to stream on Netflix now. Catch up with news on other Netflix releases like Heartstopper Season 3, Stranger Things Season 5, and Virgin River Season 6, and find even more amazing movies to stream while you wait.
