GLASS (2019) About The Cast

JAMES MCAVOY (Kevin Crumb), BRUCE WILLIS (David Dunn), ANYA TAYLOR-JOY (Casey Cooke), SARAH PAULSON (Dr. Ellie Staple), and SPENCER TREAT CLARK (Joseph Dunn)

Golden Globe Award-nominated actor JAMES M C AVOY (Kevin Crumb) won over American audiences with his critically acclaimed breakthrough performances in The Last King of Scotland and Atonement . Having been referred to as “The best young British actor of our times” by Empire magazine, McAvoy continues to test himself with a wide variety of work on stage, television and film and is regarded as one of the industry’s most exciting acting talents.

McAvoy most recently applied his vocal talents to Paramount’s Sherlock Gnomes , the sequel to 2011’s Gnomeo & Juliet , in which he reprised the role of Gnomeo. The movie also includes the voices of Emily Blunt, Johnny Depp, Maggie Smith and Michael Caine. In 2017, he was seen in Universal Pictures’ Atomic Blonde opposite Charlize Theron. That same year, McAvoy also starred in M. Night Shyamalan’s critically acclaimed thriller Split . Additional upcoming projects include Dark Phoenix , where he will reprise his role of Professor Charles Xavier, and the sequel to New Line’s adaptation of Stephen King’s It — It: Chapter Two .

In 2014, McAvoy was seen as corrupt cop Bruce Robertson in the highly acclaimed sensation Filth , for which he received a British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) Best Actor award, London Critics Circle British Actor of the Year award and an Empire Award for Best Actor. McAvoy also served as producer on the film. Additionally, McAvoy starred in the Golden Globe Award-winning drama Atonement in 2007, which was directed by Joe Wright and co-starred Keira Knightley and Saoirse Ronan. His performance received a Golden Globe Award and British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) nomination for Best Actor, and he was awarded both London Critics’ Circle and U.K. Regional Critics Awards for Best Actor in addition to receiving the Virtuosos Award from the Santa Barbara Interntaional Film Festival.

In 2005, McAvoy starred in the title role in Damien O’Donnell’s Rory O’Shea Was Here . McAvoy earned a British Actor of the Year nomination from the London Critics’ Circle for his performance. That summer, he traveled to Uganda to take on the lead role of Dr. Nicholas Garrigan in The Last King of Scotland , directed by Oscar® and BAFTA Award winner Kevin Macdonald. He earned nominations from BAFTA, BIFA, London Critics’ Circle and the European Film Academy for his performance. In December 2005, McAvoy was seen in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe . He earned a nomination for British Supporting Actor of the Year from the London Critics’ Circle for his performance.

McAvoy’s other film credits include Submergence with Alicia Vikander, Victor Frankenstein opposite Daniel Radcliffe, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby trilogy opposite Jessica Chastain, Trance with Rosario Dawson, Welcome to the Punch alongside Mark Strong, Sony Pictures’ animated movie Arthur Christmas , Robert Redford’s The Conspirator opposite Robin Wright, Wanted opposite Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman, Becoming Jane with Anne Hathaway and Penelope opposite Christina Ricci and Reese Witherspoon.

Prior to making his name on the silver screen, McAvoy first came to popular attention on the small screen with the role of Josh in the 2002 Channel 4 adaptation of Zadie Smith’s popular novel “White Teeth.” In fall 2003, McAvoy played Dan Foster in the BAFTA Award-winning BBC political drama series State of Play . The series ran in the U.K. and on BBC America and went on to become one of the most successful U.K. exports of the last decade. He also left a lasting mark on high-profile TV projects such as the World War I drama Regeneration and HBO’s Band of Brothers . The actor’s popularity really started to grow when he appeared in the BAFTA-winning Channel 4 series Shameless as car thief Steve. He earned a nomination from the British Comedy Awards for Best TV Comedy Newcomer in 2004 for his performance.

McAvoy has also played a large role in the London theater scene. In 2009, McAvoy took to the stage at the Apollo Theatre in London’s West End where he played the two roles of Walker and his father Ned in Richard Greenberg’s Three Days of Rain . His performance earned him an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor. He was also seen in Breathing Corpses at the Royal Court (2005), Privates on Parade at the Donmar Warehouse (2001) and Out in the Open at Hampstead Theatre (2001). In 2013, McAvoy starred in Macbeth at Trafalgar Studios. His performance earned him an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor and the show was nominated for Best Revival. In 2015, McAvoy starred in The Ruling Class , which earned him a London Evening Standard Award, an Olivier Award nomination and a WhatsOnStage nomination for Best Actor.

McAvoy was born in the Scotstoun area of Glasgow, Scotland, in 1979 and is a graduate of the prestigious Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

BRUCE WILLIS (David Dunn) has demonstrated incredible versatility in a career that has included such diverse characterizations as the prizefighter in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994 Palme D’Or winner at Cannes), the philandering contractor in Robert Benton’s Nobody’s Fool , the heroic time traveler in Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys , the traumatized Vietnam veteran in Norman Jewison’s In Country , the compassionate child psychologist in M. Night Shyamalan’s Oscar®-nominated The Sixth Sense (for which he won the People’s Choice Award) and his signature role, Detective John McClane, in the Die Hard pentalogy.

Following studies at Montclair State College’s prestigious theater program, the New Jersey native honed his craft in several stage plays and countless television commercials, before landing the leading role in Sam Shepard’s 1984 stage drama Fool for Love, a run which lasted for 100 performances off-Broadway.

Willis next won international stardom and several acting awards, including Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe awards, for his starring role as private eye David Addison on the hit television series Moonlighting , winning the role over 3,000 other contenders. At the same time, he made his motion picture debut opposite Kim Basinger in Blake Edwards’ romantic comedy Blind Date .

In 1988, he originated the role of John McClane in the blockbuster film Die Hard , one of the highest-grossing releases of that year. He later reprised the character in four sequels: Die Hard: Die Harder (1990), Die Hard: With A Vengeance (1995’s global box-office champ), Live Free, Die Hard (one of the box-office hits of summer 2007) and a Good Day To Die Hard (2013).

His wide array of film roles includes collaborations with such respected and prolific filmmakers including Wes Anderson ( Moonrise Kingdom ), Michael Bay ( Armageddon ), M. Night Shyamalan ( The Sixth Sense , Unbreakable ), Alan Rudolph ( Mortal Thoughts , Breakfast of Champions ), Walter Hill ( Last Man Standing ), Robert Benton ( Billy Bathgate , Nobody’s Fool ), Rob Reiner ( The Story of Us ), Edward Zwick ( The Siege ), Luc Besson ( The Fifth Element ), Barry Levinson ( Bandits , What Just Happened , Rock the Kasbah ), Terry Gilliam ( 12 Monkey’s ), Quentin Tarintino ( Pulp Fiction ), Robert Zemeckis ( Death Becomes Her ) and Robert Rodriguez ( Sin City , Grind House ).

Other motion picture credits include Red , The Jackal , Mercury Rising , Hart’s War , The Whole Nine Yards (and its sequel The Whole Ten Yards ), The Kid , Tears of the Sun , Hostage , 16 Blocks , Alpha Dog , Lucky Number Slevin , Perfect Stranger , Looper and Moonrise Kingdom . He also voiced the character of the wise-cracking infant Mikey in Look Who’s Talking and Look Who’s Talking Too as well as the lead characters RJ & Spike in the animated hit features Over the Hedge and Rugrats Go Wild!

In addition to his work before the cameras, Willis made his Broadway debut last year as the author Paul Sheldon who’s tormented by one of his readers (played by Laurie Metcalf) in a new stage adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, Misery . He established his interest in theater when in 1997 he co-founded A Company of Fools, a non-profit theater troupe committed to developing and sustaining stage work in the Wood River Valley of Idaho, and throughout the U.S. He starred in and directed a staging of Sam Shepard’s dark comedy True West at the Liberty Theater in Hailey, Idaho. The play, which depicts the troubled relationship between two brothers, was aired on Showtime and dedicated to Willis' late brother Robert.

An accomplished musician as well, Willis recorded the 1986 Motown album The Return of Bruno , which went platinum and contained the No. 5 Billboard hit “Respect Yourself.” Three years later, he recorded a second album If It Don’t Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger . In 2002, he launched a U.S. club tour with his musical group, Bruce Willis and the Blues Band and he traveled to Iraq to play for U.S. servicemen.

One of the most interesting and commanding actresses of a generation, ANYA TAYLOR-JOY (Casey Cooke) won the Gotham Award for Breakthrough Actor as well as the Chopard Trophy for Female Revelation at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the EE Rising Star Award at the BAFTA Awards for her breakthrough role in A24’s The Witch , directed by Robert Eggers.

Next August, Taylor-Joy will take on the lead role of teen sorceress Magik in 20th Century Fox’s The New Mutants , director Josh Boone’s new take on the much-loved franchise. She has also completed filming Radioactive , the biopic of two-time Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie, from Oscar®-nominated Marjane Satrapi. Taylor-Joy plays Irene, daughter of Marie Curie, played by Rosamund Pike. She has also completed the independent feature Here Are the Young Men , based on the novel from Rob Doyle.

Taylor-Joy is currently filming season five of the acclaimed BBC series Peaky Blinders alongside Cillian Murphy. She next takes on the title role in Emma , Working Title’s adaptation of the Jane Austen classic, directed by Autumn de Wilde and produced by Graham Broadbent.

Most recently Anya took the leading role of Nella Oortman in the BBC and PBS adaptation of Jessie Burton’s international, best-selling novel The Miniaturist .

Taylor-Joy recently starred opposite Olivia Cooke in the psychological thriller Thoroughbreds . Her further credits include the titular character in Morgan and Netflix’s Barry from Black Bear Pictures that premiered to rave reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Award-winning actress SARAH PAULSON (Dr. Ellie Staple) has built an impressive list of credits in film, television and on stage.

Paulson’s Primetime Emmy Award win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie was earned for her portrayal of attorney Marcia Clark in the critically acclaimed mini-series The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story on FX. Paulson also received a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Critics’ Choice Award as well as a Television Critics Association Award for this role.

Paulson recently starred in Warner Bros.’ Ocean’s 8 , which opened at No. 1 in the U.S. and topped the opening-weekend figures for each of the previous Ocean’s films.

Currently in production on Aneesh Chaganty’s Run for Lionsgate, Paulson was most recently seen in Susanne Bier’s film Bird Box , opposite Sandra Bullock. The film was released by Netflix on December 21, 2018. She will next be seen in Warner Bros’ The Goldfinch this fall.

On the small screen, Paulson was most recently seen in the eighth installment of Ryan Murphy’s award-winning television series American Horror Story for FX. In addition to starring as multiple characters that season, she also made her directorial debut with the 78-minute crossover episode “Return to Murder House.” Paulson has received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her roles in the franchise: Ally Mayfair-Richards in AHS: Cult , Sally in AHS: Hotel , conjoined twins Bette and Dot Tattler in AHS: Freak Show , Cordelia Foxx in AHS: Coven and Lana Winters in AHS: Asylum . She has also earned two Critics Choice Awards for her roles in the anthology.

Paulson received her first Primetime Emmy Award nomination and second Golden Globe Award nomination for her role as Nicolle Wallace in HBO’s critically acclaimed telefilm Game Change . Directed by Jay Roach, the film follows John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign. Her first Golden Globe Award nomination was for her performance in Aaron Sorkin’s Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip , in which she starred opposite Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Bradley Whitford and Steven Weber.

Paulson is set to produce and star in the upcoming series Ratched , where she will play the titular role. The series, set to be distributed by Netflix, centers on the early life of the villainous nurse from the 1962 Ken Kesey novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

Paulson’s other film credits include Todd Haynes’ critically acclaimed Carol alongside Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara; Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave , which received an Academy Award® for Best Picture; Jeff Nichols’ Mud alongside Reese Witherspoon and Matthew McConaughey, for which the cast received the Robert Altman Award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards. She has also appeared in Steven Spielberg’s The Post , opposite Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep; Danny Strong’s Rebel in the Rye ; Alex Lehmann’s Blue Jay opposite Mark Duplass; Fox Searchlight’s Martha Marcy May Marlene alongside Elizabeth Olsen; Lionsgate’s The Spirit , opposite Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes and Scarlett Johansson; Mary Harron’s The Notorious Bettie Page ; Down with Love with Renée Zellweger, Ewan McGregor and David Hyde Pierce; What Women Want opposite Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt; Garry Marshall’s The Other Sister , which starred Diane Keaton and Juliette Lewis; and Diggers alongside Paul Rudd and Ken Marino.

On stage, Paulson last appeared in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Lanford Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize winning play Talley’s Folly . She previously starred on Broadway in the two-hander Collected Stories opposite Linda Lavin; as Laura Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie , alongside Jessica Lange; in Cherry Orchard , alongside Alfred Molina and Annette Bening; and in Tracy Letts’ critically acclaimed Killer Joe .

SPENCER TREAT CLARK (Joseph Dunn) will next star in the fourth season of the TNT series Animal Kingdom and in season two of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina for Netflix .

Clark grew up outside New York City. He started acting at a young age, first appearing in films such as DreamWorks’ Gladiator directed by Ridley Scott with Russell Crowe, as well as M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable with Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson .

Other film credits include Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River , The Last House on the Left , Last Exorcism: Part Two , Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing , The Town That Dreaded Sundown for Blumhouse and Cymbeline opposite Ethan Hawke, Ed Harris, Milla Jovovich and Dakota Johnson. Recent television credits include NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service , Criminal Minds and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D .

He received a bachelor degree in political science from Columbia University. Clark lives in Los Angeles.

Appearing in well over 100 films, SAMUEL L. JACKSON (Elijah Price) is one of the most respected actors in Hollywood. Jackson’s portrayal of Jules, the philosopher hit man, in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction made an indelible mark on American cinema. In addition to unanimous critical acclaim, he received Academy Award® and Golden Globe Award nominations, as well as a Best Supporting Actor award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

In June 2018, Jackson was seen in the long-awaited sequel to Disney’s The Incredibles . Jackson recently wrapped production on the Shaft reboot, Son of Shaft , and will next be seen in Captain Marvel opposite Brie Larson.

In 2017, Jackson starred in Lionsgate’s The Hitman’s Bodyguard with Ryan Reynolds, Salma Hayek and Gary Oldman in addition to Warner Bros.’ Kong: Skull Island with Larson and Tom Hiddleston. In 2015, Jackson appeared in Tarantino’s Oscar®-nominated Western The Hateful Eight . He starred as Major Marquis Warren, alongside Walton Goggins, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Kurt Russell. That same year, Jackson appeared in Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service and Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq .

In 2016, Jackson was seen in David Yates’ The Legend of Tarzan , starring alongside Alexander Skarsgård, Margot Robbie and Christoph Waltz in addition to Tim Burton’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children . That same year, Jackson completed production on Larson’s directorial debut Unicorn Store , The Last Full Measure with Sebastian Stan, Christopher Plummer and Ed Harris, as well as Dan Fogelman’s Life Itself .

In 2012, he co-starred in Tarantino’s Django Unchained as Stephen, with Waltz, Jamie Foxx and Leonardo DiCaprio. He also starred in The Avengers , which is part of his nine-picture deal with Marvel Studios. Jackson reprised his role in both Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier , which was released in April 2014, and the 2015 sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron .

Jackson made his Broadway debut in 2011 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater in The Mountaintop , where he portrayed Martin Luther King, Jr. The play also starred Angela Bassett and was directed by Kenny Leon.

Jackson’s career began onstage upon his graduation from Morehouse College in Atlanta with a degree in dramatic arts. Among the plays were Home , A Soldier’s Play , Sally/Prince and The District Line . He also originated roles in two of August Wilson’s plays at Yale Repertory Theatre. For the New York Shakespeare Festival, Jackson appeared in Mother Courage and Her Children , Spell #7 and The Mighty Gents .

Past film credits also include RoboCop , Oldboy , Mother and Child , Iron Man 2 , HBO’s The Sunset Limited , Lakeview Terrace , Soul Men , The Spirit , Jumper , Resurrecting the Champ , 1408 , Black Snake Moan , Snakes on a Plane , Freedomland , Coach Carter , Star Wars: Episode III - The Revenge of the Sith , S.W.A.T. , Changing Lanes , Formula 51 , Stars Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones , The Caveman’s Valentine , Eve’s Bayou , Unbreakable , Rules of Engagement , Shaft , Deep Blue Sea , Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace , The Negotiator , The Red Violin , Jackie Brown , 187 , A Time to Kill , Die Hard with a Vengeance , Jungle Fever , Sphere , The Long Kiss Goodnight , Ragtime , Sea of Love , Coming to America , Do the Right Thing , School Daze , Mo’ Better Blues , Goodfellas , Patriot Games and True Romance .

On the small screen, Jackson served as executive producer for the Spike TV-animated series Afro Samurai , which premiered in 2007. The series received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Animated Program from the Television Academy. The first edition of the Afro Samurai video game launched in January 2009.

On television, in addition to The Sunset Limited , Jackson starred in John Frankenheimer’s Primetime Emmy Award-winning Against the Wall for HBO. His performance earned him a Cable Ace nomination as Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries, as well as a Golden Globe Award nomination.