Nobody expected Arnold Schwarzenegger to fight the literal Devil. Usually, he’s punching predators or melting cyborgs, but in 1999, the world was obsessed with Y2K and the impending apocalypse. That weird cultural anxiety gave us End of Days. It’s a movie that sits in a strange place in cinema history—half action blockbuster, half gritty religious horror.
The end of days movie cast is a fascinating mix of Oscar winners, character actors, and an action icon trying to prove he could still carry a movie after heart surgery. It’s dark. It’s messy. Honestly, it’s a lot more interesting than people remember.
Arnold Schwarzenegger as Jericho Cane: A Different Kind of Hero
Let’s be real for a second. By the late 90s, Arnold was the king of the world. But End of Days wasn't a typical Arnold flick. He plays Jericho Cane, a depressed, suicidal ex-cop who drinks coffee with a shot of whiskey and a slice of pizza for breakfast.
It’s probably the most "human" Arnold has ever been on screen. He isn't an invincible soldier here; he’s a guy who lost his family and has zero faith left. When he’s faced with a supernatural entity, his first instinct isn't a clever one-liner—it’s to pull out a Glock 9mm. He famously tells a priest that between his faith and his gun, he’ll take the Glock.
This role was actually written for Tom Cruise. Imagine that. Cruise passed to do Magnolia, and the script was retooled for Arnold. It changed the vibe of the movie completely. Instead of a frantic, young man running through New York, we got a weary, aging powerhouse trying to find a reason to keep living. It’s also the only movie where Arnold’s human character actually dies at the end. That’s a huge deal for a guy whose entire brand was built on being "The Last Action Hero."
Gabriel Byrne: The Man (Satan)
If you’re going to cast the Devil in 1999, Gabriel Byrne is a top-tier choice. He doesn't have red skin or horns. He’s just "The Man," an unnamed investment banker who gets possessed by Satan in a restaurant bathroom.
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Byrne brings this oily, seductive, and genuinely terrifying energy to the role. He isn't trying to out-muscle Arnold. He’s trying to out-think him. Interestingly, 1999 was a big year for Byrne and the supernatural—he played a priest in Stigmata that same year. Talk about range.
The production actually considered Udo Kier for the role of Satan first. Kier is a legend in the horror world, but the producers worried that having two leads with strong European accents (Arnold and Udo) would be too much for American audiences. So, Byrne got the lead villain role, and Kier was moved to play Dr. Abel, one of Satan's high-ranking followers.
Robin Tunney as Christine York
Robin Tunney was already a "supernatural" veteran by this point, having starred in The Craft. In End of Days, she plays Christine York, the woman prophesied to conceive the Antichrist.
She has a tough job. For most of the movie, she has to be terrified, but Tunney manages to give Christine a bit of spine. She’s not just a MacGuffin; she’s a person caught in a nightmare. Liv Tyler was the original choice for this role, but she turned it down due to contractual issues. Tunney was 26 at the time, playing 20, and she brought a certain "girl next door" vulnerability that made you actually care if she got dragged into a subway hell-portal or not.
The Supporting Players: Kevin Pollak and Rod Steiger
You can’t talk about the end of days movie cast without mentioning Kevin Pollak. He plays Bobby Chicago, Jericho’s partner and only friend. Pollak is mostly known for comedy or his role in The Usual Suspects (where he also worked with Gabriel Byrne), and he provides the much-needed levity in an otherwise very bleak movie.
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His character’s arc is actually pretty dark. He betrays Jericho because Satan offers to bring him back to life after immolating him. It’s a classic "deal with the devil" trope that works because Pollak is so likable.
Then you have Rod Steiger as Father Kovak. Steiger was a Hollywood heavyweight, an Oscar winner for In the Heat of the Night. In this, he’s the "exposition guy," explaining the complicated millennium prophecies. He looks a bit out of place in a big-budget action movie, but his gravity helps ground the ridiculousness of the plot. Sadly, this was one of his last major roles before he passed away in 2002.
Other Notable Cast Members
- CCH Pounder: She plays Detective Margie Francis. She’s a great actress (from The Shield and Avatar) who unfortunately gets turned into a Satanic zombie mid-way through.
- Miriam Margolyes: This is the most "90s" casting choice ever. The sweet old lady from Harry Potter (Professor Sprout) literally gets into a fistfight with Arnold Schwarzenegger. She plays Mabel, Christine's "stepmother" who is actually a cultist. Seeing her throw Arnold through a wall is something you can't unsee.
- Victor Varnado: He plays the "Albino," a creepy servant of Satan. Varnado is a real-life comedian and actor with albinism, and his look was used to great effect for the movie's "creepy cult" aesthetic.
Why the Casting Made the Movie a Cult Classic
On paper, this cast shouldn't work. You have an Austrian bodybuilder, an Irish dramatic actor, a Jewish comedian, and a British character actress all fighting over the fate of the world in a New York subway.
But it does work, mostly because everyone takes it so seriously.
Director Peter Hyams (who also acted as the cinematographer) wanted a very dark, underexposed look. The cast had to work in these dingy, wet, miserable sets for months. Arnold was even followed by insurance agents during filming because he’d just had a heart valve replaced and they were terrified he’d drop dead during a stunt.
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That tension translates to the screen.
Actionable Insights for Fans of the Genre
If you’re revisiting End of Days or exploring the cast for the first time, here are a few things to keep in mind to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch the Practical Effects: While the CGI "Satan Beast" at the end looks a bit dated now, the practical makeup by Stan Winston (who did Terminator and Jurassic Park) is incredible. Look at Gabriel Byrne’s deteriorating face throughout the film—that’s all high-end prosthetics.
- Listen to the Soundtrack: It’s a time capsule of 1999. It features Guns N' Roses (the first song they’d released in years at the time), Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Eminem. It perfectly captures that "nu-metal" apocalyptic energy.
- Compare the Performances: Watch Gabriel Byrne in this and then watch him in Stigmata. It’s a masterclass in how to play both sides of the religious horror coin in a single year.
- Look for the Symbolism: The name "Jericho Cane" isn't accidental. Jericho was a biblical city whose walls fell; Cane is a nod to Cain and Abel. The movie is full of these little "Sunday school" Easter eggs.
End of Days isn't a perfect movie, but it’s a bold one. It was a massive risk for Arnold, and it remains one of the most unique entries in his filmography. Whether you love it for the camp or the genuine grit, the cast is what keeps it from being just another forgotten 90s thriller.
To dig deeper into this era of film, your next step should be to look into the "Y2K Horror" subgenre, specifically comparing End of Days to other 1999 releases like The Ninth Gate or Lost Souls to see how Hollywood was processing the turn of the millennium.