Project Hail Mary Cast & Character Guide (Everyone Starring in the New Ryan Gosling Sci-fi Film)

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The highly anticipated sci-fi film Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling, is now being released in theaters. Critics are already calling it a standout film, potentially one of the best of the year. Currently, the film from directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller has a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes – their second-highest rated movie after The LEGO Movie, and the best-reviewed film of Gosling’s career, surpassing even Drive, La La Land, and The Nice Guys. After weeks of buzz, Project Hail Mary is now playing internationally and opens in the US tomorrow.

Based on Andy Weir’s novel, Project Hail Mary is a science fiction story known for its realistic and scientifically accurate details. Similar to Weir’s The Martian, the film doesn’t just focus on science; it also features a strong cast of actors. While Project Hail Mary might not have as many instantly recognizable stars as The Martian, audiences will likely recognize several of the performers.

Dr. Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling)

Ryan Gosling stars in Project Hail Mary as Dr. Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher with a doctorate, who suddenly finds himself at the center of a major scientific crisis. When a new life form called Astrophage starts consuming the sun’s energy – threatening to make Earth uninhabitable – countries around the world unite to find a solution. Dr. Grace is initially brought on board to analyze early samples of Astrophage based on research he did in college. This eventually leads to him being sent on a spaceship across the galaxy to search for answers. He’s a likable and

Ryan Gosling has been acting for many years, so people likely recognize him from various movies. He recently starred in The Fall Guy and Barbie, and he’s joining the Star Wars universe next summer in Starfighter.

Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller)

Eva Stratt is the one who hires Grace for the Hail Mary project, recognizing his potential despite—or perhaps because of—his unconventional way of thinking. She has significant authority to build the scientific team needed to tackle the Astrophage crisis and is known for being direct and pragmatic, though she shares lighter moments with Grace as their relationship develops. The role of Stratt is portrayed by Sandra Hüller, a German actress who recently starred in the critically acclaimed films Anatomy of a Fall and The Zone of Interest.

Carl (Lionel Boyce)

Carl starts out as a sort of assistant to Grace when he joins the team working with Stratt, but Grace’s quick wit soon makes him one of her friends. Readers of the original Project Hail Mary might remember a brief mention of him. In the film, Carl is played by Lionel Boyce, who many will recognize as Marcus from the popular FX series, The Bear.

Yáo Li-Jie (Ken Leung), Olesya Ilyukhina (Milana Vayntrub), and DuBois (Malachi Kirby)

In the novel Project Hail Mary, Grace finds himself responsible for educating the crew about Astrophage, as he’s one of the few experts on this recent discovery. This leads to a lot of interaction with the ship’s astronauts, particularly the lead and secondary science officers. The main crew consists of Yáo Li-Jie, the commander from the Chinese space program; Olesya Ilyukhina, representing the Russian team; and Martin DuBois, the American science officer.

Ken Leung, famous for his roles in shows like Industry and Lost, plays Yáo Li-Jie in the Project Hail Mary movie. Milana Vayntrub, who was the face of AT&T commercials throughout the 2010s and the voice of Marvel’s Squirrel Girl, portrays Olesya Ilyukhina. Malachi Kirby, known for his performance as Kunta Kinte in the 2016 Roots miniseries and appearances in Black Mirror, Doctor Who, and A Thousand Blows, plays DuBois.

Narender (Aaron Neil) and Shapiro (Liz Kingsman)

In the movie adaptation of Project Hail Mary, the character of Shapiro, who was a secondary science officer in the book, remains present. However, Narender is a new character created for the film. His exact purpose within the story isn’t yet known, but he is part of the Hail Mary crew. Liz Kingsman, recently seen in F1: The Movie, plays Shapiro. Aaron Neil, known for his roles in Apple TV’s Down Cemetery Road and Paddington 2, portrays Narender.

Rocky (James Ortiz)

While Ryan Gosling is the main human actor in the film, he shares most of his screen time with Rocky, a small, rock-shaped alien. Rocky is from the planet Erid, located 16 light-years away, and communicates through sound since he can’t see – a bit like the superhero Daredevil. He has five limbs and experiences the world by ‘listening’ to his surroundings.

James Ortiz, a puppeteer and performer making his film debut in Project Hail Mary, voices the character Rocky. Theater fans may recognize his work – he’s designed puppets for stage productions of Into the Woods and The Skin of Our Teeth. Ortiz also wrote and directed a play called The Woodsman, which tells the story of the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz and features a full-sized puppet of the character.

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2026-03-19 00:45