It is weird to think that it’s been nearly two decades since we saw Benjamin Franklin Gates kidnap the President of the United States. Honestly, the premise of the 2007 sequel was even more unhinged than the first movie, but that’s exactly why people still binge it on Disney+. When you look back at the national treasure book of secrets actors, you aren't just looking at a list of names; you’re looking at a weirdly specific moment in Hollywood history where Jerry Bruckheimer had the midas touch and Nicolas Cage was the biggest star on the planet.
Some of these actors went on to win Oscars. Others kind of vanished into the world of prestige TV. A few of them are basically the reason the "Legacy Sequel" rumors won't die.
The Core Trio That Anchored the Secret
You can’t talk about the sequel without Nicolas Cage. Obviously. By 2007, Cage was fully leaning into the "intellectual action hero" vibe that defined his post-con air career. His portrayal of Ben Gates in Book of Secrets was more frantic than the first film—mostly because he was trying to clear his family name after his great-great-grandfather was accused of being a conspirator in the Lincoln assassination. Since then, Cage’s career has been a rollercoaster. He went through a "direct-to-video" phase that lasted years, mostly to pay off some legendary debts, but he’s had a massive critical resurgence lately with films like Pig and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. He's basically a living meme who also happens to be a genius-level actor.
Then you have Justin Bartha. He played Riley Poole, the comic relief/tech genius who was constantly complaining about his Ferrari being impounded. Bartha is an interesting case. While he never became a leading man in massive blockbusters after the Hangover trilogy, he carved out a really respectable space on Broadway and in shows like The Good Fight. He actually returned to the franchise recently for the Disney+ series National Treasure: Edge of History, which was basically the only thing that felt "right" about that show for die-hard fans of the original movies.
Diane Kruger rounded out the main group as Abigail Chase. Kruger was already a star after Troy, but Book of Secrets solidified her as a staple of 2000s cinema. Her career trajectory since then has been arguably the most "prestige." She won Best Actress at Cannes for In the Fade and worked with Tarantino in Inglourious Basterds. She’s always brought a certain level of class to the franchise that balanced out Cage’s... well, Cage-ness.
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The Heavy Hitters: Mirren, Harris, and Voight
The sequel upped the ante by bringing in actual Hollywood royalty. Specifically, Helen Mirren. She played Emily Appleton, Ben’s mother and a linguist who had been estranged from Patrick Gates for decades. Mirren had just won an Oscar for The Queen when she signed on for this. Just imagine that for a second. You win the highest honor in acting and then immediately decide to go film a scene where you're trapped in a flooding Aztec gold chamber under Mount Rushmore. It’s legendary. She’s still everywhere, of course, currently dominating the Yellowstone prequel 1923.
Ed Harris was the "villain," Mitch Wilkinson. I put villain in quotes because, in the world of national treasure book of secrets actors, Harris played one of those antagonists who isn't actually evil—he just wanted his name in the history books. Harris is a four-time Oscar nominee and has basically spent the last several years being the best part of Westworld. He brought a grit to the sequel that the first movie’s villain, Sean Bean, didn't quite have.
Jon Voight returned as Patrick Gates. He’s been a polarizing figure in real life lately, but in the context of this movie, his chemistry with Helen Mirren was the secret weapon. Their bickering felt like a real divorced couple who happened to be obsessed with 19th-century ciphers.
The Supporting Players You Forgot Were There
The cast was surprisingly deep. Harvey Keitel returned as FBI Agent Sadusky. Keitel is an icon—think Reservoir Dogs or Pulp Fiction—and having him show up just to give Ben Gates a head start was a great nod to the first film. He’s still active, recently appearing in The Irishman.
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Bruce Greenwood played the President. He’s one of those "that guy" actors who is in everything. He’s played the President multiple times in different movies, and honestly, he has the face for it. Most recently, he was incredible in The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix.
What Happened to the Cast? (Short Breakdown)
- Nicolas Cage: Doing the best work of his life in indie films.
- Justin Bartha: Recently did the National Treasure TV spinoff.
- Diane Kruger: Working mostly in European cinema and high-end TV.
- Helen Mirren: Action star in the Fast & Furious movies (seriously).
- Ed Harris: Recently finished a long run on Westworld.
- Ty Burrell: Most people forget he was the "other guy" dating Abigail in this movie. He went on to be Phil Dunphy in Modern Family and became a TV legend.
Why We Still Care About These Actors
The reason people keep searching for the national treasure book of secrets actors isn't just nostalgia. It’s because the chemistry worked. Usually, sequels feel like a cash grab. This one felt like a group of very talented people having a blast with a ridiculous script. When you have Oscar winners like Mirren and Voight arguing over the translation of a "Cibola" map, it grounds the absurdity.
There’s also the Page 47 thing. At the end of the movie, the President asks Ben to look at Page 47 of the Book of Secrets. Ben says, "It’s life-altering." We still don't know what was on that page. For nearly 20 years, fans have been waiting for the cast to reunite to answer that question.
Jerry Bruckheimer has been vocal lately about a third script being in development. He’s mentioned that the goal is to get the original cast back together. But getting Cage, Kruger, and Bartha on the same schedule is a nightmare, especially now that Cage’s "Cage-aissance" has him booked for years.
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The Legacy of the Ensemble
The casting was weirdly perfect. If you replaced Ed Harris with a generic bad guy, the movie fails. If you don't have Justin Bartha to poke fun at the history-nerd stuff, the movie becomes too pretentious. It’s a very delicate balance.
Most of these actors are now in their 50s, 60s, or 70s. If a third movie happens, it’s going to be a "passing of the torch" story. We saw a bit of that in the TV show, but without the original national treasure book of secrets actors leading the way, it just didn't have the same soul.
The reality is that this cast represents a specific era of mid-budget blockbusters that don't really exist anymore. Everything now is either a $300 million superhero movie or a $5 million indie. A $130 million movie about history nerds finding a city of gold is a relic.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're looking to keep up with the cast or the future of the franchise, here is what you should actually do:
- Watch "Edge of History" on Disney+ (but lower your expectations): It's not the same as the movies, but Justin Bartha and Harvey Keitel both make appearances that bridge the gap.
- Follow Nicolas Cage’s Recent Work: If you want to see the "Ben Gates" energy in a different setting, watch The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. It captures that same frantic, brilliant vibe.
- Check the Trades for "National Treasure 3": Don't believe every TikTok rumor. If a sequel is actually happening, it will be reported by The Hollywood Reporter or Variety. Bruckheimer has confirmed a script exists, but Cage hasn't officially signed on yet.
- Revisit the Commentary Tracks: If you have the DVD or Blu-ray, the commentary with director Jon Turteltaub and the actors is actually hilarious and shows how much they improvised.
The mystery of Page 47 might never be solved, but the careers of the actors involved have stayed remarkably relevant. Whether we get another movie or not, the 2007 cast remains one of the most over-qualified and entertaining ensembles in action-adventure history.