Anna Movie Cast & Character Guide

Summary

• Anna is a gripping action film diving into the gritty world of the KGB with betrayal, romance, and intense action scenes.
• Sasha Luss shines as the titular character, showcasing her talent and range as a former model turned actress.
• The star-studded cast including Helen Mirren, Luke Evans, and Cillian Murphy delivers thrilling performances in this captivating spy thriller.

The 2019 movie Anna checks all the boxes for the action genre, including an excellent cast to bring its intriguing characters to life. The movie, which climbed to Netflix’s Top 10 in April 2024, dives into the gritty world of the KGB and the desperation of a woman who wound up there. There’s betrayal, disguises, romance, and a whole lot of action brought to the screen by a combination of relative newcomers and seasoned stars.

Initially released on June 21, 2019, Anna follows a young woman who becomes a KGB assassin to escape her life of domestic abuse. The titular Anna becomes one of Russia’s deadliest agents, but when the CIA blows her cover, her objective quickly changes. Directed by Luc Besson (The Fifth Element), Anna utilizes the talent of Sasha Luss, whom Besson cast in her first movie role in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, as well as beloved stars like Helen Mirren, Luke Evans, and Cillian Murphy, all coming together to make an exciting action film.

Sasha Luss As Anna Poliatova

Date Of Birth: June 6, 1992

Sasha Luss, born in Magadan, Magadan Oblast, and raised in Moscow, worked as a professional model from the time she was 13 before breaking into acting in 2017. Her breakout role was Princess Lihö-Minaa in the Luc Besson space opera Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. Ultimately, it was Luss’ leading role in Anna that brought her the most recognition, leading her to play Jamie Decker in the 2022 psychological thriller Shattered and Diamond in the action-adventure movie Sheroes in 2023.

Luss plays the titular character in Anna, a domestic abuse survivor who becomes a KGB agent in an attempt to escape her old life. However, when it becomes clear that leaving the life of an assassin behind while still alive will be impossible, Anna begins to take matters into her own hands. While working as a double agent between the CIA and KGB, Luss’ character must play a dangerous game of chess with several different opponents to begin a new life.

Helen Mirren As Olga

Date Of Birth: July 26, 1945

The legendary Helen Mirren, born in London, started her acting career in the theatre, notably giving a memorable performance as Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra in 1965, leading to her joining the Royal Shakespeare Company. This led to her breakout role in the controversial movie Age of Consent in 1969 when Mirren was 20. From here, Mirren gained further prominence in movies like O Lucky Man! (1973), Cal (1984), The Madness of King George (1994), and The Long Good Friday (1980).

Mirren has an impressively extensive filmography, but her crowning glory is her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the 2006 movie
The Queen
, for which she earned her Oscar Award.

In Anna, Mirren plays Olga, a senior KGB agent who serves as Anna’s handler throughout the film. This character is as dangerous as she is clever, and though she is an essential ally for the titular character, she is also something of an antagonist. It’s a role perfectly fitted to Mirren, whose experience portraying complex and morally ambiguous characters shines through in the 2019 film.

Luke Evans As Aleksander “Alex” Tchenkov

Date Of Birth: April 15, 1979

Pontypool-born actor Luke Evans is another actor who got his career started on stage. Starting in 2000 and continuing through the end of the decade, Evans starred in West End productions such as Rent, Miss Saigon, La Cava, and more. His first movie role was in the 2010 remake of Clash of the Titans, in which he played the Greek god Apollo. This jumpstarted Evans’ career, and in the years following, he appeared in significant roles in movies like Immortals (2011), The Raven (2012), and the 2013 movie Fast & Furious 6. Evans also played Gaston in Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast (2017).

Evens plays Aleksander “Alex” Tchenkov in 2019’s Anna, the KGB agent who first recruits Anna into the organization. Alex is another complicated character, who is Anna’s only form of support early in her career. As with many of Evans’ characters, Alex is difficult not to like, and it’s clear as he and Anna develop a sexual relationship that there is a hidden tenderness there. However, as the stakes grow higher, Alex must choose between his dedication to his job and country and his own human emotions.

Cillian Murphy As Leonard Miller

Date Of Birth: May 25, 1976

Cillian Murphy was born in Cork, Ireland, and began his acting career in 1996 in the play Disco Pigs. He later reprised his role in the film adaptation of this play in 2001, which led to a continued film career and roles in movies like 28 Days Later (2002), Intermission (2003), and Red Eye (2005). It was the BBC show Peaky Blinders (2013 – 2022) through which the actor really began to leave his mark but Murphy’s most celebrated role is J. Robert Oppenheimer in the 2023 movie Oppenheimer, for which he claimed the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Before playing the titular role in Oppenheimer, Murphy played Leonard Miller in Anna, a CIA agent who uncovers Anna’s true identity. This leads Murphy’s character to become the KGB assassin’s handler, guiding her as a double agent in her mission to kill KGB director Vassiliev. Just as dangerous as his Russian counterparts, Miller isn’t an easy person for Anna to deceive. Murphy has a unique talent for playing strikingly clever characters, and this is clearly repeated in 2019’s Anna.

Anna Supporting Cast & Characters

Lera Abova as Maud – Lera Maud (born November 4, 1992) is a model and actor best known for her roles in Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin. In Anna, she plays Maud, a fellow model whom Anna took as a lover to protect her cover.

Alexander Petrov as Piotr – Russian-born actor Alexander Petrov (born January 25, 1989) is an actor best known for his roles in Attraction (2017) and T-34 (2019). Petrov plays Piotr in Anna.

Nikita Pavlenko as Vlad – Nikita Pavelnko (born January 1, 1992) plays Vlad in Anna. He is best known for his roles in Russian films like Vne igry (2018) and Mir! Druzhba! Zhvachka! (2020).

Anna Krippa as Nika – Anna Krippa is best known for Best Little Whorehouse in Rochdale (2011) and McMafia (2018), and she plays Nika in 2019’s Anna.

Aleksey Maslodudov as Jimmy – Aleksey Maslodudov plays Jimmy in Anna and is best known for playing Zhenya in the 2017 movie Attraction.

Eric Godon as Vassiliev – Belgian actor Eric Godon (born February 7, 1959) plays the part of the KGB director Vassiliev. Godon is best known for In Burges (2008), Undergods (2020), and the TV series The Halcyon (2017).

Ivan Franěk as Mossan – Czech actor Ivan Franěk (June 17, 1965) is best known for The Great Beauty (2013) and We Believed (2010). Franěk plays Mossan in Anna.

Jean-Baptiste Puech as Samy – Jean-Baptiste Puech, who plays Samy in Anna, is best known for his roles in movies like The Transporter Refueled (2015) and Two Days in Paris (2007).

Nastya Sten as Fake Anna – The part of Anna’s body double at the end of Anna went to Nastya Sten, whose resemblance to Sasha Luss made her perfect for the role. The 2019 movie was Sten’s acting debut, though she can be recognized as a cover girl for Russian Vogue, British Vogue, LOVE, and more.

Sten and Luss appeared together on the cover for
Russian Vogue
.

Andrew Howard as Oleg Filenkov – Wales-born actor Andrew Howard is best known for his role in the TV series Echo (2023) and the 2016 movie True Memoirs of an International Assassin, in which he played Anton Masovich. In Anna, Howard plays the part of Oleg Filenkov.