Here's Where You Know The Cast Of Death On The Nile From

The following article references sexual assault allegations.

Kenneth Branagh's 2017 murder mystery film "Murder on the Orient Express" provided a new take on the classic detective story by author Agatha Christie. Famed detective Hercule Poirot, played by Branagh, is back again in the long-awaited sequel "Death on the Nile." Actor-director Branagh also produced the film, along with "House of Gucci" director Ridley Scott. While it was originally due for release in 2019, production on "Death on the Nile" was delayed because of the pandemic, and it finally premiered internationally on February 11, 2022.

"Death on the Nile" brings a new mystery to the big screen when one guest aboard a river cruise on the Nile is unexpectedly murdered. As with Branagh's interpretation of "Murder on the Orient Express," viewers can expect the plot to be similar to Christie's novel, but with a few key twists. Christie is "a mistress of being able to put together a group of people who are very different. [And] somehow she managed to juggle them in a way that makes you feel when it comes to the crime that she introduces so swiftly that any one of them could have done it," Branagh gushed to AMC Theaters.

While the plot — and the killer's identity — has remained highly secret, the stars of the film have not. Alongside Branagh, the film features a large ensemble cast, which includes A-List celebs like Gal Gadot, Russell Brand, and Letitia Wright. Here's everything you need to know about the cast of "Death on the Nile."

Sir Kenneth Branagh reprises his role as Agatha Christie's famed private detective Hercule Poirot. Viewers last saw Poirot solving the murder of Johnny Depp's character John Cassetti before being called to solve a "murder on the bloody Nile." Although this contradicts the beginning of "Death on the Nile" as the murder has not yet taken place, it does indeed set the tone for another classic murder mystery. The film begins with the detective off-duty enjoying a hoiday in Egypt, but before long, Poirot is asked to investigate a murder aboard the boat.

Aside from his role in the film's prequel "Murder on the Orient Express," Branagh is best known for directing and starring in a number of adaptations of William Shakespeare works, including "Hamlet" and "Much Ado About Nothing." He also portrayed Gilderoy Lockhart in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (a role that almost went to Hugh Grant), and played Commander Bolton in "Dunkirk." Viewers may also know him as the director of the 2015 live-action adaptation of "Cinderella" starring Lily James and Richard Madden and the 2022 film "Belfast," which stars Jamie Dornan and Caitríona Balfe.

"Cinderella" was a critical success and is arguably one of the best live-action Disney remakes. "It's no accident that Cinderella has been in the culture for thousands of years, and in cross cultures. ... It's a fairy tale with very familiar dynamics," Branagh told Collider, noting that he had to carefully "balance" the classic story with more modern elements.

British actor Thomas "Tom" Bateman is the only other face returning to Kenneth Branagh's film franchise. He plays Bouc, Poirot's friend and confidant, who appeared in "Murder on the Orient Express." Bouc seems to spontaneously run into his old friend while they're both vacationing in Egypt. Here, Bouc invites Poirot to join him, his mother Euphemia (Annette Bening), and his girlfriend Rosalie Otterbourne (Letitia Wright) as part of Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot) and Simon Doyle's (Armie Hammer) wedding party.

Alongside his roles in Branagh's mystery films, Bateman has had a successful few years on the small screen. Fans of historical drama will no doubt recognize him as Rawdon Crawley from the 2018 miniseries adaptation of William Makepeace Thackery's classic novel "Vanity Fair." The novel, which was published between 1849 and 1850, has been adapted no fewer than seven times for the screen, though it remains "completely relevant to today," Bateman said to The Scotsman. "The storytelling alone is very fresh: I don't think we've ever seen a costume drama that talks to the audience so immediately, literally looking down the camera lens at the audience," he added.

Bateman also bagged another feature film role, starring alongside Liam Neeson, Tom Jackson, and Laura Dern in the 2019 action thriller "Cold Pursuit." However, any viewers not familiar with Bateman's work on the screen might know him from his relationship with Daisy Ridley. Bateman has reportedly been dating the "Star Wars" actor ever since they met on the set of "Murder on the Orient Express."

While Daisy Ridley's character Mary Debenham doesn't appear in "Death on the Nile," Tom Bateman's character isn't alone. Bouc is joined by his girlfriend Rosalie Otterbourne and his mother Euphemia, played by Annette Bening.

Bening is a name viewers will have surely heard before. The American actor got her start in theater — her Broadway debut as Holly Dancer in "Coastal Disturbances" scored her a Tony Award nomination — before transitioning into film roles. Bening's list of awards is almost as long as her list of credits, which notably includes the neo-noir crime thriller "The Grifters" and the black comedy-drama "American Beauty." However, superhero fans will more likely recognize Bening as Dr. Wendy Lawson (aka. Mar-vell) and the Supreme Intelligence in the 2019 MCU film, "Captain Marvel." Bening loved the duality of the roles she played, which were quite a departure from characters she's played in the past. "Part of what I do is I get to play the Supreme Intelligence, and within that, there's a lot of creativity," she explained to Earth's Mightiest Show..

In 1992 Bening married her "Bugsy" co-star, famed American actor/director/screenwriter/producer Warren Beatty. "I had no doubt when I met Annette that it was time to get married," Beatty said years later on "Today." According to People, the "Dick Tracy" star had "promised Bening that he wouldn't hit on her while filming" but as soon as they wrapped the pair went out for dinner, and the rest was history.

The central premise of "Death on the Nile" sees newlywed Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle celebrating her marriage to businessman Simon Doyle. Engaged and married in less than two weeks, the couple are taking a honeymoon cruise along the Nile, along with some of their closest friends (and enemies). This independently wealthy woman is the life of the party; until she's not. Everyone aboard the steamer has reasons to want her money, so everyone's a suspect when she unexpectedly and mysteriously dies. Of course, we're not going to spoil the ending, so all we'll say is don't rule anyone out.

As for the actor behind the fallen socialite, we'd be surprised if you didn't recognize her. In fact, most of the world knows Gal Gadot's name thanks to her lead role in the DCEU. The Israeli actor and model has played Diana Prince/Wonder Woman since 2016, first appearing alongside Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill in "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." "I could not believe that happened to me. When I was told that I was going to have my own solo movie, I was like, 'Holy s***. They're going to find out I'm not a real actress.' You know the imposter syndrome? I was just like, 'Fake it until you make it.'" Gadot admitted to InStyle.

The former Miss Israel has certainly made it as a Hollywood actor now, starring in films like "F9" and "Red Notice" in 2021 alone.

Arnold "Armie" Hammer plays Simon Doyle, Linnet Ridgeway's new husband in "Death on the Nile." When it is revealed that Simon is penniless — and was engaged to Linnet's former best friend, Jacqueline De Bellefort (Emma Mackey), just weeks earlier — he becomes one of Hercule Poirot's prime suspects. 

Viewers will recognize this American actor from his breakout role as the Winklevoss twins in the 2010 feature "The Social Network," which he starred in alongside the likes of Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake. Since then he's appeared in plenty of high-profile films, including "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.," "Call Me By Your Name," and "Rebecca." However, Hammer's cinematic accolades have since been overshadowed, and viewers may know only know Armie Hammer's name from a series of sexual assault and rape allegations which were brought against him in January 2021. These allegations surfaced shortly after "Rebecca" was released, a film which added to the #MeToo conversation. "We definitely wanted to be aware that the modern audience is very different," Hammer said to The Face just months earlier. "Modern audiences now probably sympathize more with Rebecca — a woman who didn't listen to her husband, who did what she wanted, and was like, ​'I'm an independent woman and I'll do what I want.'"

While the investigation is still ongoing, he's since been removed from several other projects, such as "Billion Dollar Wedding" and "Shotgun Spy," IndieWire confirmed. He has not attended any press events for "Death on the Nile," which finished filming in 2019. 

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

French-British actor Emma Mackey plays Jacqueline De Bellefort, Simon Doyle's ex-fiancé, in "Death on the Nile." The pair were madly in love until Simon dropped her to marry his new rich wife, Linnet, just two weeks later. Then, the trio all end up on the same cruise. Enter mystery, intrigue, and murder here.

Mackey garnered international recognition for her role in the Netflix series "Sex Education." The program was Mackey's first professional acting role, and she received a BAFTA for playing the headstrong teen idol Maeve Wiley. Starring in "Sex Education" completely changed Mackey's life — and launched her career. "For me, this is my first piece of work," she explained to Body + Soul. "And just looking at it and thinking that's us, we did that last summer, for me it was — and still is — a really happy time," she said of the show's third season.

In 2019, she joined the cast of "Death on the Nile." "I'd never really had that experience of walking into a studio before, where the sets were all built, and the costumes were tailored to my body, and I had a wig, and it was just ... It felt like a movie! A proper movie!" Mackey gushed to The Guardian. "It felt really magical because it felt like a piece of history," she added to Flaunt.

Another guest on the cruise is the crooked lawyer Andrew Katadourian, Linnet's cousin who has been secretly stealing from her. Andrew is played by "The Other End of the Line" star Ali Fazal. As noted by Variety, Fazal's character has previously been portrayed by white actors like George Kennedy and David Soul, but Branagh did colorblind casting for "Death on the Nile." "The culture has shifted," the Indian actor explained. "We are talking [about] diversity in so many areas and across the globe. Blind casting is a thing now, and it is happening."

Fazal has appeared in a variety of Hindi flicks such as "Fukrey" and "Sonali Cable," but he has also crossed over into English-speaking feature film roles. His international breakout gig came when he appeared in the seventh installment of the "Fast & Furious" franchise as Safar. Since then, Fazel has become best known for portraying Abdul Karim in "Victoria & Abdul." As he told HeyUGuys, going to London was a "fascinating" experience for the actor, who said that it helped him to feel even more connected to his character, who was also visiting the country for the first time. 

British comedian and actor Russell Brand plays Linus Windlesham, an aristocratic doctor and Linnet's former fiancé who's coincidentally vacationing on the same cruise as Linnet and her new husband. In a film where everyone's a suspect, this jealous ex could have a motive for murder. "Death on the Nile" marks a return to the big screen for Brand who (besides a voice role in "Four Kids and It") hasn't appeared in a feature film since 2016's "Army of One." The former husband of Katy Perry has been busy touring as a comedian and enjoying life with his wife Laura Gallacher and their two daughters.

Brand got his start on British TV in the early noughts — even performing in the 2007 Royal Variety Performance for Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip. You might recognize him from his breakout film role in the comedy "St Trinians," alongside stars like Colin Firth, Paloma Faith, Jodie Whittaker, and Lena Headey. Since then, Brand has written several books, appeared in films like "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Rock of Ages," and become an outspoken political activist.

Brand has an unusual approach when it comes to his acting roles, which he touched on in an interview for "Rock of Ages. Namely, only focusing on his scenes so as not to spoil the plot for himself. "I didn't read the script," he explained to HeyUGuys. "That could only impair my enjoyment of the film! It's nice when it's all a lovely, big surprise!"

"Game of Thrones" star Rose Leslie plays Louise Bourget, Linnet's maid. In true Agatha Christie fashion, Louise is also considered as a suspect; that is, until she becomes the second victim. Louise's French heritage was a "real draw" for the Scottish actor who took every opportunity to practice the language before she started filming, per Digital Spy. "Before we started shooting, I went and stayed with my older sister and her family, who live in Nice, which was obviously a wonderful excuse, and I pretended that it was for work," she quipped, before explaining that she spent days listening to the accent and trying to get it right.

Prior to gaining international recognition as Ygritte in "GOT" (and for marrying her on-screen love interest Kit Harington), Leslie portrayed Gwen Dawson in the first season of "Downton Abbey" (and made a guest appearance in Season 6). She then starred in the fourth season of the British crime drama "Luther" alongside Idris Elba. Although the role of DS Emma Lane was quite different from anything Leslie had played before, she couldn't help gushing about her character to The Scotsman. "She is a brilliant character because she's incredibly professional and good at her job. She's loyal and determined in the face of brutality. She has so many layers," Leslie said. In 2021, Leslie found herself the star of another police drama, playing Kirsten Longacre in the BBC miniseries "Vigil."

Marvel fans will definitely know the name Letitia Wright. The Guyana-born British actor played Shuri, the innovative Princess of Wakanda, and sister of King T'Challa, played by the late Chadwick Boseman. Wright starred alongside him in "The Black Panther," and then again "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame." While she's set to reprise her role in the upcoming film "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," Wright has momentarily traded sci-fi and superheroes for mystery and murder in "Death on the Nile." Wright play's Rosalie Otterbourne, Salome's (Sophie Okonedo) niece and Bouc's girlfriend, who Euphemia disapproves of.

Before appearing in "Death on the Nile" (and the MCU), Wright already had some notable credits under her belt, including an Emmy-winning performance in the British anthology series "Black Mirror." However, neither of these roles were the reason director Kenneth Branagh wanted her in his film. He saw her in "The Convert" — a West End production in London. "I used to watch Much Ado About Nothing with him and Denzel Washington. He's a bad-boy actor so, for him to come to the play was amazing... It opened the gate for me to get another role, which is a blessing," Wright told Elle. Of course, she was talking about "Death on the Nile." Wright took the role and never looked back.

Sophie Okonedo portrays jazz singer Salome Otterbourne in "Death on the Nile." She's also Letitia's aunt and a possible suspect aboard the steamer. If you don't know the name Sophie Okonedo, you'll certainly recognize some of her acting credits, as she has had a long career in film, television, and theater. Her breakout role was alongside MCU star Don Cheadle in "Hotel Rwanda." While "Death on the Nile" may be her biggest film part to date, the British actor and narrator has previously appeared in other features like "The Secret Life of Bees" and "Christopher Robin."

Okonedo is probably best known for playing Elizabeth Proctor in the 2016 Broadway production of Arthur Miller's play "The Crucible." Despite training at RADA, Okonedo struggled to establish her theater career in the UK. "I do notice that — over the last year — I've had maybe two scripts from England and tens and tens from America. The balance is ridiculous," she explained to The Guardian. Okonedo further highlighted the racial inequality that led to her pursuing roles overseas. "I'm still struggling [in the UK] in a way that my white counterparts at the same level wouldn't have quite the same struggle," she said.

However, thanks to her Tony Award-winning success in "The Crucible," Okonedo was able to bag a ton more roles. In 2018, she returned to London to play Cleopatra in a Shakespeare classic, which, as she told the Evening Standard, was one of her "favorite jobs ever."

British television fans will, of course, recognize Dawn French, who is best known for portraying Geraldine Granger in the BBC sitcom "The Vicar of Dibley," which has been on air on and off for more than two decades. The series officially ended in 2007 but has been returned for comedy specials over the years, most notably in 2020 during the pandemic. You might also know the seven-time BAFTA nominee from appearances in popular film franchises like "Harry Potter," where she played the Fat Lady in the portrait outside of Gryffindor Tower, and in "The Chronicles of Narnia" where she voiced Mrs Beaver.

Chatting with "The Sarah O'Connell Show" ahead of the release of "Death on the Nile," French said she was "delighted" and "flattered" to play Mrs. Bowers. She also called it a "bizarre" experience, explaining, "I don't operate in this world of great big blockbuster films ever, really. I mean I've done little bits in big films and always been amazed by the process of it."

A comedian at heart, French revealed to Hello! that it was very "tempting" to joke around on set. "But there was no question about it because Ken is very serious about doing the right thing," she shared. "He's got the biggest twinkle, but he's strict and so accomplished that you want to raise your game for him."

Entertainment industry veteran Jennifer Saunders has also joined the cast of "Death on the Nile." The British star plays Marie Van Schuyler in Agatha Christie's classic murder mystery. Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French are longstanding comedy partners (and friends off the screen) so it's perfectly fitting for them both to be starring in this Kenneth Branagh-led feature. The pair are a double act at every turn, even in interviews. "I managed to put on quite a lot of weight within the pyramids at some point on 'Death of the Nile' and I don't know how it happened. ... I walked into a temple quite slim and came out with the fattest bottom you've ever seen," Saunders joked to Radio Times, while French quipped that it was thanks to the "very good snacks" on set.

As well as being one half of the "French & Saunders" comedy duo, the British star is best known as Edina "Eddy" Monsoon from the hit British sitcom "Absolutely Fabulous" (created by French and Saunders). The series, which ran from 1992 to 2012, also produced a movie spinoff in 2016. One of the things Saunders loves about the series is that it keeps moving on; it's real and enduring. "Every series we do we pick up in their lives," she explained in an interview with Andrew Freund. "There's not a formula for it, it is life."