'Cruella' Full Cast List: Meet Emma Stone, Emma Thompson and rest of the cast of the Disney movie
There's no question about it, Cruella De Vil is an antagonist for the ages. She may be in the doghouse for most Disney fans, but it seems that 'Cruella', which focuses on the backstory of one of Disney's most memorable villains, could have fans at least able to see where Cruella is coming from both literally and figuratively.
Cruella is set in 1970's London amidst the punk revolution and follows Cruella's journey from a teen orphan Estella to the eccentric fur obsessed fashionista Cruella, Disney fans know from a '101 Dalamatians'. Playing a crucial part in creating Cruella, is Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson) who starts out employing the fashion-forward Estella, little knowing that she will morph into the Baroness' biggest nemesis.
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Cast
Emma Stone as Estella/ Cruella
Emma Stone makes bad look good or at the very least understandable and highly entertaining, from what we have seen of the trailer of 'Cruella'. As for playing a character that fans love to hate, Stone says she loved taking on such a complex role. Stone says, “I think one of the reasons why I liked it so much was because it sort of was like, instead of nature turning into nurture, it was nurture turning into nature. This was who she’d been from the beginning and who she was suppressing throughout her childhood, and based on what happens to her at the beginning of the movie. I thought it was kind of a very complex woman to play, whether it was Cruella de Vil or not. It was a fun one to try my hand at.” Portraying complex characters come easy of course to Emma Stone who is the recipient of an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award. Stone is known for her Oscar-winning role in 'La La Land'. She has also been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing a recovering drug addict in the black comedy 'Birdman' and also received her third nomination for an Academy Award for the historical dramedy 'The Favourite'.
Emma Thompson as Baroness von Hellman
Emma Thompson plays high fashion legend, Baronness von Hellman, in 'Cruella' and while Estella who has a flair for fashion initially goes to work for the baronness, it's a relationship that turns out to be the ultimate rivalry. An actor of the caliber of Emma Thompson doesn't need any help getting into character, but she admits that the over-the-top costumes in 'Cruella' certainly helped to do the trick. Thompson in an interview says, "It was a team of people creating both Cruella and the Baroness. We both felt when we stepped into the costumes that the character was sort of half-built for us. All we had to do was put it on and be there. And you don't always get that. Sometimes you just get a cardigan and an old pair of wellies, you know?"
We suspect that Thompson could have made the role work in a cardigan and wellies as well. After all Thompson is widely acknowledged as one of the finest actors of her generation. Dame Emma Thompson is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, a British Academy Television Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. In 1993, Thompson made history with dual Academy Award nominations for her roles in 'The Remains of the Day' and 'In the Name of the Father' becoming the eighth performer in history to be nominated for two acting Oscars in the same year. Thompson is also the only person to receive Academy Awards for acting and writing. Thomas scripted and starred in 'Sense and Sensibility' which earned her numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Joel Fry as Jasper
Every villain worth their salt always needs an accomplice or two. Joel Fry plays one of Cruella's henchmen Jasper in 'Cruella'. Joel Fry is known for his role as Rocky in the 2019 film 'Yesterday' and for his roles in sitcoms such as 'Twenty Twelve'.
Paul Walter Hauser as Horace
Paul Walter Hauser plays Cruella's other partner in crime Horace. Hauser is known for his supporting roles in films like 'I, Tonya', 'BlacKkKlansman' and 'Da 5 Bloods'. His breakthrough performance however was in the film 'Richard Jewell', leading the National Board of Review to award him for best Breakthrough Performance.
Who are the other stars?
The other stars of 'Cruella' include John McCrea and Kirby Howell Baptiste.
Creators
'Cruella' is directed by Craig Gillespie with a screenplay written by Dana Fox and Tony McNamara based on the novel 'One Hundred and One Dalmatians' by Dodie Smith. You can catch 'Cruella' in theatres and on Disney Plus Premier Access on May 28. Catch the trailer below.