Uncut Gems Cast & Character Guide

Who is starring in the upcoming crime thriller Uncut Gems, and where have you seen them before? Directed by Benny and Josh Safdie from their script co-written by Ronald Bronstein, the highly-anticipated film follows an eccentric jeweler in New York City whose gambling addiction begins to mesh poorly with his family and his business, until his growing adversaries and debts finally put all of them in danger.

The film has been in various stages of production since 2016, with Jonah Hill set to star early on in the process. Though the Richard Jewell and The Batman drop out would eventually drop this film as well, the part eventually went to comic actor Adam Sandler. Despite the casting change, ever since its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival earlier this year, the A24 production has been a constant source of Oscar buzz going into the awards season, most especially for lead actor Sandler.

Though a lot of the appraisal is being sent in the Happy Gilmore star’s direction, Uncut Gems features an extensive supporting cast of talented entertainers, from indie performers to TV icons to musicians to professional athletes. Here’s a cast and crew guide for the Safdie Brother’s wildfire new film.

Uncut Gem’s Main Cast

Adam Sandler as Howard Ratner: An obsessive gambler and jeweler living in New York City. Adam Sandler’s comedic career has been the stuff of legends. After several years at the top of the Saturday Night Live cast throughout the 1990s, the native New Yorker made the transition over to Hollywood, where he continued bolstering outlandishly loud and obnoxiously memorable characters. During this period, generally regarded as the golden era of his career, Sandler put out such films as Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, The Waterboy, and Big Daddy. Though his filmography has never been the subject of critical appraisal – save Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love – Sandler’s later projects, such as Pixels, The Cobbler, and this year’s Murder Mystery, have been especially sour.

Idina Menzel as Dinah Ratner: Howard’s estranged wife. Most known for lending her voice to Disney’s ice queen Elsa in Frozen, Menzel’s first film performance came at the start of the century in 2001’s Kissing Jessica Stein. Her career skyrocketed, however, a few years earlier when she originated the role of Maureen Johnson in the Broadway musical Rent. Though she would later reprise the part in the show’s 2005 film adaptation, Menzel’s stage career also included a Tony-winning turn in Wicked, and her on-screen career included roles in Glee (Shelby Corcoran) and Enchanted (Nancy Tremaine).

Kevin Garnett as himself: Famed basketball legend, Kevin Garnett hung up his jersey after 21 seasons playing in the NBA. A 15-time All-Star and 2004’s MVP, Garnett played the bulk of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Boston Celtics. Uncut Gems is his first on-screen performance as an actor.

Related: The 10 Most Underrated Adam Sandler Movies

Uncut Gem’s Supporting Cast

Julia Fox as Julia: Howard’s employee and girlfriend. Making her feature debut with Uncut Gems, Fox was nominated for the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Actor at the 2019 Gotham Awards, though the prize went to Waves‘ Taylor Russell.

Lakeith Stanfield as Demany: Howard’s assistant who searches for clients. Lakeith Stanfield’s young career is most known for his starring role as Cassius Green in Sorry to Bother You, though his minor supporting turn in Get Out earned critical praise as the gatekeeper to the film’s harrowing twist. Stanfield can also be seen in theaters in Rian Johnson’s whodunnit Knives Out, with other projects like Stella Meghie’s The Photograph set to release next year.

Eric Bogosian as Arno: Howard’s brother-in-law and loan shark. An actor well known for his recurring TV roles in Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Succession, Bogosian has also appeared in Oliver Stone’s Talk Radio and Woody Allen’s Deconstructing Harry. The Bostonian entertainer, however, may be most well known as a playwright, having penned 1987’s Talk Radio and 1994’s subUrbia, both of which were adapted for the big screen.

The Weeknd as himself: Singer songwriter The Weeknd is a three-time Grammy winning R&B artist. Hailing from Canada, the performer (whose legal name is Abel Makkonen Tesfaye) began his career in 2010, anonymously uploading several songs to YouTube under the pseudonym “The Weeknd.” Since then, he has contributed to the soundtracks of several blockbuster films, including Black Panther, Spring Breakers, Southpaw, and Fifty Shades of Grey, though Uncut Gems is his first acting credit.

Paloma Elsesser as Kat: Paloma Elsesser is an African-American plus size fashion model. Though her acting career is beginning with Uncut Gems, Elsesser has modeled for Nike, Fenty Beauty, Proenza Schouler, and Mercedes-Benz, and has appeared in several fashion magazines, including American Vogue, Teen Vogue, Elle, W, Wonderland Magazine, and Glamour.

Judd Hirsch as Gooey: Judd Hirsch is most widely known for playing Alex Rieger on the television comedy series Taxi, for which he was nominated for five Golden Globes and won two Primetime Emmy awards. Hirsch finally won a Golden Globe, however, for his part in the divorce dramedy Dear John. The actor’s onscreen film credits include the part of Julius Levinson in Independence Day, Helinger in the Russel Crowe vehicle A Beautiful Mind and Berger in Ordinary People. For the latter, he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award.

Mike Francesa as Gary: Mike Francesca is a sports radio talk show host most known for his program with Chris Russo, Mike and the Mad Dog, one of the most successful sports-talk radio programs in American history. Though Francesca had officially retired from broadcasting in 2017, he quickly jumped back into the profession the next year with his own show, Mike’s On: Francesa on the FAN. Uncut Gems is his first onscreen appearance as an actor.

Pom Klementieff as Lexus: Pom Klementieff is a French actress most known for her supporting role as Mantis in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. But in addition to the comic book character, Klementieff has starred in a variety of films, from artsy reboots like Spike Lee’s Oldboy to mega franchises like Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible series, which she will be joining for its seventh installment.

About The Author

Luke Parker
(77 Articles Published)

Luke Parker is an award-winning film critic and columnist based in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area. As an entertainment journalist, he has interviewed several members of the film industry and participated in some of its most prestigious events as a member of the press. Currently, he is working to obtain his bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication at Towson University. Follow Luke on Twitter @montyparker31

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