What’s a whodunnit without some colorful suspects? In writer-director Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, renowned detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) heads to Greece to peel back the layers of a brand-new mystery. This time, he’s dropped into the deep end of a bickering group of frenemies, assembled by a tech billionaire pal for an annual reunion and trapped together on a private island. Naturally, things get a little bloodier than your typical sun-kissed vacation.

For Johnson, the new film was an opportunity to harness the energy of Knives Out’s tremendous ensemble. “It did feel like capturing lightning in a bottle again, in terms of the group,” he told Netflix. “It did absolutely feel similar to the first movie, where it [was] like, ‘Oh, wow. This is a really special group of people who are coming together and genuinely having a great time working together.’ That doesn’t always happen.”

It certainly doesn’t happen with this lineup of shady characters. Here, then, is your complete guide to the many layers of the Glass Onion cast, from the intrepid sleuth himself to his coterie of potential culprits. You can join the mystery yourself when Glass Onion hits theaters for a one-week sneak preview event starting Nov. 23, or catch it on Netflix beginning on Dec. 23.

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Daniel Craig

Craig returns as the Southern-fried detective, this time investigating a case that requires quite a bit less tweed. Fresh off of his final James Bond film, No Time to Die, the star has jumped straight into the much sprightlier character Benoit Blanc. It wasn’t a difficult transformation for Craig. “I just sort of keyed into the character,” he told Netflix. “When I read the first script, I thought, ‘Oh, I’ve seen this guy. I think I know who he is.’”

But that doesn’t mean everything came easy: Craig did have to relearn Benoit’s signature Southern drawl, an accent he previously adopted in the original Knives Out and in Steven Soderbergh’s puckish heist flick Logan Lucky. “I just didn’t want it to become this sort of pastiche of the first movie.”

Craig, of course, is no stranger to high-stakes murder: He played 007 in five films between 2006 and 2021, including the highly regarded Casino Royale and Skyfall. He also honed his investigative skills as journalist Mikael Blomkvist in David Fincher’s chilly and tremendous The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Edward Norton

The Fight Club star plays tech billionaire Miles Bron, the host of the film’s Grecian getaway. Bron shares a mysterious connection with each of his guests — and perhaps a little more than that. “You can sort of see why everyone might have a reason to want him dead,” Norton said with a laugh.

But at heart, Bron’s guests are still a group of unlikely friends — even if “frenemies” might begin to seem like the more accurate word as the film gets underway. “You see that Miles really did bring them all together,” Norton said. “There was a period where they were lifting each other and loved each other. By making sure you see a little of that and feel a little of that, it puts just the right amount of stakes in what is, without a doubt, a comedy that gets hilariously broad.”

Norton has earned three Academy Award nominations over the course of his acclaimed career: two in the best supporting actor category, for Primal Fear and Birdman, and one for best actor, for American History X. He’s worked with filmmakers from Spike Lee (25th Hour) to Wes Anderson (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom).

You can follow Norton on Twitter and Instagram.

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Janelle Monáe

As co-founder of Bron’s company Alpha, Andi goes way back with Miles. “Andi is top of her class, innovative, a thinker, a leader, a type-A personality, fashionable, driven CEO, Fortune 500 — you know, a boss-ass bitch,” Monáe said.

Monáe is best known for her musical career, but she’s also given scene-stealing performances in films like Moonlight and Hidden Figures. Glass Onion marks one of her largest acting roles yet, and sets her up as the foil to Craig’s detective. The multi-hyphenate has wanted to work with Johnson since she saw his sci-fi noir Looper. “That concept really inspired me as a writer and as a storyteller and made me want to work with Rian whenever I had the opportunity,” Monáe said. “So when he reached out and wanted to talk to me about this film, after reading the script, I was like, ‘Hell yeah!’”

You can also see Monáe in the films Harriet and Antebellum, as well as her Dirty Computer “emotion picture.”

You can follow Monáe on Twitter and Instagram.

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Kathryn Hahn as Claire Debella (right) in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

Kathryn Hahn

The governor of Connecticut, Hahn’s independent-minded NPR listener Claire is currently campaigning for another office. Naturally, as with every other suspect, she’s more than she initially appears to be on the surface. “She is running for Senate on a very clear and clean platform,” Hahn told Netflix. “And then you realize that, of course, in order to get those things, she needs other things, and those might not be as ethically clear.” But would she go as far as… murder? Only time will tell.

“All the characters in this are such instruments,” Hahn continued. “They play such specific notes and I loved the notes that she gets to play.” As an ‘instrument,’ Hahn’s career is second to none. She’s been a comic force in films like Step Brothers and Anchorman, a dramatic one in Captain Fantastic and I Know This Much Is True, and a very witchy one on WandaVision. Her unforgettable work in Tamara Jenkins’ 2018 film Private Life will tear your heart out.

Leslie Odom Jr. as Lionel Toussaint (center) in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. 

Leslie Odom Jr.

The Hamilton breakout plays Lionel, the world-renowned scientist who runs Bron’s aerospace company. Going into business with your friends, however, can be a little tricky. “There’s a lot that Miles dangles in front of everybody,” Odom Jr. said. “[In front of] everybody that’s invited to this weekend, Miles dangles obviously financial opportunities, things that are important to our families at home, career opportunities.” Who will be on the receiving end of that tension? 

For Odom Jr., who’s appeared in such films as Harriet, One Night in Miami… and Murder on the Orient Express, Glass Onion was an opportunity to practice his ensemble skills. “In watching the first film, I just noticed that Rian had a real desire to hold as many people as possible from this incredible ensemble that he built in the frame at once,” he said. “I just felt that if I could bring anything to Lionel, I wanted to bring him a performance that would be worthy to hold his space in the frame.”

You can follow Odom Jr. on Twitter and Instagram.

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Kate Hudson as Birdie Jay (left) in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

Kate Hudson

Hudson plays Birdie, a former model who now works as a fashion designer for an athleisure brand. “I fell in love with this fashionista who is just larger than life, and also she’s quite complicated,” Hudson told Netflix. “There’s a lot of layers to Birdie, even though on the surface, you might not think so.” And we’re not just talking about clothing layers: There aren’t many of those.

Hudson burst onto the scene as Penny Lane in Cameron Crowe’s rock and roll epic Almost Famous, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. Since then, she’s appeared in films ranging from Bride Wars and Something Borrowed to Deepwater Horizon and Marshall. She is also, coincidentally enough, a co-founder of a real-life fitness brand, Fabletics. Call it long-term Method acting.

Go ahead and follow Hudson on Instagram.

Dave Bautista as Duke Cody (left) in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. 

Dave Bautista

Former wrestler–turned–character actor Bautista plays Duke Cody, a ripped YouTube influencer. For Bautista, acting isn’t just a side hustle: “I really just fell in love with acting and always want to stretch,” he said. “I was excited because the first film and this one are so character-driven. Duke was such a great character for me to play.”

One glance at his filmography proves that Bautista is committed to his new career. He’s worked with A-list directors ranging from Denis Villeneuve (Dune and Blade Runner 2049) to Zack Snyder (Army of the Dead) to Sam Mendes (Spectre, in which he first faced off against Daniel Craig). And that isn’t even mentioning his truly hilarious, heartfelt work as Guardians of the Galaxy’s literal-minded bruiser Drax. “I’ve pursued good directors because — in athlete’s terms — I’m very coachable,” Bautista said. “If I have the right coach, I know that they can get me to where I want to be.”

You can follow Bautista on Twitter and Instagram.

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Jessica Henwick as Peg (left) in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

Jessica Henwick

Henwick plays Birdie Jay’s long-suffering assistant Peg. “Peg is at the end of her tether,” Henwick said. “She has been working for Birdie for quite some time. In my head, it’s been like 10 years. Every year she says, ‘This is the last year,’ but she just can’t seem to get herself out of that.” When she accompanies Birdie to Bron’s island, Peg is plunged into an even more frightening experience than on even her worst day as Birdie’s employee.

Henwick has appeared on television series including Game of Thrones and Iron Fist and films such as The Gray Man and Love and Monsters. Her plucky resistance fighter Bugs was one of the highlights of last year’s undersung The Matrix Resurrections.

You can follow Henwick on Instagram.

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Madelyn Cline as Whiskey (center) in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

Madelyn Cline

Cody’s girlfriend, business partner and fellow influencer Whiskey is played by Outer Banks star Cline. “I usually describe Whiskey as a young influencer wannabe-type,” Cline said. “I would definitely say that she’s a gold-digger and she’s a social climber. But she’s also not vapid by any means. I think in her own way, she’s playing her own character.”

Working with such an illustrious cast made Cline a little starstruck. “To say it was intimidating would be the understatement of the year. I was so incredibly nervous, but everybody was just so wonderful and lovely,” Cline said. “I felt like I was in a bit of a master class watching them work and being directed by Rian.”

You can follow Cline on Twitter and Instagram.

Test Your Glass Onion Detective SkillsDid you catch these easter eggs in the film? Take this video quiz to find out.