Summary
Richard Linklater’sHit Mansports a strong cast, led perfectly by Glen Powell. In comparison to many of Linklater’s other movies,Hit Man’s cast is relatively small-scale. This could be because of the film’s premise, which seesGlen Powell’s titular Hit Man take on different aliases. Powell’s eccentric personalities throughout the film mark a star turn for the actor and aidsHit Manin becoming one of the strongest 2024 films and one of thebest movies in Richard Linkater’s career.
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One of the best aspects of the film is thatHit Manis inspired by a true story. The film follows Powell’s mild-mannered Gary, who lives alone with his cats and enjoys a relatively risk-free life as a college professor. Gary’s main source of excitement comes from working alongside the New Orleans Police Department as a tech guy. However, Gary soon finds himself having to perform as an undercover mole, leading toHit Man’s many hilarious aliases and opening the film up to the rest of the fantastic cast that stars alongside Powell.
Glen Powell as Gary Johnson
Date of Birth: July 25, 2025
Actor:Glen Powell was born in Austin, Texas, and began acting in the early 2000s. Powell rose to prominence for his role as Chad Radwell inScream Queens, before gaining further recognition in romantic comedies, includingHit Mandirector Richard Linklater’sEverybody Wants Some!!and Netflix’sSet It Up.Undoubtedly,Powell’s most mainstream role came in 2022 when he portrayed Jake “Hangman” Seresin inTop Gun: Maverick, leading to him starring opposite Sydney Sweeney in the 2023 box-office hitAnyone but You. WithHit ManandTwisterson the horizon,2024 seems to be the summer of Glen Powell.
Anyone but You
Twisters
Tyler Owens
Character:InHit Man, Powell plays Gary Johnson. Gary works as a university professor and tech aid for the New Orleans Police Department. When the man responsible for going undercover is suspended, Gary is thrust into the role only to find he has a knack for pulling confessions out of unsuspecting, aspiring murderers. Interestingly, Powell plays several aliases inHit Man,as Gary uses his people skills to figure out who targets will be more likely to confess to. Although Powell’s aliases include characters named Ron, Boone, and a Patrick Bateman rip-off, he is credited as Gary Johnson.
Adria Arjona as Madison Masters
Date of Birth: June 03, 2025
Actor:The secondary lead inHit Manis portrayed by Adria Arjona, born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Arjona began working in Hollywood in a series of small roles. Some of her earlier credits includeThe Belko Experiment, Pacific Rim: Uprising, Triple Frontier,and6 Underground.Arjona received more widespread recognition for her main roles in TV shows likeEmerald City, Good Omens,andAndor, the latter in theStar Warsuniverse. Other bigger Hollywood credits for Arjona includeMorbiusand an earlier recurring role inTrue Detectiveseason 2.
Arjona will reprise her role as Bix in Andor season 2, expected to be released in 2025.
Hit Man
Madison Masters
Character:Adria Arjona portrays Madison Masters inHit Man. Madison, better known as Maddy, is introduced as one of the people ordering a hit from one of Powell’s undercover personas. Maddy is introduced as someone with an abusive, threatening husband, with Gary’s better nature leading him to suggest Maddy simply leave her relationship. Afterward, the two become romantically entangled, with Maddy only knowing Gary as Ron, a charming, suave alias of Gary’s.
Austin Amelio as Jasper
Date of Birth: August 01, 2025
Actor:Like Powell, Austin Amelio was born in Austin, Texas. Interestingly, Amelio’s initial exposure came as a skateboarder before he was cast alongside Powell in Linklater’sEverybody Wants Some!!This came a year after his breakout role as Dwight inThe Walking Deadseason 6.This led Amelio to become part of the main cast ofFear the Walking Dead,appearing in over 30 episodes in seasons 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the spin-off. Other notable film roles from Amelio includeSong to Song,Mercy Black, andHoller.
Jasper
Character:InHit Man,Amelio plays Jasper, the undercover cop responsible for posing as a hitman to gain confessions. After Jasper is suspended from the New Orleans Police Department, Powell’s Gary takes over the role and becomes even more adept at stopping aspiring criminals than Jasper. This causes Jasper to have somewhat of an antagonistic presence inHit Man, becoming bitter over Gary getting more plaudits and taking his job.
Retta as Claudette
Date of Birth: August 03, 2025
Actor:Marietta Sirleaf, known professionally as Retta, was born in Newark, New Jersey, and began her career almost two decades later. Initially, Retta pursued stand-up comedy and appeared in minor film roles before being cast inParks and Recreation.As Donna Meagle,Parks and Recreationproved to be Retta’s breakout role, leading to bigger comedy movie roles inThe LEGO Ninjago Movie, Father Figures, andGood Boys,and a starring role in the comedy seriesGood Girls.
Parks and Recreation
Claudette
Character:Hit Mansees Retta starring as Claudette, one of the members of the New Orleans Police Department’s undercover crew. Claudette works with Powell’s Gary and Amelio’s Jasper and is one of the characters responsible for the former overtaking the latter as an undercover mole. Claudette works with Gary throughout the film, offering insights into the character arc of Gary.
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Hit Man’s Supporting Cast & Characters
The Supporting Cast Of Hit Man Rounds Off The Ensemble
As alluded to,Hit Man’s cast is relatively small. Aside from the aforementioned actors, there are only a handful of others who have any kind of role in the film. These other actors are lesser known than those above, though no less important toHit Man’s story and the overarching themes of the film. With that in mind, here is a rundown of the other cast members inHit Man, their roles in the film, and other notable works.
Sanjay Rao as Phil -Like Claudette, Phil is one of the other characters who helps with tech-related aspects of undercover sting operations. Phil and Claudette often come as a package deal inHit Man, commenting on Gary’s strength in his undercover roles. Phil is played by Sanjay Rao, whose other notable credits include Rob inBad Romanceand William in the TV miniseriesSegs.
Gralen Bryant Banks as Sergeant Hank -InHit Man, Gary and his team report directly to Sergeant Hanks. Hanks plays a minor role in the film but becomes important as Gary’s romantic connection with Maddy as “Ron” leads to increasingly hectic scenarios. Bryant Banks is known for his roles in Prime Video’s 2023 filmThe Burialand 2023’s box office horror hit,Five Nights at Freddy’s.
Evan Holtzman as Ray Masters -Ray is the husband of Maddy inHit Man, whom the latter attempts to place a hit on early in the film. Ray appears as a cruel, abusive, derogatory man, leading to Maddy taking action against him. Ray serves an antagonistic role inHit Manas he finds out more about Maddy’s new boyfriend “Ron,” a.k.a. Gary. Other roles for Holtzman include minor appearances in the TV seriesMessiahand an uncredited role in Alex Garland’sCivil War.
Molly Bernard as Alisha -Early in the film, Gary reveals he is divorced though remains friends with his ex-wife Alisha, played by Bernard. Alisha implores Gary to find something more exciting in his life, as well as to find a new partner. This pushes Gary into finding “Ron” as an alias and subsequently leads to Gary’s relationship with Maddy. BesidesHit Man, Bernard is known for her main role in the TV seriesYoungerand recurring roles in projects likeTransparentandChicago Med.
Cast
Hit Man centers on a mild-mannered professor involved in police sting operations as a fake hit man. His life spirals into chaos when he unexpectedly falls for a potential client, initiating a series of unforeseen complications and dilemmas.
