Spanning 10 books published between 1989 and 1996, Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman comic book series features an enormous ensemble cast, including angels, demons, wizards, superheroes, fairies and playwrights. All of them come into the orbit of the titular character, also known as Morpheus or Dream.
Netflix’s highly faithful adaptation of the series, which premieres on Aug. 5, follows the king of dreams and nightmares as he attempts to set things right after being held captive for 105 years. There’s a lot of mythology and interconnected plots to keep track of, so we’re making it a little easier by introducing the key characters and the talented actors whose performances are sure to keep you awake at night.
Dream is one of the Endless, a family of physical manifestations of aspects of the universe. The lord of the Dreaming, Dream was captured by occultists seeking to imprison his older sister, Death. Finally free after 105 years, he sets out to recover the power that was stolen from him and rebuild his broken realm.
English actor Tom Sturridge was nominated for a Tony Award for best actor in a play for his roles in the Broadway shows Orphans and Sea Wall/A Life. You can see him on Netflix in the Victorian-era British romance Effie Gray and the thriller Velvet Buzzsaw.
The Corinthian is a nightmare who escaped from the Dreaming and became a prolific serial killer who claims the eyes of his victims. He schemes against Dream, hoping to avoid being destroyed or pressed back into serving mortals rather than preying on them. He’s as charming as he is dangerous.
Kentucky-born actor and model Boyd Holbrook also worked with Sturridge on Velvet Buzzsaw. Other past roles include DEA agent Steve Murphy in Narcos and cyborg villain Donald Pierce in Logan.
The scheming occultist Roderick Burgess uses a ritual to try to capture Death in an attempt to gain immortality and bring back the son he lost, but he winds up catching Dream instead. While disappointed with the result, Burgess is able to use magical items stolen from his prisoner to increase his wealth and influence.
English actor Charles Dance has received four Emmy nominations for his roles in The Crown, Savage Kingdom and Bleak House. He also played the Machiavellian Lord Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones.
Burgess’ illegitimate son, John Dee, steals a ruby imbued with Morpheus’ power and manipulates it so that only he can harness it to make dreams come true. The artifact twists Dee’s mind, and he’s confined to a mental institution for most of his life.
English actor David Thewlis has plenty of experience playing villains, portraying the criminal mastermind V. M. Vargas in the third season of Fargo, the god of war Ares in Wonder Woman (which was written by The Sandman showrunner Allan Heinberg) and the Shame Wizard in Big Mouth and its spin-off, Human Resources.
The Dreaming’s librarian, Lucienne, is one of Dream’s most faithful servants. Lucienne does her best to keep Dream’s realm running during his captivity, even as it falls apart without its ruler’s power.
You can also see Ghanian actor Vivienne Acheampong on Netflix in the British science fiction show The One.
You can follow Acheampong on Instagram.
A human who dies while in the Dreaming, Matthew is transformed into a raven and serves as Dream’s companion and assistant. He also serves as an audience surrogate, asking plenty of questions as he tries to understand his new master and the powerful forces he interacts with.
Matthew is voiced by stand-up comedian and veteran voice actor Patton Oswalt, who starred as the cooking rat Remy in Ratatouille. You can watch his Emmy- and Grammy-winning comedy special, Talking for Clapping, on Netflix.
You can follow Oswalt on Instagram.
Johanna Constantine is connected to the exorcist and occult superhero John Constantine, the star of the DC Comics series Hellblazer, which was contemporaneous with The Sandman. The character known for chain-smoking, battling demons and being an unreliable jerk has previously been portrayed by Keanu Reeves and Matt Ryan.
English actor Jenna Coleman is best known for playing Clara Oswald, the companion to Matt Smith’s version of the Doctor in Doctor Who. She also played Marie-Andrée Leclerc, the girlfriend of the serial killer Charles Sobhraj, in the thriller The Serpent.
You can follow Coleman on Instagram.
Once the wisest and most powerful angel in heaven, Lucifer Morningstar rebelled against God and became the ruler of Hell. Neil Gaiman’s version of the biblical character received his own spin-off comic book series, Lucifer, which was adapted into a TV show of the same name starring Tom Ellis as the fallen angel.
The powerful British actor Gwendoline Christie played Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones and the First Order Captain Phasma in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. She’ll also appear in the upcoming The Addams Family spin-off, Wednesday.
You can follow Christie on Instagram.
While most humans fear Dream’s older sister, Death, she’s always kind to them, bringing the dying to her realm with a smile and kind words. Death existed at the beginning of the universe and will also be there at the end. Despite the massive burden of her job, she’s always willing to help Dream and tries hard to get him to understand people better.
British actor Kirby Howell-Baptiste played the neuroscientist Simone Garnett in The Good Place and the attorney Taylor Harding in Why Women Kill. She also appears in the fourth and fifth seasons of the animated show Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous.
Dream’s younger sibling, Desire, believes that Dream is arrogant and has spent thousands of years scheming against him, often with the help of their twin sister, Despair. While most of these plots have failed, Desire still wants to see Dream brought low.
Nonbinary actor Mason Alexander Park played the title character of Hedwig and the Angry Inch in the first national tour of the Broadway show and portrayed the drug trader Gren in the live-action version of Cowboy Bebop.
You can follow Park on Instagram.
The Dreaming’s jaded janitor, Merv, is a scarecrow with a jack-o’-lantern for a head. He’s tasked with working on new construction and cleaning up damage done to Morpheus’ realm, but prefers reporting to Lucienne rather than his intimidating boss.
Mark Hamill became famous for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise but is an equally renowned voice actor, most notably playing the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series. You can also hear him being villainous as Skeletor in Masters of the Universe: Revelation and Fire Lord Ozai in Avatar: The Last Airbender.
You can follow Hamill on Instagram.
Hal Carter is a drag queen who dreams of being a Broadway star but currently lives in Cape Kennedy, Florida, where he converted his grandmother’s house to a B&B. He’s extremely friendly and welcoming to his highly eccentric tenants who have practically become a family.
John Cameron Mitchell wrote, directed and starred in the 2001 musical film Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which earned him best director at the Sundance Film Festival and a Golden Globe nomination for best actor in a motion picture musical or comedy. He also recently played the Tiger King, Joe Exotic, in the limited series Joe vs. Carole.
You can follow Mitchell on Instagram.
Rose Walker possesses a rare power that can break down the barriers between the Dreaming and the waking world. The 21-year-old orphan just wants to get a job and find the brother she lost when her parents separated, but she’s endangered by Dream’s enemies, who seek to use her abilities against him.
This is the first major role for Samunyai.
The young widow Lyta Hall lived in the same apartment building as Rose Walker and became her de facto guardian after Rose’s mother died. Lyta keeps seeing her dead husband when she sleeps, a side effect of her proximity to Rose and her powers.
You can also see British-Lebanese actor and model Razane Jammal in the Egyptian horror series Paranormal.
You can follow Jammal on Instagram.
