The Diplomat: cast and where you've seen Netflix actors before

• The Diplomat’s second series has arrived on Netflix. 
• It has climbed into the Top Ten list on the streaming service - and will return for a third season. 
• But why do the actors look familiar? Here’s where you might know them from.

Netflix’s hit political thriller The Diplomat has returned for a second series and it is flying up the charts. It is currently in the top ten for shows in the UK and it has already been renewed for another season. 

Keri Russell stars as Kate Wyler, the new United States ambassador to the United Kingdom, who finds herself thrust into the spotlight amid a series of international struggles. All while trying to negotiate her deteriorating marriage to a fellow career diplomat. 

The latest batch of episodes dropped on Netflix on Halloween (October 31) in a real treat for fans. But if you have been bingeing and found yourself thinking - wait where have I seen this actor before? Here’s the full cast and their most famous roles. 

Who is in the cast for The Diplomat? 

Keri Russell is the headline star of the Netflix show - playing the titular diplomat: Kate Wyler. But she is not the only big name involved and due to it being set in London, there are plenty of British actors in the cast. 

The main and recurring cast is as follows: 

• Keri Russell - Kate Wyler 
• Rufus Sewell - Hal Wyler
• David Gyasi - Austin Dennison
• Ali Ahn - Eidra Park
• Rory Kinnear - Nicol Trowbridge
• Ato Essandoh - Stuart Heyford
• Celia Imrie - Margaret Roylin
• Miguel Sandoval - Miguel Ganon
• Nana Mensah - Billie Appiah
• Michael McKean - William Rayburn
• T'Nia Miller - Cecilia Dennison (season 1)
• Allison Janney - Grace Penn (season 2)

Where do I know the actors from? 

Now, we have the list of the cast, but the names alone might not be enough to jog your memory. So let’s take a look at the actor’s prior roles, to see if that helps you out. 

Keri Russell 

The main star of The Diplomat has been a familiar face on TV screens for much of the last 30 years. She played the titular role of Felicity from 1998 to 2002 - earning a Golden Globe. 

Russell is also known for playing the role of Elizabeth Jennings in the Cold War era spy-thriller The Americans - which ran from 2013 to 2018. She has also dabbled in cinema roles, playing one of the human leads in 2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. 

In 2019 she played the role of Zorii Bliss in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. She also appeared in The All New Mickey Mouse Club in the early 1990s and was also part of the cast for Honey, I Blew Up the Kid. 

Rufus Sewell

Despite playing the American Hal Wyler, Rufus Sewell is a British actor who has had a long and fruitful career. He recently played the role of Prince Andrew in Netflix’s Scoop - based on the now infamous Newsnight interview with the disgraced royal. 

Sewell was also part of the main cast for Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle. He also had roles in Dark City (1998) and A Knight's Tale (2001) - which iMDB has as the roles he’s known for. 

David Gyasi

You might recognise David Gyasi from his role as Romily in Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar - which has just celebrated its 10th anniversary. He also was part of the cast for Cloud Atlas in 2012 - playing three characters: Autua, Lester Rey and Duophysite. 

David also had roles in multiple high profile BBC shows including White Heat (2012) and Troy: The Fall of a City - he played Achilles. He has also appeared in multiple episodes of Casualty and Doctors. 

Ali Ahn

If you have watched Orange is the New Black, you might recognise Ali Ahn from her role as Agent Nguyen. While she also played Suzanne Wu in the Netflix superhero show Raising Dion. 

But for those who have been tuning into the latest Marvel show - Agatha All Along - she had a main role in that. She played Alice Wu-Gulliver in the series. 

Rory Kinnear

If you are watching The Diplomat and wondering why Prime Minister Trowbridge looks familiar - it is not the first time he has played a PM. Rory Kinnear was actually in the very first episode of Black Mirror (National Anthem) in which he played the Prime Minister forced to have sexual intercourse with a pig. 

But he also is known for playing the role of Dave Fishwick in the Bank of Dave - based on a real life story. For horror fans he was also the titular Men in Alex Garland’s 2022 film of the same name. 

He also had a key role in the recent second season of The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power on Amazon - playing Tom Bombadil. 

Ato Essandoh

If the actor playing Stuart Heyford in the Diplomat looks familiar - it is probably because he is. Ato Essandoh has had many TV roles over the years, appearing in plenty of popular series. 

He was Reverend Darnell Potter in the popular police show Blue Bloods. While he also had the role of Dr. Isidore Latham in Chicago Med and played Alfredo Llamosa in Elementary - the Sherlock Holmes inspired show. 

Celia Imrie

When Margaret Roylin is on screen, you might be wondering why the actor looks familiar. She has had many film roles over the years - perhaps most recognisable of all as Una Alconbury in the Bridget Jones films. 

Celia Imrie was also the Vice-Chancellor in Mama Mia! Here We Go Again. She played Madge Hardcastle in the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel films. 

Michael McKean

Playing the President William Rayburn in the show, Michael McKean has a recurring role - but he is certainly a recognisable face. He memorably played Chuck McGill in Better Call Saul. 

Allison Janney

An addition for the second series of The Diplomat, you might feel like Allison Janney looks familiar any time her character - Grace Penn - appears on screen. She has had a long and storied career in the world of TV and film. 

Famously she played the role of C. J. Cregg in The West Wing - one of the main roles. While she also recently starred as Bonnie Plunkett in the sitcom Mom. 

Janney won an Academy Award for her role as LaVona Golden in the film I, Tonya - appearing alongside Margot Robbie. 

Have you been watching The Diplomat? What do you think of the show, share your thoughts by emailing me: [email protected].