His Dark Materials Cast Other Roles You Ve Seen The Actors Play

We’ve all been there: you’re watching a show and someone’s face or voice feels so familiar, but you just can’t figure out where you know them from. With a cast packed with veteran actors, it’s not unlikely that you’ve experienced that feeling while watching His Dark Materials. There are plenty of characters in this HBO show who are played by actors who have been in a little bit of everything, making it extra hard to put your finger on where exactly you might have seen them before. To make matters worse, there are even actors playing animated dæmons — animals who represent each person’s soul in a physical form — so you can’t match a face to a name.

This list covers main characters and also smaller roles, so whoever it is that you are looking for, we’ve got you covered. From the younger characters whose actors are less established, like Lyra Silvertongue herself, to the adults in the series, including Lee Scoresby, all of these actors have other credits under their belts. So, skip the detective work because this list has done all the digging for you, and read on to find out where you’ve seen the His Dark Materials cast before.

Dafne Keen — Lyra Silvertongue / Belacqua

     HBO / BBC  

Dafne Keen’s most recognizable role outside the His Dark Materials series is Laura in Logan. In this movie, an elderly Wolverine, or Logan, is resigned to a quiet and reclusive life. This changes when he comes across a young mutant child, Laura, who needs his help to get her to safety. Coincidentally, Keen’s other previous roles are both characters called Ana. One of these is in a movie called Ana, and the other is from a tv series called The Refugees.

Amir Wilson — Will Parry

     Netflix  

Coming to the show in season two, Amir Wilson told Variety that he got the stamp of approval from the writer of the books Philip Pullman. He has been acting since 2018, stacking up a few roles that you may recognize him from. He starred in Netflix’s Letter for the King series, as main character Tiuri. He plays a teenage squire who is sent on a mission to deliver a letter to the King. Wilson also had smaller roles in The Secret Garden, as Dickon, and in The Magic Flute, as Anton Milanesi.

Ruth Wilson — Mrs. Coulter

With a busy career, there are plenty of movies and TV shows that you might recognize Ruth Wilson from. One of the roles she is most known for is Alice Morgan in the crime drama, Luther, which starred Idris Elba in the titular role. She was also Margaret Goff in Saving Mr. Banks, which chronicles the development of the 1964 Mary Poppins movie. Another recognizable role was Jane Eyre in the BBC miniseries adaptation. Other roles that you might recognize her from are Locke, as Katrina, Anna Karenina, as Princess Betsy Tverskoy, How to Talk to Girls at Parties, as PT Stella, and See How They Run, as Petula Spencer.

Kit Connor — Pantalaimon

As a result of the fact that Pantalaimon is an animated creature, it could be even harder to identify why Kit Connor’s voice might seem familiar. Some of the roles you may recognize him from include an adaptation of War & Peace where he played Petya Rostov and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society movie where he was Eli Ramsey. However, his recent breakout role as Nick Nelson in Netflix’s Heartstopper is most likely where you’ve heard his voice before. Speaking to Radio Times, Connor hopes new fans of his from Heartstopper will also tune into His Dark Materials.

Lin-Manuel Miranda — Lee Scoresby

     BBC / HBO  

In a smaller role, only appearing in the first season, we have Lin-Manuel Miranda as Lee Scoresby. He is mostly known in recent years as a writer, producer, and star of his own musicals. The most well-known being Hamilton, where he played founding father Alexander Hamilton. Miranda more recently released his musical In the Heights, which he starred in too. Aside from his own productions, Miranda also had a notable role in Mary Poppins Returns as Jack, a lamplighter and former apprentice of Dick Van Dyke’s character in the first movie.

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje — Commander Ogunwe

     HBO  

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje has had roles in many big fantasy and adventure movies and shows. You may recognize him from his role in a couple of episodes of season five of Game of Thrones, in which he played Malko. Another major show he took part in was Lost, in the role of Mr Eko. Films that Akinnuoye-Agbaje has starred in include The Mummy Returns, as Lock-Nah, The Bourne Identity, as Wombosi, Thor: The Dark World, as Algrim/Kurse, and Pompeii, as Atticus.

Sian Clifford — Agent Salmakia

     BBC Three  

Sian Clifford’s most recognizable role is undoubtedly Claire in Fleabag. Her iconic performance as the titular character’s sister is incredibly memorable. Along with Ruth Wilson, she was also in the murder-mystery movie See How They Run, playing Edana Romney. Clifford also played Martha Crawley a TV miniseries adaptation of the novel Vanity Fair. Some other projects that she has been in include Life After Life, where she played Sylvie, Good Grief, as Cat, and Quiz, as Diana Ingram.

Ruta Gedmintas — Serafina Pekkala

Ruta Gedmintas plays the role of Serafina Pekkala the witch in His Dark Materials. She has also starred in a couple of Showtime period dramas. You may recognize her from her role as Ursula Bonadeo in The Borgias, which follows Pope Alexander VI as he tries to retain power over Italy. Gedmintas also performed the role of Elizabeth Blount in The Tudors, which portrayed the infamous reign of King Henry VIII. Another TV show you may recognize her from is Lip Service, in which she played Frankie Alan. She was also in the movie A Street Cat Named Bob, as Betty.