You know that feeling when you're scrolling through streaming services and you just need something that feels like a warm blanket? That is basically The Intern. Even though it came out back in 2015, people are still constantly searching for who stars in The Intern because the chemistry on screen feels so genuine that it's hard to believe these two actors hadn't worked together every day for twenty years.
Nancy Meyers, the queen of high-end kitchens and emotional intelligence, really struck gold with this casting. It’s not just a "workplace comedy." It’s a movie about aging, tech culture, and the weirdly beautiful friendship between a 70-year-old widower and a high-strung CEO.
The Heavy Hitters: Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway
At the heart of the film, you have Robert De Niro playing Ben Whittaker. Honestly, seeing De Niro like this was a bit of a shock for people used to Taxi Driver or Goodfellas. He’s gentle. He’s observant. He carries a pocket square not because it’s trendy, but because "it's for her." Ben is a retired executive from a phone book company—yeah, remember those?—who joins a senior intern program at a booming Brooklyn fashion startup called About The Fit.
Then you have Anne Hathaway. She plays Jules Ostin.
Jules is the classic overextended founder. She’s riding a bicycle through the office to save time. She’s doing customer service calls herself. She’s the boss, but she’s also drowning in the expectations of being a mother, a wife, and a pioneer in the e-commerce space. Hathaway brings this frantic but deeply empathetic energy to the role that perfectly balances De Niro’s calm, "old school" vibe.
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The magic isn't in some romantic plot. Thank goodness Meyers avoided that. Instead, who stars in The Intern matters because the relationship is more of a mentorship-meets-father-daughter dynamic. It’s about Jules realizing that Ben’s "obsolete" wisdom is exactly what her modern, chaotic life is missing.
The Supporting Cast You Definitely Recognize
While the big names on the poster get all the credit, the supporting cast is actually stacked with talent that makes the About The Fit office feel like a real place.
- Rene Russo as Fiona: She plays the in-house massage therapist. It's a small but pivotal role because she provides the romantic interest for De Niro. Seeing two veteran actors share a low-stakes, mature romance is actually one of the most refreshing parts of the script.
- Andrew Rannells as Cameron: You probably know him from Girls or Broadway's The Book of Mormon. He plays Jules’s right-hand man. He’s the one who actually thinks the senior intern program is a good idea, even if he doesn't quite know what to do with Ben at first.
- Adam DeVine as Jason: If you’ve seen Workaholics or Pitch Perfect, you know exactly the kind of chaotic energy DeVine brings. He’s one of the younger interns who looks up to Ben as a sort of "style god" who can teach him how to actually talk to women and tuck in a shirt.
- Zack Pearlman and Jason Orley: They round out the "terns" (the intern squad). Their banter with De Niro is where most of the laugh-out-loud comedy happens.
The Domestic Side of the Story
It’s not all office politics. The film dives into Jules’s home life, which is where things get messy. Anders Holm plays Matt, Jules’s "stay-at-home dad" husband. This was a pretty big talking point when the movie released. It tackled the friction that happens when a woman’s career sky-rockets and the traditional gender roles are flipped. Holm, known mostly for comedy, plays the role with a nuanced mix of supportiveness and simmering resentment.
And we can't forget JoJo Kushner, who played Paige, the daughter. Usually, kids in these movies are just props, but Paige is the catalyst for some of Ben’s best moments, showing that his "boring" grandfatherly skills are actually superpowers in a world of distracted parents.
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Why This Cast Worked When Others Failed
Hollywood tries the "generational gap" comedy all the time. Usually, it's cringey. It relies on "old man doesn't know how to use an iPhone" jokes for two hours.
The reason who stars in The Intern is such a frequent search query is that the performances elevated the material. De Niro didn't play Ben as a bumbling tech-illiterate. He played him as a man who is incredibly smart and simply uses different tools. Hathaway didn't play Jules as a "devil wears prada" clone. She played her as someone who is genuinely kind but just stretched too thin.
The film grossed nearly $200 million worldwide. That’s a massive win for a mid-budget dramedy. Critics were somewhat split—some called it too sugary—but audiences loved it. The chemistry between a two-time Oscar winner and a modern A-lister created a "comfort movie" legacy that survives on platforms like Netflix and Max today.
Beyond the Credits: Small Cameos and Trivia
If you look closely, there are some fun appearances.
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- Mary Kay Place provides the voice of Jules’s overbearing mother on the phone. You never see her, but her presence looms large over Jules’s anxiety.
- Nat Wolff has a small role as Justin.
- The "Creative House" office where they filmed was actually a real space in the St. George Hotel in Brooklyn Heights and a studio in the Bronx.
There was a moment during pre-production where the cast looked very different. Originally, Tina Fey was attached to the project with Paramount. Later, it moved to Warner Bros. and there were talks of Michael Caine and Reese Witherspoon taking the lead roles. While that would have been a completely different movie, it’s hard to imagine anyone but De Niro and Hathaway now. Witherspoon actually had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts, which paved the way for Hathaway to step in.
A Legacy of "Gentle Cinema"
In a world of superheroes and multiverses, The Intern stands out because it’s just... nice. It’s about people trying to be better.
Ben Whittaker represents a lost art of chivalry and attention to detail. When he cleans up the "junk table" in the office, it’s a metaphor for what he does for Jules’s life. He clears the clutter. He reminds her why she started the company in the first place.
The casting of Robert De Niro was a stroke of genius by Nancy Meyers. It took the world’s most famous "tough guy" and turned him into the world’s most comforting presence. That subversion of expectation is a huge part of the film's DNA.
Practical Insights for Fans
If you're looking to revisit the film or dive deeper into the world of its stars:
- Watch the Chemistry: Pay attention to the scene where Ben joins Jules for pizza and beer while they work late. Much of that felt improvised or at least very loose, showcasing their real-life rapport.
- Check out the "Nancy Meyers Aesthetic": If you liked the look of this movie, the production design by Kristine Jeremiah is legendary. The "Jules Ostin" house in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, actually became a major inspiration for interior designers in the mid-2010s.
- Follow the Actors' Recent Shifts: Since The Intern, Hathaway has moved into more experimental roles (My Year of Rest and Relaxation adaptations, The Idea of You), while De Niro has returned to his Scorsese roots with The Irishman and Killers of the Flower Moon. Seeing them in this "soft" middle ground is a rare treat.
The film reminds us that experience never goes out of fashion. Whether it's Ben Whittaker's 1973 briefcase or Robert De Niro's decades of acting chops, some things are just timeless. If you haven't seen it in a while, it's worth a rewatch just to see how these two masters of their craft play off each other. It’s a masterclass in screen presence.