When The Night Agent dropped on Netflix, nobody—not even the execs—really expected it to become the monster hit it did. It sort of just exploded. Gabriel Basso was suddenly everywhere. People were googling Luciane Buchanan at 3:00 AM. It was wild. Why? Because the actors in The Night Agent didn't just play tropes; they actually felt like people stuck in a high-stakes conspiracy that was way over their heads.
Usually, these political thrillers feel a bit stiff. You get the stoic hero, the tech-savvy girl, and the shadowy villain. But there was something about Peter Sutherland that felt... vulnerable? He wasn’t James Bond. He was a guy working a basement desk who just happened to be good at his job.
If you're looking for the breakdown of who these people are and where you've seen them before, you're in the right spot. This isn't just a list. It’s a look at how this specific ensemble turned a standard pulp novel adaptation into one of the most-watched shows in streaming history.
Gabriel Basso as Peter Sutherland: The Hero We Didn't Know We Needed
Gabriel Basso. Before this, you might have known him from Super 8 or The Big C. He was a child actor who kind of stepped away for a bit to do his own thing—he’s big into boxing and drawing, actually. That rugged, slightly tired look he brings to Peter Sutherland? That’s not just makeup. Basso did a lot of his own stunts.
Peter is the heart of the show. He's a low-level FBI agent who monitors a phone that never rings. Until it does. Basso plays him with this incredible sense of duty that feels earned rather than forced. He's trying to outrun his father's legacy, and you can see that weight on his shoulders in every scene. It’s a physical performance. He’s not a superhero; he gets hit, he bleeds, and he looks genuinely exhausted by the time the credits roll on episode ten.
Luciane Buchanan as Rose Larkin: More Than Just a "Damsel"
Honestly, the show would have flopped if Rose was just a girl who needed saving. Luciane Buchanan, a New Zealand actress of Tongan descent, makes Rose the smartest person in the room half the time. She’s a failed tech CEO. She’s cynical. She’s lost her aunt and uncle to a brutal assassination in the first ten minutes.
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The chemistry between Buchanan and Basso is what carries the slower moments of the plot. It isn't a forced romance—it’s a "we are the only two people we can trust" vibe. Buchanan brings a sharpness to the role. When Rose is digging through code or trying to figure out a hard drive, you actually believe she knows what she’s doing. She previously worked on The New Legends of Monkey, but The Night Agent is her massive breakout moment.
The Villains and the Power Players
A thriller is only as good as its villains, and the actors in The Night Agent who played the antagonists were chillingly effective.
Hong Chau as Diane Farr
Hong Chau is everywhere lately. The Whale, The Menu, Poker Face. She’s a powerhouse. In this show, she plays the White House Chief of Staff. Is she a mentor? Is she the mastermind? Her performance is so controlled. She uses her voice—that soft, almost conspiratorial whisper—to pull you in. You want to trust her because Peter trusts her, but there’s always that flickering doubt in her eyes.
Sarah Desjardins as Maddie Redfield
Maddie is the Vice President’s daughter, and her subplot feels like it belongs in a different, more intimate drama, yet it weaves into the main conspiracy perfectly. Desjardins captures that "trapped in a golden cage" energy. Her relationship with her Secret Service detail is one of the most tragic parts of the season.
Phoenix Raei and Eve Harlow as Dale and Ellen
These two. Wow. As the assassins, they were terrifyingly quirky. Usually, hitmen in these shows are silent and boring. Dale and Ellen felt like a twisted, murderous version of a married couple. They argue about their future while cleaning their weapons. Eve Harlow, who you might remember from The 100, brings this manic, unpredictable energy to Ellen that made her scenes genuinely stressful to watch.
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Why the Casting Worked When Others Fail
Most shows try to cast "names." They want a huge movie star to lead the series to guarantee views. Netflix went the other way here. By casting Gabriel Basso—who hadn't been a "leading man" in a major way for years—they allowed the audience to see the character, not the celebrity.
The supporting cast is filled with character actors who have been "that guy" in twenty other things.
- Robert Patrick as Hawkins: The man is a legend (T-1000 himself). He brings instant gravitas.
- D.B. Woodside as Erik Monks: After Lucifer, it was cool to see him play a veteran Secret Service agent looking for redemption. He brings a grounded, weary nobility to the role.
- Fola Evans-Akingbola as Chelsea Arrington: She plays the Secret Service lead with such rigid professionalism that when she finally breaks protocol, it feels like a massive deal.
What’s Next for the Cast in Season 2?
Netflix confirmed a second season almost immediately. It makes sense. They’d be crazy not to. We know Gabriel Basso is coming back because, well, he is the Night Agent now. He’s been promoted. He’s on the plane. He’s getting his missions directly now.
But what about the rest? Luciane Buchanan is expected to return, though her role might change now that she’s not actively being hunted by assassins in every episode. The showrunners have hinted that Season 2 will feature a mostly new cast of characters as Peter moves on to a different mission in a different location. This "anthology-adjacent" style keeps the stakes high. If the actors in The Night Agent change every year, nobody is ever truly safe.
Behind the Scenes: Casting Trivia
Did you know Basso almost didn't get the part? The production looked at a lot of people. They needed someone who could look like they could actually win a fight but also look like they could read a 500-page intelligence briefing without getting bored.
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The creator, Shawn Ryan (who did The Shield, so he knows his way around a gritty drama), was very specific about the "everyman" quality. He didn't want a bodybuilder. He wanted a guy who looked like he lived on coffee and stress. Basso fit that perfectly.
Key Takeaways for Fans of the Show
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of these actors or the genre itself, here are some actionable ways to scratch that itch while waiting for Season 2:
- Watch Gabriel Basso in Super 8: It’s a great way to see his range as a younger actor. He’s always had that "grounded" quality.
- Follow Luciane Buchanan’s work in NZ cinema: She has done some incredible work in New Zealand that explores her heritage and showcases a very different side of her acting than the tech-genius Rose.
- Check out The Shield: Since Shawn Ryan is the showrunner for The Night Agent, watching his earlier work will give you a better understanding of the pacing and moral ambiguity he likes to play with.
- Read the book by Matthew Quirk: If you can't wait for Season 2, the source material is a tight, fast-paced read. Just keep in mind that the show made some pretty big changes (like adding the assassins' personal lives and expanding the Diane Farr role).
The success of the show really boils down to the fact that these actors didn't wink at the camera. They played the ridiculous, high-stakes plot with total sincerity. When Peter Sutherland is running through the woods, he looks scared. When Rose Larkin loses everything, she looks devastated. That emotional honesty is why we’re all sitting around waiting for the next phone call.
To get the most out of your next rewatch, pay attention to the background characters. Many of the minor roles are filled by veteran stage actors who bring a level of realism to the bureaucratic scenes that you don't usually see in "action" shows. It’s that attention to detail that sets this cast apart.