Liam Neeson has a very specific "thing." You know it, I know it, and the audience definitely knows it. But when you look at the cast of Cold Pursuit, you realize this isn't just another Taken clone where a guy with a gravelly voice punches his way through a city. This 2019 dark comedy—and yes, it is very much a comedy—thrives because the people surrounding Neeson are doing something weird, specific, and often hilarious.
It's a remake. Hans Petter Moland directed the original Norwegian film In Order of Disappearance, and he came back to do the American version. Honestly, that’s probably why the tone stays so dry. If you haven't seen it, the movie follows Nels Coxman, a snowplow driver who starts picking off drug dealers after his son is murdered. It sounds grim. It is. But the casting turns it into a bizarre ensemble piece.
The Heavy Hitters: Neeson and the Villains
Liam Neeson plays Nels. He's stoic. He's a "Citizen of the Year" in a fictional Colorado resort town called Kehoe. Neeson does his usual "man with a grudge" routine, but he plays it with a layer of exhaustion that feels more grounded than his other action roles. He isn’t a super-soldier; he’s a guy who reads crime novels to learn how to dispose of a body.
Then there's Tom Bateman. He plays Trevor "Viking" Calcote.
Viking is one of the most annoying villains in recent memory, and I mean that as a compliment. He’s a psychopathic drug lord who is also a helicopter parent obsessed with his son’s diet and education. Bateman plays him with this frantic, high-strung energy that contrasts perfectly with Neeson's slow, icy resolve. It’s a great bit of casting because Viking feels like a modern, "wellness-obsessed" monster.
The Rival Gang: Indigenous Representation
What makes the cast of Cold Pursuit stand out from your average Hollywood thriller is the inclusion of the rival cartel. Instead of a standard mafia trope, the film features a group of Indigenous drug traffickers led by White Bull.
The late Tom Jackson plays White Bull. He brings a massive amount of gravity to the role. Jackson was a legendary Canadian actor and singer, and his presence here gives the movie its most soulful moments. The conflict between Viking’s crew and White Bull’s crew is where the movie gets its "Fargo-esque" vibe. You have these two very different cultures clashing in the snow, and it leads to some of the funniest, most violent misunderstandings in the script.
- Tom Jackson as White Bull: The stoic leader looking for "an eye for an eye."
- Aterane (played by Nathaniel Arcand): One of White Bull's key men.
- The War Whoop crew: Played by actors like Micheál Richardson (Neeson's real-life son), who plays Nels' ill-fated child, Kyle.
Supporting Players Who Steal the Show
You’ve got Laura Dern. She plays Nels' wife, Kim. Honestly? She’s underused. She disappears fairly early in the film, which is a bit of a bummer considering her caliber, but her exit highlights the emotional vacuum Nels is left in. It drives home the point that his quest for revenge is essentially a lonely, destructive path that alienates the people he loves.
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Then there is William Forsythe. He plays Brock "Wingman" Coxman, Nels' brother.
Forsythe is a character actor legend. Seeing him as a retired mob hitman living a quiet life with his wife (played by Elizabeth Blackmore) adds a layer of history to the world. It suggests that Nels isn't just some random guy; violence might actually be in the family DNA. Their scenes together are quiet, awkward, and feel like a real sibling dynamic.
The Cops
Every revenge movie needs the police who are always two steps behind. Emmy Rossum plays Kim Dash, a young, ambitious officer in Kehoe. She’s paired with John Doman’s character, Gip.
Rossum is great here because she’s the only one who seems to realize they are in a crime movie. While everyone else is distracted by the local politics or the weather, she’s actually connecting the dots. It’s a bit of a thankless role in some scripts, but Rossum gives it enough spark to make you root for her.
Why the Casting Matters for the Tone
If this were just Liam Neeson and a bunch of generic thugs, Cold Pursuit would be forgettable. It would be a bargain-bin action flick. Instead, the cast of Cold Pursuit is filled with actors who understand the "black" part of black comedy.
Take the henchmen. You have actors like Domenick Lombardozzi and Nicholas Holmes. These guys are playing characters with names like "Mustang," "Dexter," and "Speedo." The movie spends time on their mundane conversations—arguing about hotels or marriage—right before they get blown away. It’s that Pulp Fiction or In Bruges style of characterization where the cannon fodder feels like real people.
Surprising Connections
A fun fact most people miss: Micheál Richardson, who plays the son, is actually Liam Neeson's son in real life. This was one of their first major collaborations. Knowing their real-life relationship adds a weirdly meta layer of sadness to the opening act of the film. When Neeson is grieving over the body in the morgue, that isn't just acting; there’s a genuine familial weight there.
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Julia Jones also appears as Aya, Viking’s ex-wife. She’s perhaps the only person in the movie who is smarter than the men around her. She sees Viking for exactly what he is—a petulant child with a gun—and her scenes involving their son’s custody provide some of the sharpest dialogue in the movie.
A Breakdown of the Key Players
The movie has a massive body count, and every time someone dies, a title card pops up with their name and a religious symbol. It's a gimmick, but it works because the cast makes those names mean something.
- Nels Coxman (Liam Neeson): The grieving father turned executioner.
- Viking (Tom Bateman): The neurotic, villainous cartel leader.
- White Bull (Tom Jackson): The rival boss seeking justice for his own son.
- Kim Dash (Emmy Rossum): The only competent cop in town.
- Brock (William Forsythe): The brother with a dark past.
Viking's crew is particularly memorable because they are so incompetent. They are city guys who hate the cold. Watching them navigate the Colorado wilderness is a masterclass in physical comedy. They look out of place, and that’s the point. They are invaders in a landscape that Nels and White Bull actually understand.
The Cultural Impact of the Ensemble
When Cold Pursuit hit theaters, it was overshadowed by some off-screen controversy involving Neeson, which is a shame because the film itself is quite subversive. It mocks the very genre Neeson helped create with Taken.
The cast of Cold Pursuit serves a satirical purpose. They are parodies of masculine tropes. Viking is the toxic "alpha" who is actually a mess. Nels is the "silent hero" who is actually just destroying his life. White Bull is the "warrior" who is tired of the cycle of violence.
By the time the credits roll, you realize the movie isn't really about the mystery of the son's death—it's about how these different groups of men interact with each other in a cold, uncaring environment. The casting of Indigenous actors isn't just window dressing; it's central to the movie's commentary on land, revenge, and history.
Actionable Insights for Fans of the Cast
If you enjoyed the performances in this film, there are a few ways to dive deeper into this specific style of filmmaking and these actors' careers.
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First, you absolutely have to watch the original film, In Order of Disappearance (2014). It stars Stellan Skarsgård in the Neeson role. Comparing the two performances is a lesson in acting. Skarsgård is more "everyman," while Neeson is more "force of nature." Both are excellent, but the Norwegian version has a slightly meaner streak that is fascinating to see.
Secondly, if Tom Jackson caught your eye, check out his work in North of 60. He is a titan of Canadian television and brings a level of dignity to his roles that is rare to see in action-thrillers.
Lastly, keep an eye on Tom Bateman. His work here as Viking showed a comedic range that he hasn't always been able to use in his more traditional leading-man roles. He’s much better when he’s playing someone slightly unhinged.
To truly appreciate the cast of Cold Pursuit, watch it a second time and ignore Neeson. Focus on the background characters—the hotel clerks, the junior officers, the cartel bodyguards. That is where the movie’s real personality lives. It’s a film built on the idea that everyone is the protagonist of their own weird, tragic story, even if they only have two minutes of screen time before Nels Coxman shows up with a wrench.
Explore the filmography of Hans Petter Moland if you like this tone. He specializes in this kind of "frozen noir" where the environment is as much a character as the people. Cold Pursuit is a rare example of a Hollywood remake that keeps the soul of the original while letting its cast bring something new to the table.
Check out the soundtrack as well; the music by George Fenton perfectly complements the quirky performances of the ensemble, oscillating between a traditional thriller score and something much more whimsical.