If you walked into a movie theater back in 2013 expecting the frantic, neon-soaked energy of Baz Luhrmann or the dusty, Criterion-gold standard of Zeffirelli, you were probably in for a shock. The Romeo and Juliet 2013 film cast stepped into a version of Verona that felt weirdly traditional yet oddly polished—like a Renaissance painting that had been scrubbed with a digital sponge. It was a strange moment for cinema. Julianne Fellowes, the mastermind behind Downton Abbey, decided to rewrite Shakespeare’s actual dialogue to make it "accessible."
People hated that. Or they loved it. There wasn't much middle ground.
The casting was the real talking point, though. You had a literal Oscar nominee, a future Marvel superstar, and a young girl who was basically the "it" actor of the moment. It was an ensemble that looked incredible on a poster but faced an uphill battle from the second the first trailer dropped. Honestly, looking back at it now, the Romeo and Juliet 2013 film cast represents one of the most fascinating "what if" moments in modern period dramas.
Hailee Steinfeld and the Age Question
Hailee Steinfeld was only 15 when she was cast as Juliet Capulet. This was actually a huge deal. Usually, Hollywood hires 25-year-olds with great skincare routines to play teenagers. But director Carlo Carlei went for actual youth. Steinfeld had just come off an incredible, grit-filled performance in True Grit, which earned her an Academy Award nomination. She was the heavy hitter.
She brought a certain wide-eyed vulnerability that felt honest. You've seen other Juliets play the role with a sort of tragic "knowingness," but Steinfeld played it like a kid who was overwhelmed. Some critics, like those at The Hollywood Reporter, felt she was perhaps too modern for the verse—even the "simplified" verse Fellowes wrote. But if you watch the balcony scene again, there is a sweetness there that actually fits the source material better than the more sexualized versions we often see.
Douglas Booth: The "Too Pretty" Romeo?
Then there’s Douglas Booth. Before this, he was mostly known for playing Boy George in a BBC biopic and modeling for Burberry. He is, quite frankly, absurdly handsome. At the time, the press was obsessed with whether he was too pretty to be Romeo.
His chemistry with Steinfeld was... debated. Some fans felt they were electric; others felt they were two different actors in two different movies. Booth played Romeo with a heavy, brooding romanticism. He wasn't the manic, impulsive Romeo that Leonardo DiCaprio gave us. He was more of a classical, pining lover. It’s interesting to see where his career went after this, moving into grittier roles like The Dirt or The Riot Club, but for many, he remains the definitive "pretty boy" version of the character.
🔗 Read more: Jack Blocker American Idol Journey: What Most People Get Wrong
The Supporting Players Who Stole the Show
While the star-crossed lovers got the headlines, the supporting Romeo and Juliet 2013 film cast was where the real acting muscle lived. You had Paul Giamatti as Friar Laurence. Let that sink in. Giamatti is an absolute powerhouse, and he played the Friar not as a saintly figure, but as a stressed-out man trying to play God with a chemistry set. He’s arguably the best part of the whole film.
Then you have the legends:
- Stellan Skarsgård as the Prince of Verona. He brings this terrifying, weary authority to the role that makes you realize exactly why the feud is so exhausting for the city.
- Damian Lewis as Lord Capulet. Fresh off his Homeland fame, Lewis played Capulet with a simmering, explosive temper. It wasn't the "jolly father" version; it was the "don't cross me" version.
- Natascha McElhone as Lady Capulet, bringing a cold, distant elegance that contrasted perfectly with the Nurse.
Speaking of the Nurse, Lesley Manville was a stroke of genius. She’s a Mike Leigh regular and a titan of British acting. She avoided the "clumsy comic relief" trope and made the Nurse feel like a real woman with a genuine, heartbreaking bond with Juliet.
Ed Westwick and the Tybalt Problem
We have to talk about Ed Westwick. At the height of Gossip Girl mania, Westwick was cast as Tybalt. If you wanted "Prince of Cats" energy, Westwick certainly had it. He brought that same Chuck Bass sneer to the swordsmanship.
He was aggressive. He was dark. He played Tybalt as a man who was genuinely looking for a reason to kill someone. Some people found it a bit one-note, but in a movie that was trying to be a "lush romance," having a villain who felt genuinely dangerous was a necessary counterweight. He didn't just walk; he prowled.
Kodi Smit-McPhee: The Hidden Gem
Long before he was winning awards for The Power of the Dog or playing Nightcrawler in X-Men, Kodi Smit-McPhee was Benvolio. Benvolio is often the "boring" friend, the peacemaker who just stands around while Mercutio does the cool stuff.
💡 You might also like: Why American Beauty by the Grateful Dead is Still the Gold Standard of Americana
But Smit-McPhee, even as a teenager, had this soulful, observational quality. He made Benvolio feel like the only sane person in a room full of idiots. His performance is subtle, especially compared to Christian Cooke’s Mercutio, who went for the full-throttle, high-energy interpretation we usually expect from that role.
Why the Dialogue Changes Hurt the Cast
The biggest hurdle the Romeo and Juliet 2013 film cast faced wasn't their acting; it was the script. Julianne Fellowes decided to "fix" Shakespeare. He used about 80% of the original text but swapped out difficult words for easier ones.
For the actors, this was a nightmare. Shakespearean verse has a specific rhythm—an iambic pentameter—that helps an actor breathe and find the emotion. When you start messing with the meter to make it "accessible," you break the music. You could see the cast struggling at times to find the flow. It’s hard to be "natural" when you’re speaking a hybrid language that belongs to neither the 16th century nor the 21st.
Production Value vs. Performance
The film was shot in actual Italian locations—Verona, Mantua, and Cinecittà studios in Rome. This gave the cast a massive advantage. When you see Douglas Booth climbing a real stone wall or Hailee Steinfeld in a massive, authentic-looking crypt, it adds a weight to the performances.
The costumes by Carlo Poggioli were intricate and heavy. You can feel the physical constraint of the period on the actors. This helped ground the film when the script felt a bit too "TV drama." The cast didn't have to act like they were in the Renaissance; they were physically surrounded by it.
The Reception and Legacy
When the film came out, it didn't exactly set the box office on fire. It made about $3 million against a much larger budget. Critics were lukewarm. Rotten Tomatoes has it sitting at a pretty mediocre score.
📖 Related: Why October London Make Me Wanna Is the Soul Revival We Actually Needed
But a funny thing happened. Over the last decade, the Romeo and Juliet 2013 film cast has found a second life on streaming and in classrooms. Because the dialogue is easier to understand, it’s become the "starter" version of the play for middle schoolers. It’s the gateway drug to Shakespeare.
And looking at where the cast is now—Steinfeld as a Marvel lead and Oscar nominee, Smit-McPhee as a critical darling, Booth as a steady leading man—the film was clearly a massive scouting success. It gathered an incredible amount of raw talent right before they all blew up.
What to Do Next
If you’re looking to revisit this version or compare it to others, don't just watch the highlights. Watch the Friar Laurence scenes specifically. Paul Giamatti’s performance is a masterclass in how to handle "dumbed-down" Shakespeare with absolute gravitas.
You should also look for the behind-the-scenes features on the costume design. Seeing how the Romeo and Juliet 2013 film cast dealt with the sheer weight of those velvet robes gives you a lot of respect for the physicality of their performances. If you're a student, use this film as a "translation" tool—watch a scene here, then go read the original text. You'll see exactly where Fellowes made his cuts and how that changed the way the actors had to deliver their lines.
For a true comparison, try a double feature: watch the 2013 version's final tomb scene and then the 1968 Zeffirelli version. The difference in how the actors handle the silence versus the dialogue tells you everything you need to know about how film acting evolved over those 45 years.
Key Facts for Reference:
- Director: Carlo Carlei
- Screenplay: Julianne Fellowes
- Juliet: Hailee Steinfeld (15 during filming)
- Romeo: Douglas Booth (21 during filming)
- Filming Locations: Verona, Mantua, and Rome, Italy
- Release Date: October 11, 2013 (USA)
The film remains a beautiful, if flawed, experiment in making the Bard "cool" for the Twilight generation without losing the period aesthetic. It didn't quite hit the mark for everyone, but the sheer talent in the cast makes it worth a look even years later.