Foundation Cast Guide & All New Book Characters Explained

David Goyer has brought Isaac Asimov’s epic science-fiction stories to life on Apple TV+, and the Foundation cast is led by an exceptional slate of actors. Asimov is one of the founding fathers of science-fiction, and his Foundation series of novels and short stories became the inspiration for countless other science-fictions. From Star Wars to Star Trek, almost every science-fiction that has followed has owed some sort of debt to Asimov and his work. And yet, for all that’s the case, no adaptation of Foundation has ever met with success.

The story Asimov told spans a thousand years, with precious few recurring characters, and as such, it’s seemed tremendously intimating to filmmakers and showrunners. The advent of streaming has changed the game, along with the rise of long-form storytelling after the success of Game of Thrones. Celebrated writer and showrunner Goyer has finally brought Foundation to life in a series streaming exclusively on Apple TV+, putting together what promises to be one of the most lavish and aesthetically beautiful science-fiction TV series ever made.

Goyer and Apple TV+ assembled an unusual cast for Foundation, blending familiar faces and celebrated actors with industry newcomers, some of whom he’s placed in key roles. All that promises to make Foundation a remarkable experience, as viewers witness veterans interacting with brand-new talent. Here’s your guide to everyone on the Foundation cast, with a focus on the main characters who will drive the story forward.

Jared Harris as Hari Seldon

Hari Seldon is the driving force of Foundation‘s narrative, the mathematician who has mastered psychohistory and learned how to predict future social change. One of Asimov’s most legendary characters, Seldon has been brought to life by celebrated actor Jared Harris (Chernobyl, The Boxtrols, Sherlock Holmes, Morbius). He joined Foundation because he was looking for something ambitious but “a little bit more nakedly entertaining as well,” and was impressed by the scripts. Harris considers Hari Seldon the consummate chess player, a grandmaster who is countless moves ahead of everybody around him – which means his motives can seem deeply inscrutable. “The tricky thing with Hari Seldon is that he knows the story far beyond the point at which you are accessing it at that time, so there’s always that sense he is withholding information, constantly,” Harris explained in one interview.

Lee Pace as Brother Day

If Foundation is a grand game of chess, then the Emperor is Hari Seldon’s opposite number. The Emperors aren’t really fleshed out as characters in Asimov’s works, but David Goyer has introduced the idea they are a “genetic dynasty,” with clones of Emperor Cleon ensuring – they believe – consistency of rule. Lee Pace (Guardians of the Galaxy, Halt and Catch Fire, Soldier’s Girl, Pushing Daisies) plays various iterations of Brother Day, the Emperor who is seated upon the throne at any given moment, and he seems to love the concept. “There’s no one on Earth who behaves like the Emperor of the Galaxy,” Pace told Screen Rant. “The Emperor of the Galaxy has no one to check him, he has a monopoly on the violence in the galaxy, he has a monopoly on the technology, the information… He knows what any individual in the galaxy is doing, and he’s balancing these conflicting priorities in a way that he thinks brings about peace. And… things will change.“

Lou Llobell as Gaal Dornick

Hari Seldon’s protégé in Asimov’s books, Gaal Dornick has been switched up significantly – and even gender-swapped. In David Goyer’s Foundation, Gaal is played by relative newcomer Lou Llobell (Voyagers). “My character’s name is Gaal Dornick, she is a young woman who is super-intelligent, super-smart – I mean both with mathematics and science, but also she’s got a high emotional intelligence, which is pretty amazing,” Llobell explained when discussing Gaal. “She comes from a rural planet, it’s a water planet called Synnax, on the outskirts of the universe, and she solves an unsolvable proof and gets invited to Trantor to work with Hari Seldon, who is one of her idols, a mathematician who she looks up to. And then her journey begins, and it’s pretty incredible.“

Leah Harvey as Salvor Hardin

Another character who’s been changed a lot, in Asimov’s books Salvor Hardin is the mayor of the planet Terminus, but in Foundation the character has been reinvented as the Warden – the Foundation’s sworn defender. Hardin is played by British newcomer Leah Harvey, who was selected for Screen International’s Stars of Tomorrow 2016, and promises to bring a level of physicality to the role that’s not present in the source material. As Harvey explained in an interview, their version of Hardin is a complex character who protects a group she doesn’t really fit in with, which they consider speaks to the strength of the character.

Laura Birn as Demerzel

Finnish actress Laura Birn (The Ones Below, Any Day Now, The Last Ones) has joined Foundation as the Emperor’s aide Demerzel, yet another gender-swap, although this time of a very different kind of character. In Asimov’s novels, Demerzel was actually the alias of the android R. Daneel Olivaw (the initial “R.” stands for robot), who was a star of his I, Robot series. Demerzel thus became a bridge between Asimov’s two most famous science-fiction franchises, helping him create a share universe that embraced both I, Robot and Foundation.

Terrence Mann as Brother Dusk

When an Emperor becomes too old to reign, they step aside for their successor and become “Brother Dusk.” The concept is unique, created by Goyer as part of his plan to put a consistent face to the Empire, and Terrence Mann (Whispers, Sense8, The Dresden Files) brings Brother Dusk to life. Mann faces the same challenges as Lee Pace, playing multiple iterations of the same character.

Other Foundation Cast

Alfred Enoch as Raych Foss, an original character created for the Foundation TV series who serves as Hari Seldon’s student. Enoch is best known for playing Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter films, but also carried a starring role in How To Get Away With Murder.

Clarke Peters (The Wire, Da 5 Bloods), Sasha Behar (Coronation Street, Doctor Who, Sherlock), Elliot Cowan (The Golden Compass, Alexander) and Daniel MacPherson (Neighbors, The Bill) all star as colonists on Terminus.

Seven-year-old Cooper Carter and British actor Cassian Bilton as Brother Dawn, the younger clones of the Emperor.

About The Author

Thomas Bacon
(4893 Articles Published)

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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