Once again, we’re going on a star-studded dystopian ride.
Black Mirror fans assemble: four years after its last season, the hit Netflix anthology’s sixth season is upon us, and it’s filled with even more horror than previous instalments, according to creator Charlie Brooker.
Since the series first premiered in 2011, each season has employed a talented cast to bring the characters to life.
Black Mirror season 6 is no different, with both big name actors (including Aaron Paul and Salma Hayek Pinault) and talented up-and-comers on board to tell the tales.
Fans can expect appearances from Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard’s Salma Hayek Pinault, Paapa Essiedu and many more in the season 6 cast.
See the full list below, with details on all the actors further down the page.
Black Mirror season 6 cast: Full list of actors and characters in Netflix series
Black Mirror season 6: Salma HayekWith Black Mirror being an anthology series, you can expect lots of new characters in Black Mirror season 6, including some that are brought to life by famous faces. Here’s the Black Mirror season 6 cast list:
- Aaron Paul
- Anjana Vasan as Nida
- Annie Murphy as Joan
- Auden Thornton
- Ben Barnes
- Clara Rugaard as Mazey
- Daniel Portman
- Danny Ramirez
- David Shields
- Himesh Patel
- John Hannah
- Josh Hartnett as David
- Kate Mara
- Michael Cera
- Monica Dolan
- Myha’la Herrold as Pia
- Paapa Essiedu
- Rob Delaney
- Rory Culkin
- Salma Hayek Pinault as herself
- Samuel Blenkin as Davis
- Zazie Beetz
Of course, the anthology series is set to be home to some thought-provoking tales, which will be even more twisted according to Charlie Brooker.
The series creator has said: “Consequently, this time, alongside some of the more familiar Black Mirror tropes we’ve also got a few new elements, including some I’ve previously sworn blind the show would never do, to stretch the parameters of what ‘a Black Mirror episode’ even is.
“The stories are all still tonally Black Mirror through-and-through — but with some crazy swings and more variety than ever before.”
Do we know anything concrete about the season 6 characters? As of now, not exactly (although we do have some confirmed character names) but we can have fun speculating from the first look teaser and brief episode synopses. Read on for the first look images we have so far, as well as where you’ve seen most of the star-studded cast before.
Annie Murphy as Joan
!["Black]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/04/BlackMirror-season6-first-look-2-a136219.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"BlackMirror-season6-first-look-2\"")
Who is Joan? In the teaser trailer, it appears as though Murphy’s character is some kind of high-flying CEO who is a tad highly strung. She receives an “I miss you” text, which seems to prompt her to spiral, and we later see her crash a wedding dressed as a cheerleader.
Murphy is set to star in the Joan Is Awful episode as an “average woman” who discovers that a global streaming platform has launched a prestige TV drama adaptation of her life. Oh, and she’s being portrayed by none other than Salma Hayek Pinault.
Where have I seen Annie Murphy before? Murphy is perhaps best known for her role in Schitt’s Creek as Alexis Rose, but also led the cast of Kevin Can F**k Himself. She has also starred in Murderville and Russian Doll.
Aaron Paul
!["Aaron]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/04/BM-FirstLooks-4-c619d2f-e1682522998191.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Cr.")
Who is Paul’s character? Paul’s exact character details are yet to be confirmed, but we do know he’ll be appearing in Beyond the Sea, potentially as one of the “two men on a perilous high-tech mission” in alternative 1969, having to wrestle with the consequences of an unimaginable tragedy. From the looks of the trailer, it seems as though he’s going to be an American astronaut that comes across something very alarming.
Where have I seen Aaron Paul before? Paul is no stranger to the Black Mirror universe, with the actor previously having lent his voice to appear as Gamer691 in season 4’s USS Callister. Paul is perhaps best known for his role as Jesse Pinkman in Breaking Bad, reprising the role in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie and Better Call Saul. He has also starred in Apple TV+’s Truth Be Told, Westworld and The Path.
Anjana Vasan as Nida
!["Black]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/04/BlackMirror-season6-first-look-3-d16b691.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"BlackMirror-season6-first-look-3\"")
Who is Nida? We see quite a lot of Nida in the teaser. So far, we can glean that she works in a shoe department and is clearly aggrieved by something. We see her quietly watching from the changing rooms and then, violently smashing a colleague’s head into a glass cabinet. She is set to star in the Demon 79 episode, which is set in northern England in 1979 and sees Vasan as a “meek sales assistant” being told she must commit terrible acts to avoid disaster.
Where have I seen Anjana Vasan before? The Laurence Olivier award-winning actress is best known for her role in Channel 4’s We Are Lady Parts and her recent on-stage performance as Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire. She has also starred in Riz Ahmed’s Mogul Mowgli, Killing Eve, Fresh Meat and Hang Ups.
Josh Hartnett as David
!["Black]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/05/BlackMirror-BeyondTheSea-ec3e647.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"BlackMirror-BeyondTheSea\"")
Who is David? He appears to be the partner of Auden Thornton’s character, but as to what their expectedly creepy Black Mirror turn is going to be, we’ll have to wait and see. Harnett will also star in the same episode as Paul, likely as one of the men on this “perilous high-tech mission” that they both seem to be stricken by.
Where have I seen Josh Hartnett before? Hartnett has most recently been seen on our screens in Sky’s The Fear Index and is set to appear in the star-studded Oppenheimer. He is best known for his starring roles in Pearl Harbour, Black Hawk Down, 40 Days and 40 Nights and O.
Auden Thornton
!["Black]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/04/BlackMirror-s6-Netflix-1-d3d0f8d.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Cr.")
Who is Thornton’s character? Again, it’s hard to tell how Thornton’s character slots into things but we know if it’s Black Mirror, his supposedly happy life in the trailer could very well take a dark turn. Thornton will star alongside Hartnett and Paul in the Beyond the Sea episode.
Where have I seen Auden Thornton before? Thornton has starred in This Is Us and Thirtysomething(else), but has also had guest roles in Elementary, Bull, The Good Wife, Royal Pains and True Story.
Clara Rugaard as Mazey
!["Black]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/04/BlackMirror-s6-Netflix-Clara-87a7dec.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"BlackMirror-s6-Netflix-Clara\"")
Who is Mazey? Mazey has been described as a “troubled starlet” who has to deal with invasive paparazzi and a hit-and-run incident. In the teaser, we see her windscreen wiper plaster the same creepy smiley face on the window as seen in Zazie Beetz’s camera lens and on a watch face later in the trailer.
Where have I seen Clara Rugaard before? The Danish actress and singer has most recently led the cast of Sky’s The Rising, but has also starred in Teen Spirit, Press Play and Still Star-Crossed.
Kate Mara
!["Black]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/04/BM-FirstLook-5-2b2c973.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"BM-FirstLook-5\"")
Who is Mara’s character? Mara’s character appears to be living a supposedly solitary life in a cabin in the woods. Judging from the attire, we had a feeling that her character could be involved in a past era storyline, and she’ll be starring in the 1969-set Beyond the Sea episode.
Where else have I seen Kate Mara? Mara has most recently been seen on our screens in miniseries A Teacher but is well known for her roles in House of Cards, American Horror Story: Murder House, 24, Pose and Call Jane.
Myha’la Herrold as Pia
!["Black]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/04/BlackMirror-s6-Netflix-2-467d49f.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"BlackMirror-s6-Netflix-2\"")
Who is Pia? Rather hilariously, Herrold’s character simply remarks to Blenkin’s character in the trailer that she loves her surroundings, which appear to be an abandoned plot of land. We know that Herrold will star in the Loch Henry episode, most likely as part of the young documentary-making couple who are drawn to a juicy local story instead.
Where have I seen Myha’la Herrold before? Herrold of course leads the cast of hit BBC series Industry as Harper Stern but has also recently starred in Bodies Bodies Bodies.
Samuel Blenkin as Davis
!["Black]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/05/BlackMirror-LochHenry-da07022.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"BlackMirror-LochHenry\"")
Who is Davis? Blenkin’s character appears to be a meek friend of Herrold’s character in the teaser, but it’s more than likely that he’s Herrold’s partner and together, they are the young couple who “find themselves drawn to a juicy local story involving shocking events of the past”.
Where have I seen Samuel Blenkin before? If you’re an Atlanta fan, you’ll no doubt recognise Blenkin from his weird (yet wonderful) performance in the Amsterdam-set season 3 episode where he starred as Wiley. Blenkin has also starred in The Witcher: Blood Origin, The Sandman, Misbehaviour and episodes of Grantchester, Doctors and Peaky Blinders.
Paapa Essiedu
!["Black]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/04/BlackMirror-s6-Netflix-Paapa-88f73d1.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"Cr.")
Who is Essiedu’s character? Not much can be gleaned from Essiedu’s character aside from the fact that he’s wearing a fabulous ’60s costume and is charismatic and friendly – but could he be hiding a sinister side? We do know that he’ll be starring in the Demon 79 episode, so could he be the one forcing Vasan’s character to commit terrible acts? Quite possibly.
Where have I seen Paapa Essiedu before? Essiedu has been in multiple excellent roles as of late, including leading the cast of The Lazarus Project and the second season of The Capture. He has also starred in Gangs of London, I May Destroy You, Black Earth Rising and Kiri.
Salma Hayek Pinault as herself
!["Salma]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/05/BlackMirror-JoanIsAwful-SalmaHayek-9cd8249.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"BlackMirror-JoanIsAwful-SalmaHayek\"")
Who is Hayek Pinault’s character? Something tells us that this character is going to be some kind of villain from the menacing way she questions “Oh, do you?” in the teaser trailer, but we’ll have to wait and see. We do know that A-lister Hayek Pinault is starring as herself in Joan Is Awful, portraying Murphy’s character in a series adaptation of her life.
Where have I seen Salma Hayek Pinault before? The award-winning actress needs no introduction and has a long list of films and shows under her belt ranging from Ugly Betty to Frida. She has more recently voiced the role of Kitty Softpaws in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and also starred in Marvel’s Eternals and House of Gucci. It also looks like she may not be the only actor to appear as themselves, as she’s pictured above with Shadow and Bone’s Ben Barnes.
Zazie Beetz
!["Black]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2023/04/BlackMirror-s6-Netflix-Zazie-73d4569.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"BlackMirror-s6-Netflix-Zazie\"")
Who is Beetz’s character? It’s clear Beetz’s character is somewhere in the past as she is using dial-up internet, but is later seen possibly using her wide lens camera to capture something sinister. She stars in the Mazey Day episode, where “a troubled starlet is dogged by invasive paparazzi while dealing with the consequences of a hit-and-run incident”.
Previously speaking about her role, Beetz teased: “I wouldn’t say my character is having a lot of fun. But I think there’s a really great tongue-in-cheek dark element to it, premonition kind of element. The mirror reflecting back on us.”
Where have I seen Zazie Beetz before? Beetz is perhaps best known for her role as Van throughout all four seasons of Atlanta, as well as starring in Joker as Sophie alongside Joaquin Phoenix, a role she is set to reprise in the upcoming sequel film. She has also starred in films such as Bullet Train, The Harder They Fall and Deadpool 2.
Black Mirror season 6 will be available to stream on Netflix in June 2023. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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