A Quick Guide to the Cast of "Lincoln"


If director Steven Spielberg is well known for one thing, it is pulling together a dynamic cast where even the insignificant roles are played by well known actors or up and comers. Looking back on films like Saving Private Ryan is a testament to this logic and with last week's release of Lincoln, Spielberg has returned to pulling together impossible ensembles. This time, he tackles the feat of mixing Oscar winners, TV show veterans, and future stars. It seems almost too daunting to find everyone in this movie. Why not give it a shot. See how many that you can recognize.


Lincoln is sure to be a big hit during awards season and at very least will get Daniel Day Lewis another acting nomination. While it may be impossible to give credit to the rest of the cast, it is important to note that this cast far outshines any effort Spielberg has done before. It almost becomes a revolving door of familiar faces and ones that are borderline memorable. From some quick research on IMDb, here is a list of the more notable actors to appear in this movie.
*I apologize ahead of time for the uninspired movie choices. I went with the "Known For" section and yes, I notice that a lot of these actor's choices are very poor. Still, take time out of your day to check out more if you are interested.



ACTOR: Daniel Day Lewis
ROLE: Abraham Lincoln
KNOWN FOR: There Will Be Blood, Gangs of New York, The Last of the Mohicans, In the Name of the Father



ACTOR: Sally Field
ROLE: Mary Todd Lincoln
KNOWN FOR: Forrest Gump, Brothers and Sisters, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Flying Nun



ACTOR: David Stathairn
ROLE: William Seward
KNOWN FOR: The Bourne Ultimatum, L.A. Confidential, Good Night and Good Luck, Fracture



ACTOR: Joseph Gordon-Levitt
ROLE: Robert Lincoln
KNOWN FOR: Inception, (500) Days of Summer, The Dark Knight Rises, 50/50, Looper, Brick



ACTOR: James Spader
ROLE: W.N. Bilbo
KNOWN FOR: Boston Legal, Stargate, Secretary, Sex Lies and Videotape



ACTOR: Hal Holbrook
ROLE: Preston Blair
KNOWN FOR: Into the Wild, Wall Street, Men of Honor, All the President's Men



ACTOR: Tommy Lee Jones
ROLE: Thaddeus Stevens
KNOWN FOR: No Country for Old Men, Men in Black, The Fugitive, In the Valley of Ellah



ACTOR: John Hawkes
ROLE: Robert Latham
KNOWN FOR: American Gangster, Identity, Me and You and Everyone We Know, The Perfect Storm, The Sessions, Winter's Bone



ACTOR: Jackie Earle Haley
ROLE: Alexander Stephens
KNOWN FOR: Watchmen, Shutter Island, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Little Children


ACTOR: Tim Blake Nelson
ROLE: Richard Schell
KNOWN FOR: O Brother Where Art Thou?, The Incredible Hulk, Holes, Meet the Fockers, The Thin Red Line



ACTOR: Jared Harris
ROLE: Ulysses S. Grant
KNOWN FOR: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Natural Born Killers, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Mad Men



ACTOR: Lee Pace
ROLE: Fernando Wood
KNOWN FOR: The Fall, Pushing Daisies, The Good Shepherd, A Single Man



ACTOR: Gulliver McGrath
ROLE: Tad Lincoln
KNOWN FOR: Hugo, Dark Shadows, The Loved Ones



ACTOR: Michael Stuhlbarg
ROLE: George Yeaman
KNOWN FOR: A Serious Man, Hugo, Men in Black III, Seven Psychopaths, Boardwalk Empire 



ACTOR: David Costabile
ROLE: James Ashley
KNOWN FOR: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Siege, Notorious, Breaking Bad, Flight of the Conchords, The Wire





ACTOR: Stephen Spinella
ROLE: Asa Vintner Litton
KNOWN FOR: Milk, Rubber, The Jackal, Ravenous



ACTOR: Walton Goggins
ROLE: Clay Hutchins
KNOWN FOR: The Shield, The Bourne Identity, Predators, Shanghai Noon, Justified



ACTOR: David Washofsky
ROLE: William Hutton
KNOWN FOR: Taken, There Will Be Blood, Unstoppable, Face/Off



ACTOR: David Oyelowo
ROLE: Corporal Ira Clark
KNOWN FOR: The Last King of Scotland, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Help, Red Tails



ACTOR: Lukas Haas
ROLE: First White Soldier
KNOWN FOR: Inception, Brick, Witness, Mars Attacks


ACTOR: Dane DeHaan
ROLE: Second White Soldier
KNOWN FOR: Chronicle, Lawless



ACTOR: Elizabeth Marvel
ROLE: Mrs. Jolly
KNOWN FOR: True Grit, Burn After Reading, The District, Synecdoche New York



ACTOR: Adam Driver
ROLE: Samuel Beckwith
KNOWN FOR: You Don't Know Jack, J. Edgar, Girls



ACTOR: Kevin Kline
ROLE: Wounded Soldier
KNOWN FOR: The Ice Storm, No Strings Attached, Wild Wild West, A Fish Called Wanda, The Pirates of Penzance


Did you catch them all? There is a plethora of great actors that have appeared in Lincoln, and it was impossible to get them all. Hopefully this short list will give you a start on looking into the rest of the impressive cast and realize the effort that went into assembling this team. Who was your favorite among the ensemble? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Comments