Where You've Seen The Cast Of The Night Agent Before

Not all television series are built with an eye toward earning critical acclaim and winning Primetime Emmys. Some shows are unabashedly formulaic, shuffling around tried-and-true plot turns the producers and writers know will satisfy their loyal viewers. Sure, prestige series like "Mad Men," "Deadwood," and "Succession" get all the plaudits, but hour-long franchises like "CSI," "NCIS," and the "One Chicago" universe bring in a ratings bonanza. And while networks and streamers dig awards, what they prize above all are ratings.

At best, these series combine savvy casting choices with punchy writing to concoct breezily effective procedurals that power you past their myriad implausibilities. They're akin to what we used to call "airplane reads" – i.e. briskly plotted novels that you pick up at an airport newsstand and tear through while enduring a long flight (perhaps people still do this). So it's not a surprise that TV creators have turned to books of this nature as grist for a (hopefully) long-running network/streaming series. This philosophy has worked remarkably well for "Reacher," "Jack Ryan," and "The Summer I Turned Pretty," and it seems to have clicked for Netflix's streaming hit "The Night Agent."

Based on the novel of the same title by Matthew Quirk, "The Night Agent" was created by Shawn Ryan ("The Shield," "S.W.A.T.") for Netflix, and has hooked viewers for two seasons with its high-level government intrigue that tests the bravery, brawn and smarts of its hero, FBI Agent Peter Sutherland (Gabriel Basso). The series moves at a breakneck pace and piles on out-of-left-field plot contrivances that'll keep you guessing and (occasionally) groaning until the season finale. And, again, one big reason viewers keep bingeing on this series is an incredibly appealing cast.

There aren't any A-listers in "The Night Agent," but it is riddled with familiar faces you've definitely seen in other shows and movies. As for which shows and movies, let's walk through the main cast and jog your memory.

As Peter Sutherland Jr., the good and swole law-enforcement hero of "The Night Agent," Basso seemed for many to have come out of nowhere. This is because the former child actor is very far removed from his portrayal of the bespectacled Martin Read in J.J. Abrams' sci-fi/horror misfire "Super 8" and the son of Laura Linney and Oliver Platt on the popular Showtime series "The Big C."

More than a decade later, Basso got jacked and, based on the strength of his work in "The Night Agent," could have a future as an action star. But there's more to Basso than just muscles. He turned in an alternatively frightening and sympathetic performance as the abusive boyfriend who quite possibly been wrongfully charged with murder in Clint Eastwood's engrossing courtroom thriller "Juror #2," and he may be retroactively due a Best Actor Oscar for portraying a non-punchable JD Vance in Ron Howard's unfortunate film of "Hillbilly Elegy." Basso will be hanging around for at least a little bit longer, as he's a part of the bang-up cast of Kathryn Bigelow's currently untitled political thriller for the streamer. And, yes, a third "Night Agent" season on the way.

As cybersecurity pro Rose Larkin, Buchanan quickly became a fan favorite thanks in large part to her sparkling chemistry with Basso and, perhaps most importantly, her character's ability to handle herself in a scrap. Buchanan's martial arts skills were nothing new for those who checked out her tail-kicking performance as the kung-fu monk Tripitaka in the Australian-New Zealand produced adventure series "The New Legends of Monkey" (which is currently streaming in the U.S. on Netflix).

If you're up on your Australian television, you might also remember Buchanan as Kennedy, the younger sister of Miriama Smith's Brady Truebridge in the dramedy series "Filthy Rich" (which spawned a short-lived Fox series starring Kim Cattrall). And you'll next be able to see her in the Apple+ miniseries "Chief of War" starring Jason Momoa.

Evans-Akingbola's capable Secret Service agent Chelsea Arrington was a pivotal player in season 1 of "The Night Agent," and, after being moved to the periphery of season 2, is apparently poised to be a significant part of season 3 (which is expected to premiere in 2026). If you found yourself certain you'd seen Evans-Akingbola prior to "The Night Agent," you probably watched some or all of the Freeform mermaid fantasy "Siren," in which Evans-Akingbola played the marine biologist who ultimately fell in love with the aquatic creature.

Evans-Akingbola was also joined the ensemble of the British comedy "Trying" during its second season (as Oliver Chris' post-divorce girlfriend), and, in 2016, briefly dropped by the "Game of Thrones" universe as the second wife of Khal Moro.

When Desjardins first appeared as Maddie Redfield, the artistically inclined daughter of the Vice President of the United States, during season 1 of "The Night Agent," fans of "Yellowjackets" knew exactly where they'd seen her before. She is, of course, Callie Sadecki, the daughter of grown-up Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) and Jeff (Warren Kole), who has gradually become one of the most pivotal characters in the series.

If you haven't seen "Yellowjackets," it's possible you remember Desjardins from her four-episode appearance on "Riverdale" as Donna Sweett. She was also the co-lead of the YouTube Premium sci-fi series "Impulse" opposite Maggie Hasson. And you'll be seeing her later this year when "Tron: Ares" speeds into theaters (though we've yet to learn who she's playing or how big her role will be).

As the ominous intelligence dealer Jacob Monroe in season 2 of "The Night Agent," Herthum emits wild "that guy" character actor vibes. You've got decades of roles that could be triggering your memory, and it all depends on how old you were when you started mainlining television. Die-hard fans of "Murder, She Wrote" will definitely remember Herthum as Deputy Andy Bloom, the new second-in-command to Sheriff Mort Metzger (Ron Masak) during the show's final season. Horror folks, meanwhile, are likely to recall him as the farmer who calls for his possessed daughter to be exorcised in "The Last Exorcism" and "The Last Exorcism Part II."

Herthum has been most visible over the last few decades in television. He was J.D. Carson, a werewolf under packmaster Marcus Bozeman (Dan Buran) on "True Blood," and played Peter Abernathy, the father of Evan Rachel Wood's Dolores on "Westworld." If you watched season 2 of "The Night Agent" all the way to its cliffhanger finish, you know Herthum will definitely be back for season 3.

One of the most buzzed-about characters from season 1 of "The Night Agent" was Eve Harlow's live-wire assassin Ellen. Working in tandem with Phoenix Raei's Dale, Harlow brought a charge to every scene, which left viewers wondering "Where the heck did that come from, and where can I get more of it?"

The answer to that question is "The 100," where she played Maya Vie, an ill-fated love interest for Devon Bostick's Jasper. Harlow was so effective in the role that fans easily bought Jasper's emotional devastation in response to her death during season 2. Unfortunately, some fans who have a hard time separating fictional depictions from real life took to social media to make her life miserable. This drove Harlow off these apps, but it did not keep her from booking more work as an actor. She appeared in five episodes of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." (where she was killed by the Kree), and was a main cast member of the short-lived Fox sci-fi series "Next" starring John Slattery. "The Night Agent" fans know Harlow's Ellen won't be back for another go-round, but they at least got to see her as the human courier Moll on "Star Trek: Discovery" and can currently enjoy her work on the hit CBS mystery series "Watson" starring Morris Chestnut.

Raei's hitman Dale wasn't quite as compelling on the page as Harlow's Ellen, but the actor imbued the lethal character with steely menace that left viewers not at all surprised that it took a team effort from Sutherland and Larkin to take him out. This was a significant change of pace from his conflicted Iranian character Ash Jafari on the Australian TV series "The Heights." This did not, however, come as a surprise to anyone who'd seen the actor on the miniseries sequel to the harrowing 1992 neo-nazi drama "Romper Stomper" (which launched Russell Crowe's career).

Prior to "The Night Agent," Raei appeared in the espionage-heavy action flick "Black Site" alongside stars Jason Clarke, Michelle Monaghan, and Jai Courtney in 2022, and impressed in the lead role of the offbeat comedy-drama "The Rooster," which co-starred Hugo Weaving. He's currently a member of the ensemble cast of "The Twelve," an Australian drama series that boasts a killer cast that includes Sam Neill and Kate Mulvany.

The second D.B. Woodside showed up on "The Night Agent" as Erik Monks, the Secret Service agent assigned to look after the Sarah Desjardins' jeopardized Maddie Redfield, every single fan of "24" roared with excitement. That's Wayne Palmer, brother of former President of the United States David Palmer and, ever so briefly, the president himself!

For those who somehow didn't watch the Jack Bauer Power Hour, Woodside first made his mark as attorney Aaron Mosley during the underrated second season of Steven Bochco's "Murder One," and broke soul music fans' hearts with his portrayal of Melvin "Blue" Franklin in the NBC biopic miniseries "The Temptations." Woodside was also memorable as Principal Robin Wood during the seventh and final season of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Woodside went on to be a recurring cast member of shows like "Viva Laughlin," "Hellcats," and "Suits" before landing the role of Amenadiel, the older brother of Tom Ellis' "Lucifer." Woodside remains an in-demand actor, so don't be surprised when he pops in on your next favorite show.

As White House Chief of Staff Diane Farr in season 1, Chau is currently the only Academy Award nominated actor to have passed through "The Night Agent." She received a Best Supporting Actress nod in 2023 for her portrayal of Liz, the friendly nurse of Brendan Fraser's morbidly obese Charlie in Darren Aronofsky's bizarrely terrible "The Whale." That the film stinks isn't her fault. She'd already flaunted her acting chops in Paul Thomas Anderson's "Inherent Vice" and Alexander Payne's science-fiction satire "Downsizing," and was especially moving as Linh, the Vietnamese girlfriend of smack-addicted busker Sonny (Michiel Huisman) in David Simon's wildly underrated "Treme."

It shouldn't be necessary to explain where you've seen Hong Chau before because she should be a movie star. I'm not sure the role of servant Nelly Dean in Emerald Fennell's upcoming adaptation of Emily Brontë's "Wuthering Heights" will do the trick, but it's going to happen for her sooner or later.

There wasn't a more sympathetic figure in season 2 of "The Night Agent" than Noor Taheri, the Iranian United Nations aide who seeks asylum for her family, and it might just be a breakout performance for actor Arienne Mandi. Before "The Night Agent," she was best known for her work on "The L Word: Generation Q" as Dani Nùñez, the public relations CEO who used to date Rosanny Zayas' Sophie Suarez. Aside from this, she's booked roles on shows like "NCIS," "NCIS: Los Angeles" and "The Interns," but it feels like we're catching Mandi in the early stages of her acting career. Here's hoping we get so see more!