You probably haven’t seen a bird like this before. Honestly, nobody has. When the first trailers for Tuesday dropped, everyone was talking about the giant, dimension-shifting macaw that speaks with a gravelly, soul-piercing voice. It’s weird. It's A24. But the human elements are what actually ground this trippy meditation on mortality. The cast of Tuesday 2023 isn’t massive, but it’s surgical. You’ve got a legendary Emmy winner, a rising star who looks hauntingly like her, and a voice actor who basically had to invent a new way of sounding like "Death."
Director Daina Oniunas-Pusić didn't go for a sprawling ensemble. She went for intimacy. This is a movie about a mother, a daughter, and the inevitable end of things. If you're looking for a star-studded blockbuster, you're in the wrong theater. But if you want to know how Julia Louis-Dreyfus managed to pivot from the funniest woman on TV to a grieving mother facing a giant parrot, we need to talk about these performances.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Zora
We all know her as Selina Meyer or Elaine Benes. She’s the queen of the "cringe-laugh." But in Tuesday, Julia Louis-Dreyfus does something she’s rarely done in her decades-long career. She goes dark. Really dark. She plays Zora, a mother who is quite literally running away from the reality that her daughter is dying.
It’s a physical performance. There’s a scene early on where she’s just wandering around town, killing time because she can't face going home. You see the weight in her shoulders. It’s not just grief; it’s avoidance. When she finally encounters the macaw (the film's version of the Grim Reaper), her reaction isn't typical horror-movie screaming. It’s bargaining. It’s desperation.
Louis-Dreyfus has mentioned in interviews that the script's "bonkers" nature is what drew her in. She’s an actor who thrives on rhythm. Usually, that rhythm is comedic timing. Here, the rhythm is more like a panic attack. Watching her interact with a CGI bird while maintaining the emotional stakes of a mother losing a child is a masterclass. She makes you believe in the macaw because she believes in it. It’s an essential pivot for her career.
Lola Petticrew as Tuesday
The titular character, Tuesday, is played by Lola Petticrew. If you haven’t seen her in Dating Amber or Three Families, you’re missing out on one of the most expressive young actors coming out of Ireland right now.
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In the film, Tuesday is a teenager with a terminal illness. That sounds like a trope. We’ve seen the "sick kid" movie a thousand times. But Petticrew plays Tuesday with a shocking amount of agency. She isn't a victim of her circumstances; she’s the one who is actually ready to face the end. While her mother, Zora, is in total denial, Tuesday is the one making friends with Death.
Petticrew spent a lot of the film in a bed or a wheelchair, which limits an actor's tools. She had to do most of the heavy lifting with her eyes and her voice. The chemistry between her and Louis-Dreyfus feels lived-in. They actually look like they could be related, which is a casting win that often gets overlooked. Their relationship is the heartbeat of the movie. Without their believable bond, the giant bird would just look silly.
Arinzé Kene: The Voice of Death
Let's talk about the bird. The macaw isn't just a puppet or a random animal; it is Death. And Death is voiced by Arinzé Kene.
Kene is a playwright and actor known for Misty and I'm Your Woman. His voice for the macaw is... startling. It’s not a "spooky" ghost voice. It’s ancient. It sounds like grinding stones and rust. Kene had to balance being terrifying—because, well, he’s a giant bird that can shrink or grow at will—and being strangely empathetic.
Death in this movie is tired. He’s been doing this forever. Kene brings a weary, blue-collar vibe to the character. He’s just doing his job. The scenes where he interacts with Tuesday are surprisingly tender. He listens to music with her. He tucks her in. Kene’s vocal performance manages to make a CGI creature feel more human than most of the people Zora encounters in the outside world.
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Supporting Players and the Atmosphere
The cast of Tuesday 2023 stays small to keep the focus tight. You’ll see Leah Harvey (from Foundation) in a brief but impactful role as a nurse. There are also smaller appearances by actors like Ellie James and Taru Devani.
These side characters serve a specific purpose. They represent the "normal" world. They are the background noise to the internal collapse of Zora’s life. When Zora is out in the world, trying to pretend everything is fine, these actors provide the friction she needs to realize she can't keep running.
Why This Casting Works (and Where It’s Risky)
Casting a comedy legend like Julia Louis-Dreyfus in a surrealist drama about death is a massive gamble. There’s always the risk that the audience will just see "Elaine" and wait for a punchline. But the film leans into her natural frantic energy. It subverts it.
- Subversion of Expectations: We expect Louis-Dreyfus to be in control. Zora is the opposite of in control.
- The Power of the Unknown: By casting Lola Petticrew, who isn't a household name in the U.S. yet, the film allows Tuesday to feel like a real person rather than a "star" playing a role.
- Vocal Gravity: Arinzé Kene’s voice work is the anchor. If the bird sounded like a cartoon, the movie would have failed in the first ten minutes.
The film's realism is bolstered by its practical effects and the actors' willingness to play against "nothing" on set. Much of the interaction with the macaw involved the actors working with puppets or reference points, yet the emotional resonance is consistent.
Fact-Checking the Production
There’s been some confusion online about when this movie actually came out. While it’s often referred to as a 2023 film because of its festival run (it premiered at Telluride in 2023), it didn't hit wide release in theaters until mid-2024. This lag time is common for A24 "prestige" titles.
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Director Daina Oniunas-Pusić is a newcomer to feature films, which makes the caliber of this cast even more impressive. Getting an A-lister like Louis-Dreyfus for a debut feature usually means the script was something special.
Actionable Takeaways for Movie Fans
If you're planning to dive into the world of Tuesday, here’s how to get the most out of the experience:
- Watch the Shorts First: If you want to understand the director's style, look for Daina Oniunas-Pusić’s short film The Beast. It carries similar themes of magical realism and body horror.
- Look for the Visual Metaphors: Pay attention to the scale of the bird. The way the macaw changes size depending on who it is interacting with is a direct reflection of how the characters perceive the "weight" of death.
- Appreciate the Sound Design: This isn't just a visual movie. The way Arinzé Kene’s voice is mixed with the flapping of wings creates an immersive, slightly claustrophobic atmosphere.
- Compare the Careers: If you only know Julia Louis-Dreyfus from Veep, watch a few episodes before seeing Tuesday. The contrast in her performance range is staggering and worth analyzing.
The cast of Tuesday 2023 manages to turn a bizarre premise into a deeply moving story. It's a film that demands you sit with discomfort. It’s weird, it’s loud, and it’s heartbreaking. But with this specific group of actors, it works.
Next Steps for Deepening Your Knowledge:
Read up on the creature design by the VFX team at Framestore. They are the ones who brought Arinzé Kene’s vocal performance to life. Seeing the "making of" clips of the macaw puppet will give you a whole new appreciation for the physical acting Lola Petticrew had to do in her scenes. Finally, check out Julia Louis-Dreyfus's interview on the Wiser Than Me podcast, where she occasionally touches on the themes of aging and mortality that mirror her work in this film.