It’s been a minute since everyone and their mother was suddenly obsessed with mid-century chess clocks and wallpaper. Honestly, the cultural grip The Queen’s Gambit had during the 2020 lockdowns was kind of a fever dream. We all stayed home, bought chess sets we didn't know how to use, and fell in love with a group of actors who, at the time, felt like a massive gamble for a prestige miniseries. But when you look at The Queen’s Gambit cast now, it’s basically a masterclass in "before they were superstars" scouting.
Anya Taylor-Joy wasn’t exactly an unknown—thanks to The Witch—but this was the moment she became an icon. Her performance as Beth Harmon was weird, prickly, and mesmerizing. It wasn't just her, though. The show succeeded because the supporting players weren't just background noise; they were specific, lived-in characters who felt like they had lives outside of Beth’s narrow obsession with the 64 squares.
The Magnetic Pull of Anya Taylor-Joy
Beth Harmon is a hard character to like on paper. She’s cold. She’s an addict. She’s frequently rude to the people trying to help her. Yet, Taylor-Joy made her someone you’d follow into any basement chess club in Kentucky.
What’s wild is how much she did with just her eyes. Directing Beth’s gaze became a whole thing for Scott Frank, the series creator. If you go back and rewatch, notice how rarely she blinks during the matches. It’s unsettling. It’s also brilliant. Since the show wrapped, she’s gone on to headline Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, proving that her range is basically limitless. She turned a niche show about a board game into a fashion-forward, psychological thriller.
Thomas Brodie-Sangster and the Cowboy Hat
Then there’s Benny Watts. You probably knew Thomas Brodie-Sangster as the cute kid from Love Actually or Jojen Reed from Game of Thrones. Seeing him show up in a long duster coat with a knife on his belt felt... questionable at first. But he pulled it off.
Benny served as the perfect foil to Beth because he was the first person she met who was actually as good as she was—and knew it. Their chemistry wasn't the typical romantic fluff. It was a mutual respect between two obsessive geniuses. Brodie-Sangster brought a weird, wiry energy to the role that made the New York scenes feel like a totally different show. It grounded the story. It showed that Beth wasn't the only one living in this hyper-focused subculture.
Harry Melling: From Dudley Dursley to Chess Master
If there is a "most improved" award for a career trajectory among The Queen’s Gambit cast, it’s Harry Melling. Most people spent the first episode squinting at the screen, trying to figure out why Harry Beltik looked so familiar.
"Wait, is that Dudley Dursley?"
Yeah. It was.
Melling’s transformation into a character actor has been one of the coolest things to watch in Hollywood lately. In this series, he plays the guy who gets his ego bruised by Beth early on, only to become her most loyal supporter later. His performance is quiet and soulful. He represents the "normal" world trying to keep up with Beth’s genius. Since then, he’s been in The Pale Blue Eye and The Tragedy of Macbeth, proving he’s one of the most versatile actors of his generation.
The Tragic Heart: Marielle Heller and Bill Camp
We have to talk about Alma Wheatley. Marielle Heller is actually a hugely successful director (she did A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood), but her turn as Beth’s adoptive mother was heartbreaking. She played Alma not as a villainous "stage mom," but as a lonely, alcoholic woman who found a strange, symbiotic friendship with her daughter. It’s a complicated relationship. It’s messy. It’s real.
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And Bill Camp as Mr. Shaibel?
The man said maybe fifty words the entire series and still made everyone cry. As the janitor who teaches Beth the game in the orphanage basement, he is the literal foundation of the story. Camp is one of those "that guy" actors who shows up in everything from Joker to The Night Of, and he’s always the best thing in it. His silent approval of Beth’s talent is the emotional anchor of the first episode. Without that spark, the rest of the show doesn't work.
Moses Ingram and the Power of Jolene
Jolene was the character the show desperately needed to keep Beth from spiraling into her own head. Moses Ingram, in her first major role, was a powerhouse. She provided the perspective Beth lacked—the reality of being a Black woman in the 1960s, which was a very different experience than Beth’s rise to fame.
Ingram’s performance was so strong it landed her a role in the Star Wars universe as Reva in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Her return in the final episode of The Queen’s Gambit wasn't just a plot device; it was a reminder that Beth’s journey started in a place of shared trauma and survival.
Why This Specific Group Worked
Casting is a vibe check. You can have a great script, but if the actors don't click, it’s dead on arrival. The casting directors, Ellen Lewis and Kate Sprance, didn't just look for "names." They looked for faces that fit the era.
- Jacob Fortune-Lloyd brought a suave, slightly tragic energy as Townes.
- Marcin Dorociński was terrifyingly stoic as the Soviet champion Borgov.
- Chloe Pirrie gave a haunting performance as Beth’s biological mother in the flashbacks.
Everything felt cohesive. The show captured a specific kind of "lonely brilliance" that resonated with millions of people who were feeling pretty lonely themselves back in 2020. It wasn't just about chess; it was about finding your people, even if those people are all a little bit broken.
The Lasting Influence of the Series
Even years later, the impact of this cast is still felt. Chess.com saw a record-breaking surge in users that hasn't fully dissipated. People are still looking for "Beth Harmon outfits."
But the real legacy is the careers it launched or revitalized. Anya Taylor-Joy is now a bona fide movie star. Harry Melling is a critical darling. Moses Ingram is a franchise lead. It’s rare for a miniseries to have such a high "hit rate" for its ensemble. Usually, there's one breakout and everyone else fades back into guest spots on procedurals. Not here.
The nuanced acting helped bridge the gap between a technical game and a human story. You didn't need to know what a "Sicilian Defense" was to understand the fear in Beth's eyes when she faced Borgov. You just had to watch her face. That’s the power of a perfectly assembled cast.
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How to Dive Deeper into Their Work
If you’ve finished your fifth rewatch and need more, you don’t have to look far.
- Watch the "Anya Taylor-Joy Starter Pack": Start with The Witch, move to Split, then hit Emma. to see her range before she was Beth.
- Check out Harry Melling in The Pale Blue Eye: He plays a young Edgar Allan Poe, and his chemistry with Christian Bale is fantastic.
- See Marielle Heller’s Directorial Work: Watch Can You Ever Forgive Me? to see how she handles complicated, prickly female characters from behind the camera.
- Follow Bill Camp’s Filmography: Honestly, just look him up on IMDb and pick anything. He never misses.
The trick to enjoying the show's legacy is seeing how these actors took the "genius" archetype and applied it to other genres. They didn't get stuck in the 1960s. They used The Queen's Gambit as a springboard to show just how much depth they could bring to the screen.
Next time you're scrolling through Netflix and see Beth Harmon's face on the thumbnail, remember that you're looking at a lightning-in-a-bottle moment for a group of actors who were all on the verge of greatness at exactly the right time.