You know that feeling you get when you’re watching a movie, and you can’t for the life of you figure out where you’ve seen the actor before? Maybe it’s a question of special effects makeup or costuming, but it just won’t click.
Train your eye to recognise these actors every time you spot them by catching Solo: A Star Wars Story on Stan, streaming now.
You start second-guessing yourself. Do I actually recognise this person? Were they actually in anything else? Am I slowly driving myself mad with confusion? Often times the answer is yes, all of the above.
So what do you do? It’s tricky, especially because you don’t want to be THAT person in the cinema who illuminated the entire room with their phone light in a pivotal scene.
Solo: A Star Wars Story is one of the movies we’ve found to be particularly stacked with talented actors that we recognise – but maybe not enough to be able to recite their entire filmography at random. So rest assured, we’ve made it all the more easy to narrow down where you’ve most likely seen them before (and maybe not even realised it at the time).
Alden Ehrenreich
Ehrenreich’s turn as Han Solo divided critics and audience members alike – and it’s understandable given that Harrison Ford’s original take is such a beloved character (no really – I love him). Although he may be a relative newcomer with only a few other big credits, Solo has definitely been a defining moment of his career and catapulted him to a greater stage.
Before, you may have spotted him making a name for himself over the past few years as a romantic lead in films such as Beautiful Creatures and Hail, Caesar!. Really, it should come as no surprise that the production team recognised in him the capacity to convey Han Solo’s charm.
What you probably didn’t realise though, is that a very young Ehrenreich also made a cameo in one of television’s longest running shows. Way back in 2005, a 16-year-old Ehrenreich had a single episode stint in one of Supernatural’s creepiest episodes: Wendigo.
Emilia Clarke
Well, well, well. It’s the mother of dragons herself. As the starring female lead for Solo: A Star Wars Story, Clarke had to have the gravitas and power (of dragons, perhaps?) behind her as she joined the extensive Star Wars universe.
We likely all recognise Clarke for her stint as Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones, and though she’s ditched the white-blonde hair for this role, there’s definitely still an element of Targaryen attitude and power behind her turn as Qi’ra.
If you’re still puzzled as to where else you might have spotted her, remember that she featured in both Terminator Genisys (flexing those action muscles) and in Me Before You.
Woody Harrelson
Whether you opt to describe him as having a Southern charm or a drawl, it’s pretty damn undeniable that Woody Harrelson is an easily recognisable actor who’s made his name in creating characters that stick into your mind – his turn as the smuggler Beckett is definitely scene-stealing.
From shooting his way onto screen in darker roles like Natural Born Killers and True Detective, through to featuring more prominent young adult blockbusters like The Hunger Games series and even Zombieland, Harrelson’s range is pretty evident.
But in addition to this, he also recently featured in a coming-of-age film starring up-and-comer Hailee Steinfeld: The Edge of Seventeen. In this, Harrelson plays a dry-witted school teacher helping Steinfeld come to terms with her existence when she tells him she’s thinking of committing suicide.
Donald Glover
Anyone who hasn’t heard of Donald Glover at this point is possibly either living under a rock, or hasn’t realised that he’s also Childish Gambino. Admittedly, Glover’s Lando Calrissian is definitely a strong throwback to the Billy Dee Williams iteration – from the extravagant cloaks to the mannerisms he’s adopted – but as with all his roles, he’s made it his own.
Glover has definitely become far more prominent in the pop culture arena since his music took off (perhaps even more so now that the reign of Gambino is coming to an end), but we’re betting you’ve spotted him in shows like Atlanta and maybe even the trailer for the upcoming live-action adaptation of The Lion King.
But let’s not forget that a much younger Donald also made his mark as a character on the cult TV comedy Community, way back in 2009. His stint as Troy Barnes helped interject countless quotes into the modern day vernacular and his character’s friendship with Danny Pudi’s Abed is iconic.
Paul Bettany
Honestly, Bettany gets so engrossed in his roles that it’s utterly transformative so you’ve probably seen him in a whole bunch of films without having a clue. His role as high-ranking crime boss Dryden Vos in Solo definitely shows his sinister side, but the variety of his filmography may surprise you.
In a career spanning decades, you can imagine he’s had his fair share – though some fan favourites include his loquacious and charismatic portrayal of Chaucer in A Knight’s Tale, a romantic spin as tennis pro Peter Colt in Wimbledon, and a more serious turn as Dr Stephen Maturin in Master And Commander.
But of course, perhaps most notably as of late, he’s starred in the Avengers franchise as Vision. First coming onto the scene in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Bettany’s vision for Vision has come to life as a highly empathetic and intelligent being – and despite his evident capacity to play the villain, Bettany excels both ways.
Solo: A Star Wars Story is now streaming on Stan.