Netflix’s new limited crime series Ripley is now streaming as of April 4. As you’re watching the suspenseful thriller, learn all about the Ripley cast, including who plays Tom Ripley, Marge Sherwood, Dickie Greenleaf, and more.
An adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” the eight-episode limited series was written, directed, and executive produced by Steve Zaillian, the filmmaker behind The Irishman (2019) and The Night Of (2016). The director said that Highsmith’s 1955 book inspired him to utilize black-and-white cinematography throughout the project.
“When Patricia wrote it, if she imagined a movie being made from it back then, it would be in black and white,” he said during an early screening of the series in NYC, according to IndieWire. “The cover of that book that I had was in black-and-white, so as I was reading it, it was in my mind to be that way.”
Zaillian continued, “I also felt that this story — the one that she told, the one that I wanted to tell — was quite sinister and quite dark. I just couldn’t imagine that taking place in a beautiful Italian setting with bright blue skies and colorful outfits and things like that.”
In Ripley, Andrew Scott plays the titular role as Tom Ripley, a con artist in New York City in the early ’60s. Tom’s life takes a dark turn when a rich business person hires him to travel to Italy to convince the man’s son, Dickie Greenleaf, to return to the U.S. Accepting the job leads Tom down a path of deceit, fraud, and murder.
In 1999, “The Talented Mr. Ripley” was brought to the big screen for the critically acclaimed film of the same name starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Meet the main cast of Netflix’s Ripley below.
Andrew Scott As Tom Ripley
Andrew Scott stars as the Tom Ripley in Netflix’s Ripley. He portrays the struggling NYC con man who gets hired by a NYC business man to convince his son to return home from Italy. Steven Zaillian described Ripley as “a petty criminal who feels he deserves better than his meager circumstances” to Netflix’s Tudum. The director added that Scott “has the range to play the many personas of Ripley.”
Scott is best known for his roles in the BBC series Sherlock, the second season of Fleabag, and the James Bond film Spectre. His most recent acclaimed project was the 2023 British movie, All of Us Strangers.
Dakota Fanning As Marge Sherwood
In Ripley, Dakota Fanning portrays Dickie Greenleaf’s girlfriend, Marge. In the series, Marge suspects that Ripley is up to no good. Zaillian told Netflix he choose Fanning after seeing the actress’ performance in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.
Fanning has had a vast career in TV and film, starting with her days as a child actor in titles like I Am Sam, Uptown Girls, and The Cat in the Hat. She’s also appeared in the Twilight franchise, The Equalizer 3, Effie Gray, the crime series The Alienist, and more.
Johnny Flynn As Dickie Greenleaf
British actor Johnny Flynn portrays Dickie Greenleaf in Ripley, the wealthy, self-entitled artist living off his trust fund. Zaillian told Netflix that Flynn brings out the “sweet naïveté beneath [Dickie’s] outward confidence, along with that laconic ease people who don’t have to worry about money have.”
Flynn is also a musician; he’s the lead singer and songwriter for the band Johnny Flynn & the Sussex Wit. His film and TV roles include Emma, Lovesick, the BBC miniseries adaptation of Les Miserables, and the film Stardust as David Bowie.
Eliot Sumner As Freddie Mills
Eliot Sumner plays Freddie Mills in Ripley, Dickie’s rich and snobby friend who has suspicions about Tom. Zaillian told Netflix that he liked Sumner’s “quiet, knowing, sophisticated” embodiment of the character.
Sumner — the child of Sting and Trudie Styler — is also a singer-songwriter. Their breakout role was in Guy Ritchie’s 2020 film The Gentlemen.
Maurizio Lombardi As Inspector Ravini
Maurizio Lombardi stars as the Italian homicide detective in Ripley. In an interview with Screen Rant, Lombardi spoke about the dynamic between him and Andrew. “I think like chess play with me and Andrew and the movement is the lines of the script. And because Steve told us “Okay, stay stop the camera around you.” So, like a game. I play a game with Andrew Scott [and] Tom Ripley,” he said.
The Italian actor’s international breakout role was in The Young Pope and its sequel, The New Pope. He’s also set to star in Prime Video’s spinoff Citadel: Diana, based on the American spy action thriller series Citadel.
Kenneth Lonergan as Mr. Greenleaf
In Ripley, Kenneth Lonergan stars as Mr. Greenleaf, Dickie’s father who hires Ripley to go to Italy in the first place.
Lonergan is an award-winning director, screenwriter, and playwright. He won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Manchester by the Sea and received Oscar nods for You Can Count on Me and Gangs of New York. His notable plays include This Is Our Youth, Lobby Hero, and The Waverly Gallery, which each earned nominations for the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play.
Ripley is now streaming on Netflix. Watch the trailer below.
