10 Movies & TV Shows Where You’ve Seen The For All Mankind Cast

There are plenty of reasons why For All Mankind has become such a rousing success. Along with the high drama, unique alternate take on history, and impressive production value, is the cast, which is as talented as they come. The Apple TV+ sci-fi/drama did a great job in casting actors who have a past in the show’s core genres.

Many of the stars have already shined in other key roles. They’ve appeared in some of the biggest television shows of the past few decades, Academy Award-nominated films, and many series that took home multiple Emmy Awards. You might not instantly recognize them but you’ve certainly been them elsewhere.

10 Chris Bauer (Deke Slayton) – True Blood

There’s a very good chance that even if you don’t know the name Chris Bauer, you still know who the man is. He is a character actor who has nearly 100 credits to his name dating back to the late ’80s. In For All Mankind, he took on the role of real life NASA astronaut, Deke Slayton.

In this alternate take, Slayton died at the end of season 1 while in space rather than from a brain tumor like in real life. Bauer’s most memorable role was likely the 81 episodes of HBO’s True Blood he appeared in as the sometimes dim-witted Sherrif Andy Bellefleur.

9 Coral Peña (Aleida Rosales) – Chemical Hearts

The character of Aleida Rosales is one of the more interesting cases on For All Mankind. With the show spanning multiple decades, she was just a kid in season 1 but an adult actor, Coral Peña, took over during season 2 as Rosales got a job at NASA as a Systems Engineer.

For the most part, Coral Peña’s career is still taking off and this is arguably her biggest part yet. However, she did have a small role in the Oscar-nominated The Post in 2017 and on 24: Legacy. Recently, she could be seen in Amazon Prime’s Chemical Hearts as Cora Hernandez.

8 Krys Marshall (Danielle Poole) – Supergirl

Danielle Poole is a character who makes history at almost every turn. In season 1, she became the first Black female astronaut and helped make Jamestown Base into a reality before becoming a Mission Commander in season 2. The talented Krys Marshall portrays her.

Along the lines of a few other cast members, Krys Marshall doesn’t have the longest career filmography but she has a history in the sci-fi genre. For five episodes in 2018, Marshall was on The CW’s Supergirl series as Julia Freeman, who went on to become known as Purity.

7 Wrenn Schmidt (Margo Madison) – Preservation

When For All Mankind began, Margo Madison came across as a sympathetic character. She was being overlooked for a promotion despite being a smart woman. Over time, she got cutthroat and blackmailed her way into a pivotal position, while also leaving Aleida in a dire situation.

The complex Margo Madison is portrayed by Wrenn Schmidt. She has a handful of TV roles like in The Americans, Boardwalk Empire, and Person of Interest. However, Schmidt got the chance to lead a film with 2014’s Preservation when she played Wit Neary, a woman hunted by maniacs in the forest.

6 Sonya Walger (Molly Cobb) – Lost

Molly Cobb could be considered one of the most likable characters on the show thanks to her cool nature and sometimes laid-back attitude. The brave astronaut and now Chief of the Astronaut Office is played by Sonya Walger, who is a veteran of the TV landscape over the last two decades.

Most fans would immediately gravitate towards her role as Penelope Widmore on Lost, where she was part of possibly the show’s most heartfelt romance. Walger also appeared in FlashForward, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and Power, to name a few.

5 Jodi Balfour (Ellen Wilson) – The Crown

Things are complicated for Ellen Wilson. She has a hugely successful career as an astronaut and is beloved by her country, which has seemingly led her on a path to possibly becoming President. However, to get to these points, she must hide her sexual orientation.

Jodi Balfour has taken on the task of bringing Ellen Wilson to life and does great work. Her biggest prior role was in a show called Bomb Girls, for which she won a Canadian Screen Award. Most fans will recognize her in an unforgettable one-off appearance as the iconic Jackie Kennedy in The Crown.

4 Sarah Jones (Tracy Stevens) – The Path

It was easy for audiences to fall in love with Tracy Stevens. She started as the doting mother and wife who gets cheated on by her husband, only to become an astronaut herself. The whole thing culminated in what was arguably’s the show’s most emotional scene.

Playing Tracy Stevens was Sarah Jones, who has shown up in a bunch of series like Alcatraz, Big Love, Damnation, and Sons of Anarchy. She also has a connection to Coral Peña as she was also in Chemical Hearts. However, a great place to see Jones at her best is on the Hulu series The Path, where she played Alison.

3 Michael Dorman (Gordo Stevens) – The Invisible Man

No character has had a stronger arc on the Apple TV+ series than Gordo Stevens. He grew from the selfish astronaut who cheated on his wife into someone worth rooting for, especially as he overcame the harrowing ordeal while at Jamestown Base.

Michael Dorman shines at his brightest as Gordo but is a veteran actor with some notable appearances under his belt. The one audiences might remember best came in 2020’s The Invisible Man, where he played Tom Griffin, the lawyer brother of the film’s antagonist.

2 Shantel VanSanten (Karen Baldwin) – The Boys

Karen Baldwin has been through the wringer on the series. She completely changed into a stronger, more independent woman after going through the loss of her son. By the time season 2 came around, Karen was a businesswoman with some pretty big dreams.

It seems like Shantel VanSanten has acted in everything. Her biggest roles include The Final Destination, One Tree Hill, Shooter, and The Flash. Despite all of that, her true standout performance was as Becca Butcher for two seasons of Amazon Prime’s The Boys.

1 Joel Kinnaman (Edward Baldwin) – Suicide Squad

Although Edward Baldwin seemed like the clear protagonist when the series began, it has grown to become more of an ensemble piece. After helping to get Jamestown Base started, Ed went on to become the Chief of the Astronaut Office before heading back into space in season 2.

Like so many other actors on For All Mankind, Joel Kinnaman has plenty of experience in the sci-fi genre. Lead roles in the RoboCop 2014 remake and Netflix’s Altered Carbon proved that. He notably portrayed Rick Flag in 2016’s Suicide Squad and will reprise the role in the 2021 sequel.

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