Black Bag: Cast and Characters of Steven Soderbergh's Spy Drama Film, Explained
Meet the enigmatic players in Steven Soderbergh's latest twisty tale, Black Bag, from Michael Fassbender's George Woodhouse to Cate Blanchett's Kathryn St. Jean.
Director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp, frequent creative collaborators, have joined forces again for Black Bag, the stylish new psychological spy thriller from Focus Features.
An original story set in contemporary London, England, Black Bag follows the dire assignment of elite National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) agent George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender). He's tasked by his division officer to investigate a mole in the agency before they can activate a destructive cyber worm called Severus. His list of five suspects includes four of his agency friends and colleagues at the NCSC, with the fifth being his beloved wife Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett).
The cast of Black Bag — which opens in theaters only on Friday, March 14 — also includes Regé-Jean Page (Bridgerton), Marisa Abela (Back to Black), Naomie Harris (Moonlight), and Tom Burke (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga).
Read on to learn more about the actors in the spy thriller and their characters.
Michael Fassbender as George Woodhouse
Calm, cool and collected, George Woodhouse is a well-respected interrogator at Britain’s closely guarded National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). A veteran of the spy game, Woodhouse has one vulnerability — his unwavering devotion to his wife and fellow senior spy, Agent Kathryn St. Jean.
Tasked with rooting out a mole inside their London offices, George's beloved Kathryn is also included in the small circle of suspects. Director Steven Soderbergh said in the film's production notes that he chose Fassbender to play the keenly observant George because, "I knew he wouldn’t be afraid to play the interiority of George. He burrowed in deep while creating a calm surface that masks a lot of turbulence. Michael can imply a great deal without being flashy.”
Cate Blanchett as Kathryn St. Jean
Another well-respected and long-term spy at the NCSC, Agent Kathryn St. Jean is very good at what she does and is ferociously protective of her husband, George. They share a loyalty to one another that seems impossible, and George's latest assignment will challenge that like never before.
For her third project with Soderbergh, Blanchett was asked to embrace an "old-fashioned Hollywood glamour" that could be inscrutable for the audience to read.
Fassbender said that Blanchett took a note from the script to heart while playing the character, according to the production notes.
“It said Kathryn is the head of the table, wherever she sits," Fassbender explained. "But Cate also brings something that I didn’t see on the page. There’s a lot of ambiguity in her performance. Kathryn has built a sturdy exterior wall even for George, but there is vulnerability within her as well."
Marisa Abela as Clarissa Dubose
As the youngest of the mole suspects within the NCSC, Clarissa Dubose is relatively new to George and his wife. She's a computer expert and is dating her colleague, Freddie Smalls. She's a bit overwhelmed by the reputation of these senior agents but she's got a fresh perspective on their behavior. Abela said in the film's production notes, “Clarissa presents herself as strong and fierce, but she’s quite sensitive, potentially too sensitive for this world. It seems enticing to her, but the brutality of it is shocking.”
Tom Burke as Freddie Smalls
The most chaotic personality of the mole suspects, Freddie Smalls, suffers most from his own self sabotaging choices. While pursuing vices in excess, he's still remains compelling and competent. Soderbergh said of the character, “Freddie’s situation is complicated by the fact that he is something of a loose cannon. He is an interesting character — very bright, somewhat self-destructive, but charming."
Naomie Harris as Dr. Zoe Vaughan
The staff psychiatrist at the NCSC's London office, Dr. Vaughn is in the unique position of perhaps knowing too much about the inner workings of the agents she assists. As the person who approves an agent going back into the field after a precarious assignment, she's an important voice in determining an agent's trustworthiness. Actress Naomie Harris said of her character, “Zoe is one hell of a complex woman. She’s detached, manipulative and a predator in many ways, but she’s extremely insightful about people.”
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Regé-Jean Page as Col. James Stokes
An ambitious agent who has consistently risen up the ranks of the NCSC, Colonel Stokes is in charge of the suspects that George Woodhouse is investigating. If he's a help or a deterrent to the investigation remains to be seen. “In his own mind, he is a hero,” Page said of his character. “But I don’t think too many other people would describe him that way. That contradiction is part of what makes him so interesting.”
Black Bag opens in theaters only on Friday, March 14. Click here for tickets!
