By Patrick Cremona

Published: Tuesday, 05 April 2022 at 12:00 am


The third entry in the Fantastic Beasts series is arriving in cinemas this week, and once again a huge cast has been assembled to bring the magic to life.

Eddie Redmayne returns in the lead role of magizoologist Newt Scamander, and he’s once more joined by Jude Law as a younger version of iconic character Albus Dumbledore – with the pair continuing their alliance.

Meanwhile the headline addition to the cast for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is Mads Mikkelsen, with the Hannibal star taking over from Johnny Depp as dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald after the latter was sacked from the production.

There are plenty of other returning faces as well – with a handful of brand new characters thrown in for good measure. Find out everything you need to know about the Fantastic Beasts 3 cast below, including who they’re playing and where you might have seen them before.

Eddie Redmayne plays Newt Scamander

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Who is Newt Scamander? Newt is a magizoologist who works in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures at the British Ministry of Magic. He becomes a close ally of Albus Dumbledore in the fight against Gellert Grindelwald, and can often rely on his trusty magical menagerie to get him out of a sticky spot.
What else has Eddie Redmayne been in? Redmayne is one of the most acclaimed British actors of his generation – with his career highlight to date being a 2015 Oscar win for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in the biographical film The Theory of Everything. Other prominent film roles have included My Week with Marilyn, Les Miserables, Jupiter Ascending, The Danish Girl, The Aeronauts, and The Trial of The Chicago 7, while he is also an accomplished stage performer – recently appearing as The Emcee in The West End revival of Cabaret.

Jude Law plays Albus Dumbledore

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Who is Albus Dumbledore? Hailed as arguably the greatest and most influential wizard of all time, Dumbledore is the future headmaster of Hogwarts – and plays a major role in the Harry Potter books and films. In Fantastic Beasts, we meet a younger version of the character, still finding his way in the Wizarding world – although he is already held in very high regard. He holds a blood pact with the dark wizard Grindelwald, with whom he had a close relationship as a young adult, which prevents them from duelling one another.
What else has Jude Law been in? Law has wracked up an impressive wealth of film credits throughout his career and was especially prolific in the late ’90s and early ‘oos – appearing in films as varied as Existenz, The Talented Mr. Ripley, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Cold Mountain, and The Aviator. He played Dr. John Watson in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes films and has also appeared in films such as The Holiday, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Captain Marvel. His most recent film role was in The Nest, while small-screen credits include The Young Pope and The Third Day.

Ezra Miller plays Credence Barebone

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Who is Credence? Introduced as the disturbed adopted child of Mary-Lou Barebone in the first film, when we first meet Credence he is a severely abused and downtrodden young man intent on causing destruction. He has become a follower of Grindelwald but is having doubts about his path – and believes Albus Dumbledore to be his brother.
What else has Ezra Miller been in? Miller broke out with a string of acclaimed performances in the early ’10s, most notably as the title character in We Need To Talk About Kevin and as Patrick in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He portrays Barry Allen/The Flash in the DCEU and has also appeared in films such as Madame Bovary, The Stanford Prison Experiment, and Trainwreck.

Dan Fogler plays Jacob Kowalski

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Who is Jacob? A No-Maj veteran of the First World War, Jacob stumbled into the Wizarding World in the first film, and although he has his memory wiped he keeps getting drawn back in. He owns a bakery in New York and is a former lover of Queenie – but has fallen on hard times when we first meet him in the new film.

What else has Dan Fogler been in? At this point, Jacob Kowalski is probably Fogler’s most well-known role, but he has also appeared in films such as Good Luck Chuck, Barely Lethal, and Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. He has also written and directed two features – Hysterical Psycho and Don Peyote – and is a frequent voice actor. He had a recurring role as Luke on The Walking Dead between 2018 and 2020, and will play Francis Ford Coppola in the upcoming series The Offer, about the making of The Godfather.

Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein

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Who is Queenie? The younger sister of Tina, Queenie is a powerful Legilimens (mind reader) who goes rogue at the end of the second film and becomes a follower of Grindelwald – convinced that the dark wizard will help her achieve her dream of marrying Jacob.

What else has Alison Sudol been in? Sudol doesn’t have too many screen credits besides the Fantastic Beasts films but she has also had roles in Other People’s Children, Between Us, and The Last Full Measure. She has released three albums as a singer/songwriter and has also directed several music videos.

Callum Turner plays Theseus Scamander

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Who is Theseus? Newt’s older brother, Theseus is a very dedicated employee at the British Ministry of Magic and is considered a war hero for his actions in the First World War. He was engaged to Leta Lestrange, before she was killed in the events of the last film – sacrificing herself to save him and his brother.

What else has Callum Turner been in? You might recognise Turner from his roles in a number of British TV dramas – including Eli in Glue, Prince Anatole Kuragin in the 2016 War & Peace adaptation, and Shaun Emery in The Capture – the latter of which earned him a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor. Big screen roles have included Green Room, Assassin’s Creed, Emma and The Last Letter for Your Lover. 

Jessica Williams plays Professor Eulalie “Lally” Hicks

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Who is Lally? A teacher at the US-based Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Lally is an ally of Dumbledore and becomes heavily involved in the plan to foil Grindelwald’s rise.

What else has Jessica Williams been in? Williams is known for her comedy and journalism career – including serving as a senior correspondent on The Daily Show from 2012 to 2016 and a co-host of the podcast 2 Dope Queens – while other film credits have included The Incredible Jessica James and Booksmart. She had a main role in the second season of the romantic comedy series Love Life and appeared as Karen in four episodes of Girls.

Katherine Waterston plays Porpentina “Tina” Goldstein

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Who is Tina? An auror at the Magical Congress of the United States of America, Queenie is established as Newt’s love interest in the first two entries in the franchise – and played a key role in thwarting Gellert Grindelwald during the Obscurus incident in the first film.

What else has Katherine Waterston been in? Since making her feature film debut in Michael Clayton in 2007, Waterston has amassed many impressive credits – highlights of which have included Inherent Vice, Steve Jobs, Alien: Covenant, Logan Lucky and The World to Come.

Mads Mikkelsen plays Gellert Grindelwald

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Who is Grindelwald? One of the most notorious and powerful dark wizards of all time Grindelwald is seeking to lead a new Wizarding World Order based on his belief in wizarding superiority. He had a close relationship with Dumbledore as a teenager and is still unable to duel him due to a blood pact.

What else has Mads Mikkelsen been in? Mikkelsen has become something of a specialist in villains and antiheroes over the years – with memorable roles including Le Chiffre in Bond flick Casino Royale, the title character in hit series Hannibal, and Kaecilius in Doctor Strange. Other film credits have included Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, A Royal Affair, The Hunt, and Another Round while he will also have a role in the upcoming fifth Indiana Jones film.

William Nadylam plays Yusuf Kama

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Who is Yusuf? A French wizard of Senegalese descent, Yusuf is another ally of Newt – who had previously attempted to kill Credence while falsely believing him to be his former stepfather’s son.

What else has William Nadylam been in? Nadylam has mainly appeared in French films and series – with highlights including White Material, L’affaire SK1, and the TV series Parlement.

Victoria Yeates plays Bunty Broadacre

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Who is Bunty? Newt Scamander’s assistant, Bunty has a real fondness for his boss – who doesn’t seem to be aware of her feelings for him.

What else has Victoria Yeates been in? Yeates is best known for her role as Sister Winifred in Call the Midwife, who she played between 2014 and 2019. She’s also worked extensively on stage, appearing in productions of Private Lives and The Crucible.

Richard Coyle plays Aberforth Dumbledore

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Who is Aberforth? Albus Dumbledore’s younger brother, Aberforth is the owner of the Hog’s Head inn in Hogsmeade.

What else has Richard Coyle been in? Coyle’s most prominent roles have been on the small screen – playing the role of Father Faustus Blackwood in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and Jeff Murdock in Coupling. Film roles include Octavia, 5 Days of War, and Pusher.

Maria Fernanda Cândido plays Vicência Santos

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Who is Vicência Santos? Santos is one of the candidates for the post of Supreme Head of the International Confederation of Wizards and serves as the Minister of Magic for Brazil.

What else has Maria Fernanda Cândido been in? Cândido has previously appeared in the films The Traitor and The Passion According to G.H.

Oliver Masucci plays Anton Vogel

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Who is Anton Vogel? Vogel is the current Supreme Head of the International Confederation of Wizards and Minister of Magic for Germany.

What else has Oliver Masucci been in? Fans of Netflix sci-fi series Dark will recognise Masucci as Ulrich Nielsen, while he played Adolf Hitler in the film Er Ist Wieder Da and has also appeared in Never Look Away, When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, and The Girlfriend Experience.

Dave Wong plays Liu Tao

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Who is Liu Tao? Another candidate for the post of Supreme Head of the International Confederation of Wizards and Minister of Magic for China.

What else has Dave Wong been in? Wong has previously had small roles in a couple of other high profile films – including Skyfall and The Death of Stalin.

Poppy Corby-Tuech plays Vinda Rosier

Who is Vinda? Grindelwald’s loyal right-hand follower, Vinda is an Occlumens – meaning she is able to close her mind against Legilimency.

What else has Poppy Corby-Tuech been in? Corby-Teuch is known for playing Prudence in The Royals and starred as Marie-Louise D’Aubigne in eight episodes of Harlots.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore will be released in UK cinemas on Friday 8th April 2022. Visit our Movies hub for more news and features and find something to watch tonight with our TV Guide.

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