By Patrick Cremona

Published: Tuesday, 18 October 2022 at 12:00 am

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This week sees the release of new Netflix fantasy film The School for Good and Evil – based on a hit series novel by Soman Chainani.

The film introduces us to a host of young students enrolling in the titular institution, and they can count on some bonafide A-listers – including Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington and Laurence Fishburne – to teach them in their studies.

Read on for everything you need to know about the cast, including who they’re playing and where you might have seen them before.

Sofia Wylie plays Agatha

Who is Agatha? A girl with a grim aesthetic and offbeat mother who has the makings of a real witch.

What else has Sofia Wylie been in? Wylie’s first big role was as Buffy Driscoll in the Disney Channel show Andi Mack, while subsequent credits have included Back of the Net, Shook and a major role in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.

Sophia Anne Caruso plays Sophie

Who is Sophie? A golden-haired seamstress who dreams of escaping her dreary life to become a princess.

What else has Sophia Anne Caruso been in? Caruso is best known for her appearances on stage, originating the role of Lydia Deetz in the Broadway musical adaptation of Beetlejuice, and also starring in Lazarus and The Nether.

Charlize Theron plays Lady Lesso

Who is Lady Lesso? The glamorous and acid-tongued head of the School for Evil.

What else has Charlize Theron been in? A major Hollywood star, highlights from Theron’s impressive CV include The Devil’s Advocate, Mighty Joe Young, The Cider House Rules, Prometheus, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Old Guard, and the Fast and Furious franchise. She won the Oscar for Best Actress for her starring role in Monster in 2004, and has been nominated on further two occasions – for North Country and Bombshell.

Kerry Washington plays Professor Clarissa Dovey

Who is Professor Dovey? The kind and sunny head of The School for Good.

What else has Kerry Washington been in? Washington is perhaps still best known for her starring role as Olivia Pope on the hit drama series Scandal, which earned her two Emmy nominations. Other TV highlights include roles in Confirmation and Little Fires Everyone, while on the big screen she’s been seen in Ray, The Last King of Scotland, Fantastic Four, Django Unchained, and The Prom.

Laurence Fishburne plays the School Master

Who is the School Master? The overall head of the school.

What else has Laurence Fishburne been in? Fishburne is probably best known for his role as Morpheus in The Matrix, while other prominent credits include Apocalypse Now, The Color Purple, Boyz n the Hood, Mystic River, Contagion, and the John Wick films. In TV, he starred as Dr Raymond Langston on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Special Agent Jack Crawford in Hannibal and Earl ‘Pops’ Johnson in Black-ish.

Michelle Yeoh plays Professor Anemone

Who is Professor Anemome? A teacher at The School for Good who teaches a class called Beautification.

What else has Michelle Yeoh been in? Yeoh first came to prominence for starring in several Hong Kong action films including Yes, Madam!, Police Story 3: Supercop, and Holy Weapon, before going on to appear in a string of international hits such as  Tomorrow Never Dies and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. More recently she’s starred as Ying Nan in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and had a starring role in Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Kit Young plays Rafal

Who is Rafal? A dark and dangerous figure with mysterious ties to Sophie who reemerges and threatens to destroy the school and the world beyond.

What else has Kit Young been in? Young is known for his role as Jesper Fahey in Shadow and Bone, while he also starred as Lysander in a National Theatre production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Jamie Flatters plays Tedros

Who is Tedros? A student at The School for Good and the son of King Arthur.

What else has Jamie Flatters been in? Flatters will have a major role in the upcoming Avatar sequel, while he has also appeared in recurring roles in a number of TV shows, including Close to Me and Liar.

Holly Sturton plays Beatrix

Who is Beatrix? A student at The School for Good who’s mother was the maiden who outwitted Rumpelstiltskin

What else has Holly Sturton been in? Sturton has previously appeared in an episode of the Irish dram Smother and will have a role in the upcoming film Lies We Tell.

Emma Lau plays Kiko

Who is Kiko? A student at The School for Good who is the daughter of a Neverland Lost Boy.

What else has Emma Lau been in? Lau has been starring as Serena Chen-Williams in Hollyoaks since 2021, and also had a small role in Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

Briony Scarlett plays Reena

Who is Reena? A student at The School for Good who is the daughter of the Sultan of Shazabah.

What else has Briony Scarlett been in? Scarlett appeared as Rani Balakrishnan in the third season of Harlots, and had a small role in Wonder Woman 1984.

Rosie Graham plays Millicent

Who is Millicent? A student at The School for Good who is the great-granddaughter of Sleeping Beauty and Prince Robert.

What else has Rosie Graham been in? Graham played Alison Heywood in the second season of Sanditon and has also appeared in one episode of Outlander.

Ally Cubb plays Gregor

Who is Gregor? A student who is undecided if they’re happier at The School for Good or The School for Evil.

What else has Ally Cubb been in? This is Cubb’s first film appearance, but they previously took part in the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK under their drag name Scaredy Kat.

Freya Parks plays Hester

Who is Hester? A student at The School for Evil and the daughter of the Wicked Witch.

What else has Freya Parks been in? Parks starred as Amy Jessop in the BBC sitcom Here We Go, and has had small roles in films such as Jane Eyre and Les Miserables.

Demi Isaac Oviawe plays Anadil

Who is Anadil? A student at The School for Evil who’s grandmother was a witch who was impaled in a barrel.

What else has Demi Isaac Oviawe been in? Oviawe is known for her roles as Linda Walsh in The Young Offenders and Aoife Akingbola in Holding.

Kaitlyn Akinpelumi plays Dot

Who is Dot? A student at The School for Evil and the daughter of the Sheriff of Nottingham.

What else has Kaitlyn Akinpelumi been in? Akinpelumi has been cast in the upcoming Hunger Games prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and has previously appeared in TV shows such as Tin Star and The Syndicate.

Earl Cave plays Hort

Who is Hort? A student at The School for Evil and the son of Captain Hook.

What else has Earl Cave been in? Cave is known for his film roles in Days of the Bagnold Summer and True History of the Kelly Gang, while TV appearances include Born to Kill, The End of the F***ing World and Alex Rider.

There are also small roles in the film for the likes of Cate Blanchett, Patti LuPone, Rob Delaney, Rachel Bloom, Mark Heap and Peter Serafinowicz.

The School for Good and Evil will land on Netflix on Wednesday 19th October. Sign up for Netflix from £6.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

Check out our lists of the best series on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix – or see what else is on with our TV Guide.

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