Jodie Foster as Detective Liz Danvers
In her first starring television role since 1975(!), the legendary Jodie Foster returns to the silver screen as the stubborn and hot-headed Detective Liz Danvers. With numerous accolades to her name - including three Golden Globes - Foster is diving into new territory as the unlikeable lead. And she's also executive producing the season.
Foster is probably best known for starring in the creepy thriller Silence of the Lambs as Clarice Starling, an FBI trainee hunting a serial killer. But she's been acting since she was a child, grabbing roles in more than 50 shows before she was even an adult. Though she first earned recognition for playing a young sex worker in the 1976 drama Taxi Driver.
She has found success in Hollywood for decades, both in front of and behind the camera. And now, she will finally reappear back on our televisions in this latest harrowing role in True Detective.
Kali Reis as Detective Evangeline Navarro
As Detective Evangeline Navarro, Kali Reis will deliver the ying to Detective Danver's yang. Even from the short series trailer, viewers can already feel the tension between the two characters.
Acting is actually Reis's second career, after climbing her way to the top of the professional boxing world. She's a former world champion in two weight classes, with more than a dozen wins to her name. But she made her acting debut in the 2021 thriller Catch the Fair One, which she also helped write as it's based on a boxer.
Since then, she has also been cast in the upcoming film Black Files alongside Sean Penn.
Christopher Eccleston as Ted Corasaro
Taking on the role of the politically inclined "animal" and Ennis' Chief of Police Ted Croasaro is the BAFTA-nominated actor Christopher Eccleston. His character supposedly shares a long history with Detective Danvers, which is sure to create challenges in the case.
With a whole slate of famous roles, Eccleston may be most recognized as the ninth Doctor in the iconic Doctor Who series. More recently, the British actor tried to destroy the Nine Realms as the comic villain Malekith in Thor: The Dark World (2013). Though he's also stretched into television as Matt Jamison in another HBO original, The Leftovers.
Fiona Shaw as Rose Aguineau
Survivalist Rose Aguineau is likely to keep the detectives on their toes as they undoubtedly uncover her dense and dark past. She'll be played by Fiona Shaw, who will bring all her experience in suspense thrillers to this season of True Detective.
Shaw earned a BAFTA award for starring as the head of the Russian faction of M16, Carolyn Martens, in the thriller series Killing Eve. But she may be best known for playing the shrill and cruel Aunt Petunia in the Harry Potter franchise. More recently, Shaw joined the Star Wars universe as Maarva Andor in Disney's spinoff Andor series.
Finn Bennett as Peter Prior
Relative newcomer Finn Bennett secured the role of Peter Prior, Detective Danver's protege and apprentice and Hank's son.
This will be Bennett's first major onscreen role following a small recurring role as Marcellus in the historical drama Domina. He's earned a handful of other single-episode parts in various shows, including part-tragedy-part-comedy Sick of It and fantasy series The Nevers.
Anna Lambe as Kayla Malee
Defensive and protective nurse Kayla Malee, played by Anna Lambe, is a mother first, determined to keep her family safe.
Lambe earned a Canadian Screen Award nomination for her debut role as Spring in the sports drama The Grizzlies. She has also secured recurring roles in the mystery drama series Three Pines as Blue Two-Rivers and as Sarah in the fantasy drama Trickster.
Supporting Cast
There are also a few supporting characters that are confirmed to appear on screen in the next season of True Detective:
- Aka Niviâna landed the role of Julia Navarro, Detective Navarro's sister. And this is actually her first onscreen role. The Greenland native took on a crew role for the series Borgen but is most known for her work as a writer, poet and climate activist.
- Isabella Star LaBlanc will take on the role of Leah Danvers, Detective Danver's stepdaughter. The actress and writer is a member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota tribal nation. She previously portrayed Elfrina in the sports drama Long Slow Exhale.
- Joel D. Montgrand plays Detective Navarro's love interest, Eddie Qavvik. The Peter Ballantyne Cree nation member has also landed small roles in the DC's Legends of Tomorrow, the cyberpunk series Altered Carbon and Netflix's live action Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Stream the first three seasons of True Detective on HBO's streaming platform, Max.