The Cody family is a mess. That’s the baseline. But when we look back at the cast of animal kingdom season 3, we aren't just looking at a list of actors on a call sheet; we are looking at the exact moment the power dynamic of the entire series shifted. Season 3 was the pivot. It was the year the matriarchal foundation started to crumble, and the boys had to figure out if they were wolves or just lost pups.
If you’re a fan of the TNT gritty crime drama, you know that the third season starts in the shadow of Baz’s death. Scott Speedman leaving the show was a massive risk. Baz was the brains. He was the one who could actually go toe-to-toe with Smurf. Without him, the vacuum was massive. It forced the remaining cast to step into uncomfortable, jagged roles that they weren't necessarily ready for, and honestly, that’s why the season worked so well. It was chaotic because the characters were living in chaos.
The core Cody family: Who stayed and who stepped up
Ellen Barkin is, and always will be, the sun that the rest of the cast of animal kingdom season 3 revolved around. Even from behind bars. Most of this season features Janine "Smurf" Cody in a jumpsuit, yet she still feels more dangerous than anyone on the outside. Barkin played Smurf with this terrifying, quiet manipulation that felt like a coiled snake. You never knew if she was going to kiss her sons or ruin their lives. Usually, it was both.
Then you have J. Finn Cole plays Joshua "J" Cody with a coldness that is honestly a bit unsettling. In season 3, J isn't just a high school kid anymore. He’s the one running the books. He’s the one Smurf trusts—or thinks she can control—to keep the empire afloat while she’s locked up. Cole’s performance is all in the eyes. He doesn't say much. He doesn't have to. You can see him calculating the math of every betrayal in real-time. He’s the smartest person in the room, and the rest of the Codys are too busy fighting each other to notice.
Shawn Hatosy as Pope is... a lot. There is no other way to put it. Pope is the soul of the show, but that soul is deeply fractured. In season 3, Hatosy takes Pope to some incredibly dark places as he deals with the guilt of what happened to Catherine and the loss of Baz. His physical acting is wild. The way he carries his shoulders, the way he stares into nothing—it’s masterclass stuff. He’s the muscle, but he’s also the most vulnerable person in the house. It’s a weird, beautiful contradiction.
New blood and major shifts in the cast of animal kingdom season 3
We have to talk about Denis Leary. When it was announced he was joining the cast of animal kingdom season 3 as Billy, Deran's estranged father, people weren't sure what to expect. Leary is known for his fast-talking, cynical comedy, but here? He’s a parasite. Billy is a different kind of villain. He isn't Smurf, who manipulates out of a weird sense of love and legacy. Billy manipulates for a quick buck and a hit of whatever he’s using.
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His chemistry with Jake Weary (Deran) is painful to watch in the best way. Deran has spent his whole life trying to find a sense of identity outside of Smurf’s thumb, and here comes his dad, offering a different kind of poison. Weary’s performance this season is incredibly underrated. He’s trying to build something real with his bar, and he’s trying to navigate his relationship with Adrian, but the Cody DNA just keeps pulling him back into the mud.
- Ben Robson (Craig): The wild card. In season 3, we see Craig trying to find a bit more agency, though he’s still prone to making the absolute worst decisions possible at any given moment. Robson brings a physicality to the role that makes you believe he could actually survive the level of punishment Craig puts himself through.
- Sohvi Rodriguez (Mia Benitez): Mia was a game-changer. She brought a level of street-level grit that the Codys, for all their posturing, didn't always have. Her relationship with J was a ticking time bomb. She wasn't impressed by the Cody name, which made her dangerous.
Why Scott Speedman’s exit defined the season
Losing a lead is usually a death knell for a show. When Baz was killed off, it felt like the show was losing its protagonist. But looking back at the cast of animal kingdom season 3, his absence is what allowed the other characters to breathe. Baz was a ceiling. As long as he was there, the "brothers" stayed in their lanes.
With Baz gone, the hierarchy vanished.
The season becomes a scramble for the crown. Pope thinks he should lead because he’s the oldest, but he’s too unstable. Craig just wants the score. Deran wants out. And J? J is just waiting for everyone to fall so he can pick up the pieces. The writers handled Speedman's exit by making the grief a character itself. It wasn't just a "he's gone, move on" situation. The shadow of Baz’s betrayal and his ultimate fate hung over every single heist and every single argument in the Cody kitchen.
The recurring players who filled the gaps
It wasn't just the main stars. The supporting cast of animal kingdom season 3 gave the world its texture. Dichen Lachman as Sibi was a brief but fascinating addition. Ray Baker as Isaiah offered a glimpse into Smurf’s past that helped explain how she became the monster she is.
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And we can't forget Adrian (played by Spencer Treat Clark). His relationship with Deran is the only thing in the show that feels even remotely like actual love. But in the world of Animal Kingdom, love is a liability. Watching Adrian get sucked into the Cody orbit is like watching a car crash in slow motion. You want him to run, but you know he won't.
Technical mastery behind the performances
The acting works because the environment feels real. The show is shot with this sun-drenched, salty-air vibe that makes you feel the heat of Oceanside. The cast of animal kingdom season 3 had to deal with more location shoots and more complex stunt work than previous years.
There’s a specific heist in season 3—the one involving the light aircraft—that showed just how much the actors were willing to put in. They don't just stand around looking pretty. They look sweaty, they look tired, and they look like they’ve actually been living in a house with five grown men who haven't cleaned a dish in three weeks.
What we can learn from the cast of animal kingdom season 3
If you're looking at this from a storytelling perspective, the lesson is clear: kill your darlings. By removing Baz, the show forced the cast of animal kingdom season 3 to reinvent their roles. It proved that the ensemble was strong enough to carry the weight without a traditional "hero" figure.
- Character over plot: The heists are cool, but the reason people stayed was to see if Pope would finally snap or if J would finally take over.
- The power of the antagonist: Even when Smurf was in a jail cell, her presence was the primary driver of the plot. It shows that a great villain doesn't need to be "active" to be effective.
- Physicality in acting: Notice how the Cody brothers move. They take up space. They are aggressive. That’s not just directing; that’s the actors understanding the "animal" part of the show's title.
To really appreciate what the cast of animal kingdom season 3 accomplished, you have to watch the episodes "The Center Will Not Hold" and "Hyenas." Those two episodes encapsulate the sheer desperation of the family. They are scavenging. They are fighting over scraps. It’s brutal, it’s uncomfortable, and it’s some of the best television TNT ever produced.
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If you're revisiting the series, pay attention to the silence. Some of the best performances this season happen when nobody is talking. It's in the way J watches Smurf through the glass in the visiting room, or the way Pope looks at Baz’s empty room. That’s where the real magic of this cast lies. They made you care about people who were, by all accounts, pretty terrible human beings.
Check out the early work of these actors if you want to see their range—specifically Hatosy in Southland or Barkin in The Big Easy. It puts their work in Animal Kingdom into a whole new context. The show ended its run a while ago, but season 3 remains the high-water mark for character development and ensemble chemistry.
Go back and watch the season 3 premiere again. Now that you know where everyone ends up, the foreshadowing in their performances is almost haunting. J’s transformation isn't a surprise; it was written on his face from the very first episode of the season.
Next Steps for Fans
- Analyze J's arc: Watch the first and last episodes of season 3 back-to-back. Notice the change in his posture and the way he speaks to Smurf.
- Follow the actors: Many members of the cast of animal kingdom season 3 have moved on to massive projects. Finn Cole is a standout in Peaky Blinders, and Shawn Hatosy continues to direct and act in high-end TV.
- Study the heist choreography: Season 3 featured some of the most complex "jobs" in the series. Re-watching them with an eye for how the cast handles the physical demands provides a new level of appreciation for the production.