‘Eileen’ Cast & Character Guide

Eileen marks William Oldroyd’s second directorial feature after Lady Macbeth. The dark psychological thriller comes as an adaptation of the eponymous debut novel by Ottessa Moshfegh, published in 2015. The PEN/Hemingway Foundation-winning novel follows the story of Eileen Dunlop, told by the protagonist herself as a flashback. Set in the 1960s in a small town in Massachusetts, Eileen follows the titular protagonist, a 24-year-old secretary at a juvenile detention center who gets enchanted by the center’s new counselor, Rebecca. Drawn by Rebecca’s glamorous personality, Eileen quickly befriends her. With Rebecca’s guidance and friendship, Eileen begins to discover new aspects of her character that would change her life forever. The book was critically acclaimed for its plot and narrative, with reviewers describing it as “playful, shocking, wise, morbid, witty, searingly sharp.” And now, the 2023 film adaptation brings the powerful story to life.

To portray Moshfegh’s gritty characters, Oldroyd has put together an equally powerful cast led by Thomasin McKenzie and Anne Hathaway, among several other popular faces of the stage and screen. After all, as is evident from the original novel, Eileen is a character-driven story that explores the complexities of human relationships and the two leading ladies of the film have a resume that makes them a good fit. For instance, McKenzie’s 2021 psychological thriller, Last Night in Soho also shows the actor in a role where she is enamored by a dazzling singer and how that unravels her life. Similarly, Hathaway is also experienced with emotionally complex and challenging roles, whether it’s the anguished Kym in Rachel Getting Married or Esther Graff in Armageddon Time, where she “shows all the layers of what she’s hiding underneath her smile in every scene”. As Collider’s Ross Bonaime describes the characters of Eileen in his review:

“McKenzie plays the timid Eileen in an understated, meek way, yet since we see her when no one else does, we know that there’s more that meets the eye with her character. It’s especially fun to watch McKenzie play off Hathaway’s Dr. St. John, a character who dominates every room she’s in, and knows fully who she is, even if the characters around her see her as a mystery.”

Now, as the film is all set to hit the big screens this December, find out the stellar cast of Eileen and the characters that they portray.

Thomasin McKenzie as Eileen Dunlop

The 24-year-old Eileen Dunlop is the story’s heroine, so to speak. She lives in a small town in Massachusetts, which she calls X-ville, and works as a secretary in a juvenile correctional center she calls Moorehead. Eileen lost her mother several years earlier and now lives with her alcoholic, paranoid father, who only makes her life more difficult. Needless to say, she is saturated with her boring life and often fantasizes about leaving town and moving to New York City. But on meeting Rebecca, she finds excitement in her mundane life. Rebecca’s dazzling disposition charms the young, dreamy Eileen, revealing facets of her personality she never knew existed.

Thomasin McKenzie stars as the titular protagonist, Eileen. Starting her career as a teenage actor with a minor role in The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies, MzKenzie shot to fame with her performance in Leave No Trace, followed by films like Jojo Rabbit, Lost Girls, Old, Last Night in Soho, and The Power of the Dog. Her work in Leave No Trace earned her a National Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Performance. She is next to appear in upcoming films such as Ben Taylor’s Joy, Olivia Wilde’s Perfect, and Self-Portrait.

Anne Hathaway as Dr. Rebecca St. John

Dr. Rebecca St. John is the new prison psychologist at the same juvenile correctional facility where Eileen works. She is bold, beautiful, sharp, stylish, and stands out among the rest. The simple and quiet Eileen is instantly taken by Rebecca’s striking personality and befriends her. But behind Rebecca’s glamorous exterior lies a dark secret. As the two women keep bonding, Rebecca’s influence begins to change Eileen and brings a turning point in her life.

Talking about her character in Eileen, Hathaway told Collider:

“And to be able to hold someone, in particular a young woman in her glory and her complication and her ugliness, it made me feel very switched on and I was very excited to see what happened next with this one.”

Academy Award winner, Anne Hathaway stars as Dr. Rebecca St. John. From her breakthrough role in The Princes Diaries, Hathaway has made a mark as one of Hollywood’s A-list stars. Some of her most notable works include Brokeback Mountain, The Devil Wears Prada, Rachel Getting Married, Love and Other Drugs, and Les Misérables. Eileen marks the actress’ second film in 2023, after She Came to Me, which she also produced. Hathaway will next appear in the upcoming films, Mothers’ Instinct, co-starring fellow Oscar winner Jessica Chastain, The Idea of You opposite Nicholas Galitzine, and David Lowery‘s Mother Mary.

Shea Whigham as Jim Dunlop

Jim is Eileen’s alcoholic father. A former police officer, Jim now seems dependent on alcohol to survive. He also suffers from paranoia and believes that he is always being watched. Although he doesn’t have a strained relationship with his daughter, Jim usually ends up making Eileen’s life harder.

Playing the role of Jim Dunlop is Shea Whigham, an actor best known for portraying Elias ‘Eli’ Thompson in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. He has also appeared in films like Take Shelter, Silver Linings Playbook, and American Hustle, and made a mark with his characters on popular television series like Fargo Season 3, Homecoming, and Gaslit. Eileen marks the actor’s fourth film in 2023, after Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Fancy Dance, and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. He will be reprising his role of Jasper Briggs, in the untitled eighth Mission: Impossible film.

Marin Ireland as Rita Polk

Rita Polk might not seem like a major character in the film, but she is a very significant element in Eileen’s story, as well as her life. Rita is the mother of Lee Polk, a young boy incarcerated in the same correctional facility where Eileen works. As described in the initial reviews and reveals about the character, Rita is “a mother who feels trapped by her options within her family.” Her actions or rather the lack of one could prove detrimental to everyone involved.

An actor best known for her work on stage and independent films, Marin Ireland stars as Rita Polk. She appeared in three other films in 2023 – Birth/Rebirth, The Boogeyman, and Somewhere Quiet, all of which are horror thrillers. Earlier in her career, Ireland has also appeared in films like Rachel Getting Married and Glass Chin, the latter of which earned her a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female. She later appeared in films like Hell or High Water and The Irishman and in important roles in the series Sneaky Pete, The Divide, and The Umbrella Academy. Ireland will next appear in Apple TV+’s Sinking Spring.

Other Supporting Characters

Besides these four main characters, the cast of Eileen also includes these supporting characters –

Randy, a prison guard at the juvenile correctional center where Eileen works is her love interest. The character is played by Owen Teague, an actor best known for his roles in series like Bloodline, Mrs. Fletcher, and The Stand, and films like It, It Chapter Two, and You Hurt My Feelings. He will be next seen in the upcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

Tonye Patano plays the role of Mrs. Stevens, Eileen’s co-worker and secretary at the prison. Patano is best known for portraying Heylia James on Weeds (which is set for a revival), and for playing various roles in television shows such as Law & Order, Sex and the City, Monk, One Life to Live, and Third Watch.

Actor-comedian Siobhan Fallon Hogan plays the character of Mrs. Murray, a secretary working with Eileen at the prison. She is most known for her work in films like Men in Black, Forrest Gump, The Negotiator, Charlotte’s Web, Daddy Day Care, Going in Style, and The House That Jack Built. In 2021, she wrote and starred in the mystery thriller, Rushed.

The rest of the cast also includes Jefferson White (Yellowstone) as Buck Warren and Sam Nivola (White Noise) as Lee Polk, Rita’s son.

Eileen had its global premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in January 2023. Distributed by Neon and Focus Features, the film is set to get a limited theatrical release on December 1, 2023, followed by a wider expansion on December 8, 2023. You can buy tickets using the link below.

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