Let's be real: most people who search for the cast of XX+XY are usually looking for that one specific indie drama from 2002 that felt way ahead of its time. Or maybe you're thinking of the Korean variety show or a completely different niche project with a similar title. It happens. But usually, when we talk about XX/XY, we’re talking about that gritty, awkward, and painfully honest Mark Ruffalo movie.
Back in the early 2000s, Mark Ruffalo wasn't the "Hulk" yet. He was the king of the "messy guy you still kinda want to root for" trope. This film, directed by Austin Chick, followed three friends—Sam, Thea, and Colleen—as they navigated a complicated, messy sexual encounter in college and then dealt with the fallout a decade later. It's a movie about how much people change, or more accurately, how much they stay the same while pretending to be adults.
The Trio That Made XX+XY Work
You can’t talk about the cast of XX+XY without starting with the central triangle. It wasn't just a romance; it was a psychological study of three people who probably should have just stayed friends (or maybe not even that).
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Mark Ruffalo as Coles
Mark Ruffalo plays Coles. If you’ve seen him in You Can Count on Me, you know his vibe here. He’s charming but deeply non-committal. In the movie, Coles is an animator who is seemingly stuck. Honestly, Ruffalo has this way of looking like he just rolled out of bed but also happens to be the most soulful person in the room. His performance anchors the movie because he makes a character who is objectively kind of a jerk feel human. He's struggling with the gap between his youthful ideals and his mid-30s reality.
Kathleen Robertson as Thea
Then there’s Kathleen Robertson. Most people remember her from 90210, but in XX/XY, she's completely different. She plays Thea, the most volatile of the group. She’s the one who instigates a lot of the drama. Robertson brings a sharp, almost defensive edge to the role. By the time the movie jumps forward ten years, she’s living in London, seemingly successful but clearly still carrying the weight of their college years. Her performance is vital because she represents the person who tried the hardest to run away from their past.
Maya Stange as Sam
The third point of the triangle is Sam, played by Maya Stange. Stange is an Australian actress who brings a certain groundedness to the film. While Coles is drifting and Thea is exploding, Sam is trying to find a middle ground. She’s often the "observer," which is a tough role to play without becoming boring. Stange makes Sam’s quiet disappointment feel palpable.
Why the Supporting Cast Matters
The movie isn't just a three-person play. The cast of XX+XY includes some faces that you’ll definitely recognize if you’re a fan of character actors or early 2000s New York cinema.
Petra Wright plays Claire, Coles’ girlfriend in the "ten years later" segment. Her character is basically the audience surrogate. She’s the one looking at these three old friends and thinking, “Wait, why are you guys still doing this to each other?” It’s a thankless role in a way, being the "stable" one, but Wright plays it with a quiet dignity that makes the ending of the film hit harder.
You also see David Thornton as Miles. Thornton is one of those actors who has been in everything from Home Alone 3 to The Notebook. He adds a layer of adult complexity to the later scenes, reminding the audience that life kept moving for everyone else while Coles, Sam, and Thea were stuck in their own loop.
The Austin Chick Direction
Director Austin Chick didn't just cast these people because they looked good on a poster. He needed actors who could handle long takes and heavy dialogue. This wasn't a big-budget Marvel flick. It was shot on film, often in tight spaces in Manhattan. The chemistry—or lack thereof—had to be real.
The movie explores "non-traditional" relationship dynamics way before it was trendy to talk about them on TikTok. It looks at the "X" and "Y" of it all—the biological and social constructs of gender and how they collide.
Breaking Down the "Two Eras" Format
The film is split into two distinct time periods. This is where the cast of XX+XY really had to show their range.
- The College Years (The 90s): This is all about reckless energy. The actors had to play younger, more impulsive versions of themselves. The cinematography is grainy, and the interactions are frantic.
- The New York Years (The 2000s): Everything slows down. The colors are cooler. Ruffalo, Robertson, and Stange have to portray people who are tired. It’s not just about makeup or hair changes; it’s about the way they carry themselves.
Coles (Ruffalo) goes from a guy who thinks the world is his playground to a man who realizes he might have missed his chance at something real. Thea (Robertson) goes from a provocateur to someone who is clearly protecting herself. Sam (Stange) moves from being a participant to a skeptical witness.
What People Often Get Wrong About the Film
People often confuse this movie with others because of the title. Some think it's a documentary about genetics. It's not. Others think it’s a romantic comedy. It’s definitely not. It’s a drama that can be quite uncomfortable to watch.
If you are looking for the cast of XX+XY because you saw a clip on social media, you might be surprised by how slow-burn it is. It’s a "talky" movie. It’s about subtext. When Coles and Sam are sitting in a restaurant ten years later, what they don’t say is more important than what they do say.
The Legacy of the Cast
Where are they now?
- Mark Ruffalo: Obviously, he went on to be an A-lister. But XX/XY remains a key part of his "indie darling" era.
- Kathleen Robertson: She transitioned into writing and producing, showing that she had a lot more going on than just being a TV star. She’s been involved in shows like Murder in the First and The Expanse.
- Maya Stange: She continued to work steadily in film and television, particularly in Australia. She’s known for her work in Garage Days and The Great Gatsby (2013).
Taking Action: How to Revisit the Story
If you’re interested in the cast of XX+XY, don’t just read about them. Watch the performances.
First, track down a copy of the film. It’s often available on niche streaming services or can be found on DVD (yes, those still exist).
Second, watch it twice. The first time, focus on the plot. The second time, watch the body language of the actors during the "ten years later" scenes. Notice how Mark Ruffalo uses his hands when he’s nervous. See how Kathleen Robertson shifts her eyes when she’s lying. That’s where the real magic of this cast lies.
Finally, if you like this style of filmmaking, check out other Austin Chick films or early Ruffalo works like In the Cut. It’ll give you a much broader appreciation for this specific era of independent cinema where the actors were allowed to be ugly, complicated, and real.
The cast of XX+XY delivered a masterclass in subtlety. They took a script that could have been a melodramatic mess and turned it into a haunting look at how we grow up—or don't.
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Next Steps for the Cinephile:
- Compare Mark Ruffalo’s performance here to his role in The Kids Are All Right. You'll see a fascinating evolution of the "flawed man-child" archetype he perfected.
- Look up the soundtrack. The music in XX/XY is a time capsule of the early 2000s indie scene.
- Research the filming locations in Manhattan's Lower East Side. Many of those spots look completely different now, making the movie an unintentional historical document of a gentrifying city.