The Lost Daughter Cast & Character Guide

The Lost Daughter is a psychological drama with a cast full of acclaimed actors. The Netflix movie focuses on Leda Caruso, a college professor who has a troubled relationship with her children and motherhood. While on vacation in Greece, Leda begins bonding with young mother Nina, whose unconventional nature threatens to upend Leda’s fragile stability. The connection brings to the surface Leda’s own struggles with being a mother and her tormented past.

Based on a novel by acclaimed Italian writer Elena Ferrante, The Lost Daughter is directed by respected actress Maggie Gyllenhaal in her directorial debut. The film has attracted critical praise and had a brief theatrical run ahead of its Netflix debut on December 31. The strong performances have been a major reason why The Lost Daughter has resonated with critics and is being discussed as a potential Oscar nominee.

Where Was The Lost Daughter Filmed? Filming Locations Explained

The Lost Daughter features a stacked supporting cast with several well-known actors. Together, they bring the gripping drama and character study to life.  Here’s who plays who in The Lost Daughter.

Olivia Colman as Leda Caruso

Leda is the central character of The Lost Daughter, a professor of comparative literature who is renting a house in Greece for a vacation. Colman rose to prominence as an actress on British TV, appearing on series such as Peep Show and Broadchurch. Her portrayal of a middle-aged Queen Elizabeth in The Crown, also on Netflix, won her an Emmy. Colman has also had numerous acclaimed performances in film, winning an Oscar for playing Queen Anne in The Favourite and a Best Supporting Actress nomination for being part of the cast of The Father.

Jessie Buckley as Young Leda

Jessie Buckley plays a younger version from Leda from 20 years earlier. The younger Leda is torn between a burgeoning academic career and her young family. Buckley is a fast-rising Irish actress, having most recently appeared in Netflix’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things. Buckley has also had a number of prominent TV roles, including on Chernobyl and Fargo.

Dakota Johnson as Nina

Nina is a young mother vacationing at the same resort as Leda, who comes to confide in her after Leda finds her missing daughter. Nina is played by Dakota Johnson, who is best known for portraying Anastasia in the Fifty Shades movies alongside Jamie Dornan. However, she has since appeared in more prestigious movies such as Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria remake.

Ed Harris as Lyle

One of the biggest names in The Lost Daughter‘s supporting cast is Ed Harris, who plays Lyle, the worker who takes care of the house where Leda is vacationing and suggests that there may be some unpleasant undertones to the Greek countryside. Harris has been a Hollywood star across five decades, with Oscar-nominated turns in movies like Apollo 13 and The Hours. To modern audiences, Harris might be best known as the enigmatic Man in Black in HBO’s Westworld.

The Lost Daughter’s Supporting Cast & Characters

Peter Sarsgaard as Professor Hardy, a charismatic academic who takes an interest in the young Leda. Saarsgard, who is married to Maggie Gyllenhaal, has previously appeared in movies like Jarhead and recently had a role in the miniseries Dopesick.

Dagmara Dominczyk as Callie, a pregnant woman who gets in a confrontation with Leda at the beach but later befriends her. Dominczyk is a Polish-American actress who is perhaps best known for playing Karolina in Succession.

Paul Mescal as Will, a young man who is having an affair with Nina. Mescal has had only a few on-screen appearances, but made a splash in his breakout role as Connell in Normal People.

Robyn Elwell as Bianca and Ellie Blake as Martha, the young Leda’s two daughters. Bianca and Martha do not appear in the present-day sections of The Lost Daughter, but their voices are heard over telephone calls, provided by Ellie James and Isabelle Della-Porta, respectively.

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