When Netflix dropped The Mother in May 2023, it wasn’t just the sight of Jennifer Lopez wielding a sniper rifle that got people talking. It was the faces surrounding her. You've probably been there—scrolling through the movie, squinting at the screen, and thinking, "I know that guy from somewhere." Honestly, the cast of The Mother 2023 is a weirdly perfect mix of A-list power, indie darlings, and "that guy" character actors who have been in everything.
It’s a high-stakes thriller, sure. But the casting is what anchors the whole "assassin-mom-on-the-run" vibe. Directed by Niki Caro (the mind behind Whale Rider and the live-action Mulan), the film needed a group that could handle heavy drama and gritty action without looking like they were trying too hard.
Jennifer Lopez as the Unnamed Assassin
She’s basically the sun this whole movie orbits around. J.Lo plays a military-trained assassin known only as "The Mother." It’s a pretty big shift from her usual rom-com energy. Here, she’s cold, efficient, and lives in a cabin in Alaska eating elk.
If you grew up in the 90s, you know her from Selena or Out of Sight. Younger fans probably recognize her from Hustlers or her massive music career. In this role, she’s stripped back—no glam, just tactical gear and a lot of emotional baggage. She’s protecting the daughter she was forced to give up at birth, and she’s doing it with a level of intensity that makes you forget she ever wore a wedding dress in a movie.
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The Supporting Players: Family and Foes
Then there’s Zoe. Lucy Paez plays the daughter, and she’s the emotional heartbeat of the story. She’s young, but Paez has this way of holding her own against J.Lo’s massive screen presence. Before this, you might have caught her in Silencio or The Exorcism of Carmen Farias. She’s the one who forces "The Mother" out of hiding when she gets kidnapped by people from her mom’s past.
Omari Hardwick plays William Cruise. He’s the FBI agent who’s basically the only bridge between The Mother and the "normal" world. If he looks familiar, it’s probably because he spent years playing James "Ghost" St. Patrick on the hit show Power. He also popped up in Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead. In The Mother, he’s more of the moral compass, trying to help a woman who doesn't really want his help.
The Men From the Past
Now, the villains. This is where the cast of The Mother 2023 gets really interesting.
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Joseph Fiennes plays Adrian Lovell. He’s a British special forces veteran turned arms dealer. He’s also one of the two men who could potentially be Zoe’s father. Fiennes has that "calculated evil" thing down to a science. You definitely know him as the terrifying Commander Waterford from The Handmaid’s Tale, or maybe as the titular poet in Shakespeare in Love.
On the other side of the villain coin, we have Gael García Bernal as Hector Álvarez. He’s a Cuban arms dealer and the other potential father. Bernal is an absolute legend in international cinema. Think Amores Perros, Y Tu Mamá También, or even the voice of Héctor in Disney’s Coco. Seeing him play a sleazy, dangerous criminal in a Netflix action flick is a bit of a trip, but he’s great at it.
The "I Know That Guy" List
There are a few more faces in the cast of The Mother 2023 that deserve a shout-out.
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- Paul Raci plays Jons. He’s an old military friend of J.Lo’s character who helps her hide out. Raci is a late-career breakout star—he was nominated for an Oscar for Sound of Metal.
- Jesse Garcia appears as Tarantula. You might recognize him from Quinceañera or more recently, Flamin' Hot.
- Edie Falco has a brief but sharp role as SAIC Eleanor Williams. Yes, that is Carmela Soprano herself. It’s a small part, but she commands the screen the second she appears.
Basically, the casting directors didn't just look for action stars. They looked for people who could carry the weight of a story about regret and survival.
What the Critics (and Fans) Thought
Let’s be real: the movie received mixed reviews. It sits around a 43% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics felt it leaned a bit too hard on tropes. However, audiences loved it. It became one of Netflix’s most-watched movies of all time within its first few weeks. People weren't there for a complex philosophical deconstruction of motherhood; they were there to see J.Lo take down bad guys in the snow.
The chemistry between Lopez and Paez is what really saves it. The "training montage" in Alaska is a bit of a cliché, but it works because they sell the awkward, painful reality of a mother and daughter who don't know each other.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Next Rewatch
If you’re planning on watching (or rewatching) The Mother, here are a few things to keep an eye on regarding the cast:
- Watch the Background: Many of the tactical scenes used real military advisors to ensure the cast handled weapons realistically.
- Villain Contrast: Notice the difference between Fiennes’ cold, calculated Adrian and Bernal’s more chaotic, sleazy Hector. It’s a masterclass in two different ways to play a "bad guy."
- Spot the Locations: A lot of the movie was filmed in Vancouver and the Canary Islands. The cast had to deal with massive temperature swings, which adds to the grit you see on screen.
- The Soundtrack: Pay attention to how the music interacts with J.Lo’s performance. It was composed by Germaine Franco, who also did the music for Encanto.
If you want to see more of these actors, your best bet is to check out The Handmaid's Tale for more Joseph Fiennes or Power for Omari Hardwick. Both show a completely different side of what they brought to the 2023 Netflix film.