Gretel & Hansel Cast & Character Guide

Be advised, major plot spoilers for Gretel & Hansel are included below.

Gretel & Hansel puts a darker spin on the classic fairy tale, and here’s a guide to the characters in the story, and the actors playing them. The story of Hansel and Gretel is already a pretty dark one, especially depending on which version of it one reads. As with most popular fairy tales, the story has tended to get softened over time, especially thanks to Disney’s – and other Hollywood studios – knack for creating adaptations of them that omit all the content deemed too harsh for modern children.

In this version, the witch’s goal isn’t nearly as simple as capturing children and eating them. She seems intent on turning Gretel to the dark side and making her an apprentice, and perhaps even successor, to her malevolent legacy. As much as Gretel loves her brother, it’s hard to imagine her agreeing to eat him as her final right of passage into the realm of black magic, but at several points in the film, it begins to feel like she might be wavering.

That setup makes for a suspenseful 87 minutes, as young Hansel’s cruel fate as a witch’s main course often seems sealed. As in the fairy tale itself, the cast of characters in Gretel & Hansel isn’t a large one, but here’s a handy reference for who does what to whom.

Gretel & Hansel Cast & Character Guide

Sophia Lillis as Gretel: The clear lead in this version of the Hansel and Gretel story, Gretel is a teenager forced to watch out for her brother like a son after their famine-crazed mother demands they leave or be carved up with an axe. Of course, the duo happens upon the house of the witch, full of delicious food and creature comforts. It quickly becomes clear though that the witch has deadly plans for Hansel, and designs on unleashing Gretel’s true inner magic powers. Thankfully, Gretel manages to defeat the witch, save Hansel’s life, and embrace her gifts, seemingly for the side of good. Lillis burst onto the scene as young Beverly Marsh in IT and IT Chapter Two, and also played a young version of Amy Adams’ Camille in HBO’s Sharp Objects.

Samuel Leaky as Hansel: Hansel is much younger than Gretel in Gretel & Hansel, and is more like a son than a brother to her. He almost becomes witch food, but is saved in the end, then sent off to live safely with the carvers. Hansel is Leaky’s first major role.

Alice Krige as Holda: Gretel & Hansel’s evil witch seeks to corrupt Gretel and make a meal out of Hansel, but underestimates the will of her protege. Krige is a screen veteran with over 100 acting credits, including recent roles on Netflix’s The OA and Amazon’s Carnival Row.

Jessica De Gouw as Young Holda: Holda appears in flashbacks to her younger days a few times during the story, and also takes on a younger form when doing magic, and later in the film when she prepares to cook Hansel. It’s implied this is her true appearance, and the old woman act is a front. De Gouw played Helena Bertinelli aka The Huntress on Arrow, and Mina on NBC’s short-lived Dracula series.

Charles Babalola as The Hunter: Prior to arriving at the witch’s house, Gretel & Hansel meet a kind huntsman who saves them from an attack and offers them food. He then directs them to go live with the carvers, but they don’t quite make it. Babalola is a British actor who’s appeared on shows like Black Mirror and Broadchurch.

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