The Princess Bride: Cast & Characters Guide

Here’s a guide to the cast and characters of The Princess Bride. Directed by Rob Reiner and adapted by William Goldman from his 1973 novel, The Princess Bride is a charmingly funny film that unfolds like a fairy tale narrated by a grandfather (Columbo’s Peter Falk) to his sick grandson (a pre-The Wonder Years Fred Savage). In that fairy tale, we follow a handsome farmhand named Westley and the weird, wonderful characters he meets while on a quest to rescue his beloved Princess Buttercup from her impending forced marriage to a repellent Prince.

When The Princess Bride was released theatrically in 1987 it barely made a dent at the box office but thanks to home video the film soon found a following and today is hailed as a classic. It’s such a highly regarded film that when rumors of a Princess Bride remake surfaced recently, it sparked outrage among impassioned fans on social media who responded to the idea with one of the film’s most quoted lines – “Inconceivable!”

The Princess Bride holds such a special place in the heart of many film fans that it’s hard to imagine anyone else replacing the original cast in a remake. In tribute to the actors who made the film what it is, here’s a guide to the main cast of The Princess Bride and the characters they played.

Cary Elwes – Westley

Cary Elwes of Saw fame plays love-struck farmhand Westley who falls hard for Princess Buttercup. After leaving the fictional land of Florin to seek his fortune, he is attacked by pirates and presumed dead only to return five years later to find his beloved betrothed to another and kidnapped by outlaws. Luckily for Buttercup the heroic Westley will stop at nothing to save his one true love.

Robin Wright – Princess Buttercup

Played by House Of Cards’ Robin Wright, Buttercup is the Princess Bride of the title. After Westley goes missing Buttercup is forced to into an engagement with the odious Prince Humperdinck who plans to kill the princess-to-be and blame it on a neighboring country for political gain.

Chris Sarandon – Prince Humperdinck

The sleazy Humperdinck is played by Chris Sarandon who also voiced Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas. Humperdinck is the main antagonist in The Princess Bride and hires three outlaws to kidnap and kill Buttercup, but his nefarious plans are scuppered by Westley’s return.

Wallace Shawn – Vizzini

Legend has it Danny DeVito was almost cast as villain Vizzini but it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Wallace Shawn playing him. Vizzini is the arrogant leader of the outlaws hired by Humperdinck who meets his match when Westley turns up to rescue Buttercup.

Mandy Patinkin – Inigo Montoya

Homeland’s Mandy Patinkin plays Inigo Montoya who is responsible for one The Princess Bride’s most quotable lines: “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” An ace swordsman, Inigo is one of Buttercup’s kidnappers but defects to Westley’s side when he learns Prince Humperdinck’s right-hand man is none other than Count Rugen, the man who killed his father.

Andre The Giant – Fezzik

Seven-foot-plus tall wrestler Andre the Giant played Fezzik, a gentle giant from Greenland and Inigo’s sidekick. Although he helps kidnap Buttercup, Fezzik comes good in the end and helps rescue Westley when he’s captured by Prince Humperdinck.

Christopher Guest – Count Rugen

Christopher Guest’s casting in The Princess Bride reunited he and Rob Reiner who worked together a few years earlier on This Is Spinal Tap. Guest played Count Rugen, the ruthless six-fingered assassin of Inigo Montoya’s father.