You’ve seen the trailer, or maybe you just finished the movie on Prime Video and found yourself thinking, "Where do I know that guy from?" It happens. Canary Black hit the streaming world in late 2024, and while the plot feels like a classic throwback to early 2000s action—think Taken vibes, which makes sense since Pierre Morel directed it—the cast of Canary Black is actually what keeps the engine humming.
Honestly, the movie relies heavily on a few heavy hitters. It’s a mix of seasoned action icons, character actors who show up in every prestige TV show you love, and a bittersweet final performance from a fan favorite. If you're trying to place the faces or figure out who played the traitorous boss or the kidnapped husband, here is the breakdown of the major players.
Kate Beckinsale as Avery Graves
Let’s be real: Kate Beckinsale is the reason most people clicked "play." She plays Avery Graves, a top-tier CIA operative who is basically a one-woman wrecking crew. The movie kicks off with her in Tokyo, but the real mess starts when she gets back to Croatia.
Beckinsale isn't new to this. You know her as Selene from the Underworld franchise, so seeing her do tactical reloads and hand-to-hand combat feels like second nature. In this one, she’s pushed into a corner—terrorists kidnap her husband and demand she steal a file called "Canary Black." It’s a high-stakes role where she spends about 90% of the runtime either running, fighting, or looking extremely stressed in a variety of wigs.
The Late Ray Stevenson as Jarvis Hedlund
This is a tough one for fans. Canary Black is one of the final films featuring Ray Stevenson, who passed away in May 2023. He plays Jarvis Hedlund, Avery’s mentor and the CIA Chief.
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Jarvis is that classic "boss who might be a father figure but also might be hiding something" character. Stevenson brings that massive, commanding presence he was known for in Rome (as Titus Pullo) and Ahsoka (as Baylan Skoll). Every time he’s on screen, the gravity of the scene just shifts. The film is actually dedicated to him, which adds a layer of real-world emotion to his scenes with Beckinsale.
Rupert Friend as David Brooks
Rupert Friend plays David, Avery’s husband. For the first act, he’s basically the "clueless house husband" who thinks his wife is just a busy corporate traveler. He wants to adopt puppies. He wants her to relax. Then, he gets snatched.
If Rupert Friend looks familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen him as Quinn in Homeland or the Grand Inquisitor in Obi-Wan Kenobi. He’s great at playing characters with a bit of an edge, and without spoiling too much, David might not be as simple as he first appears. The chemistry between him and Beckinsale has to carry the emotional weight of the whole "betray your country to save your man" plot.
Ben Miles as Nathan Evans
Ben Miles shows up as Nathan Evans, the Deputy Director of the CIA. If you’re a fan of The Crown (he was Peter Townsend) or Andor (Tay Kolma), you’ll recognize his face immediately. He’s the quintessential British actor who can play "high-ranking official" in his sleep.
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In the cast of Canary Black, Miles represents the cold, bureaucratic side of the agency. He’s the one explaining that the Canary Black file is essentially a digital "doomsday" virus that could wreck the world's infrastructure. He plays the foil to Avery’s rogue energy.
Saffron Burrows as Elizabeth Mills
Saffron Burrows plays Elizabeth Mills. You might remember her from Deep Blue Sea or more recently as Dottie Quinn in the Netflix series You.
In this film, her role is a bit more supporting, but she adds to the layer of CIA internal politics that Avery has to navigate. The movie spends a lot of time in the "gray zones" of intelligence work, and Burrows helps flesh out that world.
The Supporting Players and Villains
A spy thriller is only as good as its villains, and Canary Black pulls in some solid talent for the dirty work:
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- Goran Kostić as Konrad Breznov: He plays the primary antagonist, the head of Croatian security with some very dark motives. Kostić is a veteran of these types of roles—you might recognize him from Taken or The Last Days on Mars.
- Romina Tonković as Sorina: She’s the hacker who helps Avery. Every modern spy movie needs a "person in the chair," and Tonković provides the technical assist that Avery needs once she goes rogue from the CIA.
Why the Cast Matters for Your Watchlist
The cast of Canary Black is doing a lot of the heavy lifting. While critics have pointed out that the script hits a lot of familiar tropes—the kidnapped family member, the "deadly file" MacGuffin, the rogue agent—the actors make it watchable.
If you like the "one person against the world" genre, watching Beckinsale and Stevenson trade lines is worth the price of admission (or the Prime subscription). It’s also a significant piece of film history simply because it’s one of the last times we get to see Ray Stevenson’s work on screen.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you've watched the movie and want to see more from this specific cast, here are some solid next steps:
- For more Beckinsale action: Check out Jolt (also on Prime) or the original Underworld.
- For more Ray Stevenson: You absolutely have to watch Ahsoka on Disney+ or the series Rome on Max to see him at his absolute best.
- For more Rupert Friend: Watch Homeland seasons 2 through 6. His performance as Peter Quinn is arguably one of the best "broken soldier" portrayals in TV history.
- For the Director's Style: If you liked the pacing, revisit Taken or Peppermint. Pierre Morel has a very specific way of filming fight scenes that prioritize "brutal and fast."