Based on the critically acclaimed 2014 Anthony Doerr novel of the same name, Netflix’s All the Light We Cannot See has a high bar to clear, but its excellent cast appears to be up to the challenge. The miniseries centers on two teenage characters whose lives intersect in the throes of World War II — Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a blind French girl, and Warner Pfennig, a German boy forced to fight for the Nazis. The All the Light We Cannot See novel won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and the miniseries will release on Netflix on November 2, 2023.
Netflix released the first teaser trailer for All the Light We Cannot See on April 18, 2023. Though no dialogue is spoken, it’s clear that this is an emotional, character-driven miniseries. This appears to be in line with the book, which was praised for its excellent characterization. One review for USA Today said, “Few authors can so gently—yet resolutely—pull readers into such deep understanding of and connection with their characters.” With all the acclaim for its source material, the All the Light We Cannot See cast has a lot to live up to, but judging from their filmographies (and performances in the trailer), awards season may come calling.
Aria Mia Lobreti (Marie-Laure LeBlanc) – First Role
Aria Mia Lobreti plays Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a blind French girl and one of the two teenage protagonists in the All the Light We Cannot See cast. Unlike her co-stars, Lobreti has had no formal acting training, and this is her first-ever role. A Fulbright Scholar, Ph.D. student Lobreti heard about an open casting call from a former teacher for blind or low-vision actresses. Lobreti, who is legally blind and a big fan of the book, eagerly auditioned and wowed producer Shawn Levy, who said, “It was a jaw-drop moment when we first saw Aria Mia Loberti, who is both a natural performer and an advocate for disability equity and representation.” (via University of Rhode Island).
Louis Hofmann (Werner Pfennig) – Dark
Werner Pfennig, the teenage boy forced to join the Nazi Regime in All the Light We Cannot See, is played by Louis Hofmann. A German-born actor, Hofmann’s first major role was the eponymous Mark Twain protagonist in the German adaptation of Tom Sawyer. He reprised the role in the sequel, The Adventures of Huck Finn. The actor played a bank manager in the Jennifer Lawrence spy film Red Sparrow and won the Bodil award for playing Sebastian Schumann in the Danish film Land of Mine. He is best known for his role as Jonas in Dark, a German Netflix show.
Mark Ruffalo (Daniel LeBlanc) – 13 Going On 30, The Avengers, Spotlight
The biggest star of the All the Light We Cannot See cast, Mark Ruffalo plays Daniel LeBlanc, a locksmith at the Museum of Natural History and Marie-Laure’s father. He has been acting professionally since the ’80s, but 2004 was the year he broke out, playing Matt Flamhaff in 13 Going on 30. But one of Ruffalo’s best roles is his most: Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk, in the MCU’s Avengers movies. Ruffalo has been nominated for three Oscars, for his roles as Paul Hatfield in The Kids Are All Right, Dave Schultz in Foxcatcher, and Michael Rezendes in Spotlight.
Hugh Laurie (Etienne LeBlanc) – House, The Night Manager
Hugh Laurie plays Etienne LeBlanc, Marie-Laure’s great uncle who is a WW1 veteran with PTSD, in the All the Light We Cannot See cast. Laurie got his start as one of half of the comedy duo Fry and Laurie with fellow British actor Stephen Fry. However, Laurie would go on to become most known for his role as the brilliant yet misanthropic Dr. Gregory House in the House cast, which won him two Golden Globes. The actor is also known for playing Richard Onslow Roper in The Night Manager, and for his work in two Armando Iannucci series, as Senator Tom James in Veep and Ryan Clark in Avenue 5.
Lars Eidinger (Reinhold von Rumpel) – Clouds Of Sils Maria, Personal Shopper
In All the Light We Cannot See, Reinhold von Rumpel is a Nazi gemologist, and he’s played by Lars Eidinger. Eidinger got his start acting in his native Germany, with his first role being Michael Ziethin in the TV series Castle Einstein. For his English-language acting credits, Eidinger is most known for his collaborations with French director Olivier Assayas, as he played Klaus Diesterwig in Clouds of Sils Maria and Ingo in Personal Shopper. Eidinger’s other film credits include Hans Brugelbecker in the Dumbo live-action remake and Mr. Gray in White Noise.
Marion Bailey (Undisclosed Role) – The Crown
Marion Bailey plays an undisclosed role in the All the Light We Cannot See cast. Bailey is known for her collaborations with her partner, director Mike Leigh, having played Barbara in Meantime, Carol in All or Nothing, Mrs. Fowler in Vera Drake, and Sophia Booth in Mr. Turner. The actress is best known for playing Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in the cast of The Crown season 3 and 4, which saw her winning back-to-back Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.
Andrea Deck (Sandrina) – Homeland
In All the Light We Cannot See, Sandrina is played by Andrea Deck. Deck is a prolific voice actress, having loaned her talents to several video games including Alien: Isolation, in which she played Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda. Onscreen, Deck is best known for her role as CIA agent Jenna Bragg in Homeland. Like her All the Light We Cannot See co-star Bailey, Deck has also appeared in The Crown, as Jean Wallop in season 1, episode 9, “Assassins”.
All The Light We Cannot See Supporting Cast & Characters
Nell Sutton (Young Marie-Laure LeBlanc) – Nell Sutton plays the younger Marie-Laure LeBlanc in All the Light We Cannot See. This is Sutton’s first acting role. Born with congenital glaucoma, Sutton won the role after her mother found an online ad looking for vision-impaired children to audition for the part (via GuideDogs.org).
Lucas Herzog (Young Werner Fennig) – The young Werner Fennig is played by Lucas Herzog. Herzog previously played Marlon Jansen in the TV series Tatort.
Luna Wedler (Jutta Pfennig) – Luna Wedler plays Werner’s morally upstanding younger sister Jutta Pfennig in the All the Light We Cannot See cast. She is best known for playing Emma “Mia Akerlund” Engels in the Netflix series Biohackers.
Jacob Bond (Marcel) – Marcel is played by Jacob Bond in All the Light We Cannot See. Bond played Lance Stewart on the series Boyband, a role he will reprise in the upcoming miniseries Boyband Movie.
James Dryden (Monsieur Caron) – James Dryden plays Monsieur Caron in the All the Light We Cannot See cast. He is known for starring alongside Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes in the Netflix movie The Dig.
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