Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things successfully combines drama, comedy, and horror, and counts on the talents of a cast full of well-known names.

Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things has a cast full of familiar faces, whose incredible chemistry brought this story of drama, comedy, and hints of horror to life. Based on Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel of the same name, Poor Things takes viewers back to Victorian-era London with a steampunk style to meet a young woman who is successfully brought to life by an unorthodox scientist, but she’s not resurrected exactly as she was.

With a new life ahead of her, the young woman begins to crave more than what she has been presented by the scientist and his assistant and now fiancé, so she runs away with a lawyer. Together, they embark on a wild journey of self-discovery and pleasure – all types of it. Poor Things was a critical success and received various awards for its performances, costume design, cinematography, and more, and a big part of its charm comes from its cast.

Poor Things Ending Explained

Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things puts Emma Stone front and center. Her character, Bella, has quite the journey, and we break down the film’s ending.

Emma Stone as Bella Baxter

Actor: Emma Stone, 35, was born in Scottsdale, Arizona, and began her acting career in 2004. Stone’s big break arrived in 2010 when she starred in Will Gluck’s teen comedy Easy A as Olive Penderghast. Stone is known for her comedic skills, but she has also stood out in more serious and dramatic roles, and in 2016, she won the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in Damien Chazelle’s La La Land.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: Superbad (2007), Zombieland (2009), Easy A (2010), Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011), The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), Birdman (2014), La La Land (2016), The Favourite (2018), The Curse (2023).

Character: Bella Baxter is a young woman who, after committing suicide, is brought back to life by her guardian, but there’s one big change that makes her not be the same person she was before her death.

Mark Ruffalo as Duncan Wedderburn

Duncan is a debaucherous lawyer.

Actor: Mark Ruffalo, 56, was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and began his acting career in 1989. Ruffalo’s career got a massive boost in 2004 when he starred in the rom-com 13 Going on 30 as Matt Flamhaff and played Stan in Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Ruffalo has shown versatility throughout his career, playing comedic roles, action ones, and dramatic characters as well, and has been nominated at the Academy Awards in the category of Best Supporting Actor four times.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: 13 Going on 30 (2004), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Zodiac (2007), The Avengers (2012), Now You See Me (2013), Begin Again (2013), The Normal Heart (2013), Foxcatcher (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Now You See Me 2 (2016), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019).

Character: Duncan Wedderburn is a lawyer with debaucherous tendencies who goes on an indulgent journey with Bella with many ups and downs.

Willem Dafoe as Dr. Godwin “God” Baxter

Dr. Baxter is reminiscent of Dr. Victor Frankenstein.

Actor: Willem Dafoe, 68, was born in Appleton, Wisconsin. Dafoe’s acting career began in 1979 in theater and transitioned to film in 1980 and TV in 1986. Dafoe’s first big hit was Oliver Stone’s war movie Platoon, for which he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the Academy Awards, and in 1988, he played Jesus in Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ. Dafoe is one of the most respected actors of his generation and has explored a variety of genres in his career – from drama to comedy and even superhero movies.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: Platoon (1986), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), The English Patient (1996), The Boondock Saints (1999), American Psycho (2000), Spider-Man (2002), Antichrist (2009), The Fault in Our Stars (2014), John Wick (2014), At Eternity’s Gate (2018), The Lighthouse (2019), Nightmare Alley (2021), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).

Character: Dr. Baxter is an eccentric scientist and Bella’s guardian, and his experiments are reminiscent of those of Dr. Victor Frankenstein from Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein.

Ramy Youssef as Max McCandles

Max has a strong bond with Dr. Baxter & Bella.

Actor: Ramy Youssef, 32, was born in New York City and raised in Rutherford, New Jersey. Youssef’s career began on TV in 2012 and his big-screen debut arrived in 2018. He became widely known for his role as Samar Swailen in the TV series Mr. Robot, but his big break arrived in 2019 when he starred in the comedy-drama TV series Ramy as the title character.

Ramy Youssef was also the creator of Ramy, as well as a writer, director, and executive producer.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: See Dad Run (2012), Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot (2018), Ramy (2019), Wish (2023).

Character: Max MacCandles is Dr. Baxter’s assistant, who, with his permission, asks for Bella’s hand in marriage before she realizes she can get more from life than an arranged marriage.

Christopher Abbott as Alfie Blessington

Alfie is a ghost from the past.

Actor: Christopher Abbott, 37, was born in Greenwich, Connecticut. Abbott’s first notable role was Jeremy in the comedy-drama movie Hello I Must Be Going, but his big break arrived in 2012 when he was cast as Charlie Dattolo in the comedy-drama series Girls. Abbott’s acting career began in theater, and he continues to take on theater projects.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: Hello I Must Be Going (2012), Girls (2012), A Most Violent Year (2014), The Sinner (2017), It Comes at Night (2017).

Character: Alfie Blessington is a man from Bella’s past life, whose intentions when reconnecting with her aren’t exactly noble.

Poor Things Supporting Cast & Characters

More familiar faces in Poor Things’ supporting cast.

Margaret Qualley as Felicity: Felicity is another of Dr. Baxter’s experiments, though very different from Bella. Margaret Qualley is a model and actress, and made her acting debut in the drama movie Palo Alto, and played Amelia Kuttner in The Nice Guys, Pussycat in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and starred in the TV series The Leftovers and Maid.

Kathryn Hunter as Madame Swiney: Madame Swiney is the woman in charge of the brothel Bella ends up working in. Kathryn Hunter is known for her roles as Arabella Figg in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the witches in The Tragedy of Macbeth, Charmian in the TV series Rome, and Eedy Karn in Andor.

Suzy Bemba as Toinette: Toinette is a young woman working at the brothel who quickly befriends Bella. Suzy Bemba played Saifa in Drift and Jessica in Homecoming.

Jerrod Carmichael as Harry Astley: Harry Astley is a passenger on a cruise ship who befriends Bella. Jerrod Carmichael played Garf in Neighbors and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, and Jimmy in Transformers: The Last Knight.

Hanna Schygulla as Martha Von Kurtzroc: Martha Von Kurtzroc is a passenger on the cruise ship who also befriends Bella. Among Hanna Schygulla’s most recent projects are The Edge of Heaven, Everything Went Fine, and Peter von Kant.