Meet the Cast
SHADOW & BONE
NETFLIX'S
By Kayti Burt
In Shadow and Bone, Netflix is betting big on a main cast of relative unknowns (and Ben Barnes).
On April 23rd, Netflix is bringing Leigh Bardugo’s bestselling Grishaverse book series to life on screen.
Set in a world where some people, known as Grisha, have powers, Shadow and Bone will follow Alina Starkov, a young mapmaker who may have the power to unite her kingdom.
In addition to characters from Shadow and Bone, the Netflix series will also adapt Bardugo’s heist fantasy duology set in the same world, Six of Crows, making for a large cast of characters.
Shadow and Bone is one of the most-anticipated TV series of the year, and aside from Westworld’s Ben Barnes, who will be playing the mysterious General Kirigan, the cast is made up of many newbies.
"This is a story about young people ... who’ve never had the chance to show people what they can do ... So it made a lot of sense ... for us to have all these incredibly gifted young people.”
- L E I G H B A R D U G O
Book series author & TV show exec. producer
Jessie Mei Li will play Alina, an orphan mapmaker who holds a mysterious power. Li is a 25-year-old Chinese-British actress with only a few credits under her belt.
Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov
Archie Renaux plays Mal, a soldier and Alina’s oldest friend. The 23-year-old British actor and model had a brief role in Amazon Prime’s Hanna before appearing as Leo Day in 2019’s Gold Digger.
Archie Renaux as Mal Oretsv
Freddy Carter stars as Kaz, one of the main characters from the Six of Crows duology. Comics fans may recognize Carter from his three-episode turn as Jason Ripper in Pennyworth.
Freddy Carter as Kaz Brekker
Inej is played by Amita Suman, a 23-year-old Nepalese-born British actress who you may remember from her role in Doctor Who’s Season 11 standout “Demons of the Punjab.”
Amita Suman as Inej Ghafa
Kit Young will play a sharpshooter. The 26-year-old British actor graduated from RADA in 2017. Young will also appear in Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of The School For Good and Evil.
Kit Young as Jesper Fahey
Irish actress Danielle Galligan will play Heartrender Nina Zenik. The 28-year-old actress has snagged guest roles in Irish-based productions Game of Thrones and Krypton.
Danielle Galligan as Nina Zenik
Wisconsin native Calahan Skogman will play Drüskelle Matthias. Helvar is the Shadow and Bone cast member with the least number of credits on his IMDB page.
Calahan Skogman as Matthias Helvar