In BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE, seven strangers end up in the shady El Royale hotel on the same night. They’re not just random travelers, however. Several of these people, and maybe all of them, harbor dark secrets. When they collide, things are going to get weird.
Before the film opens on October 12th, let’s get better acquainted with these seven people. Here’s the cast of BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE.
Jeff Bridges
Veteran actor Jeff Bridges plays Daniel Flynn. As seen in the trailer, Flynn arrives at the motel disguised as a priest. He’s actually a criminal, but that’s only part of his backstory.
Bridges has been a staple of Hollywood for the past four decades. He has appeared in a long line of classic films, including The Last Picture Show, King Kong, Tron, Against All Odds, The Fabulous Baker Boys and Jagged Edge — and he has created iconic cult characters in films like The Big Lebowski. Bridges has been nominated for seven Academy Awards, and he won in 2009 for his performance in Crazy Heart.
Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Evrio plays Darlene Sweet, a singer trying to pass the night in one of the rooms at the El Royale. Trailers reveal that she spends a lot of time with Bridges’s character, but her true connection to the story is as yet unrevealed.
Evrio is a renowned stage actress, known for her roles as Sister Mary Clarence in the UK tour of Sister Act, and for starring in the 2015 Broadway Revival of The Color Purple. That performance earned her a Tony Award. She has a role in the upcoming film Widows, and has appeared on TV shows such as Mr. Selfridge and The Tunnel.
Dakota Johnson
Dakota Johnson appears as Emily Summerspring, a mysterious woman with a criminal past. Judging by the trailers, Emily has a history with Chris Hemsworth’s character.
Johnson is best known for her role as Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades of Grey and its two sequels. She has also appeared in The Social Network, 21 Jump Street, Black Mass. She stars in the upcoming Suspiria, in which she gets to play scenes that make her Fifty Shades movies look like kid’s stuff.
Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm’s character is Seymour “Laramie” Sullivan. He’s a vacuum cleaner salesman who seemingly gets drawn into the madness taking place at the motel. Given what we know about the film so far, there’s probably a lot more to his backstory than just selling appliances.
Hamm’s signature role is Don Draper in Mad Men. He also has a great talent for comedy, as seen in films such as Friends With Kids, Bridesmaids, and this year’s Tag. He even made a cameo in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie and has also had prominent recurring roles in TV shows 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Cailee Spaeny
Cailee Spaeny plays Rose Summerspring, Emily’s sister. Rose seemingly gets tied up in Billy Lee’s cult. Spaeny is a new talent who recently broke into the movie scene with her starring role in Pacific Rim Uprising. She will next appear in the films Vice, and On The Basis of Sex.
Lewis Pullman
Lewis Pullman is playing Miles Miller, the motel’s young concierge. He’s the one who gets to explain the location’s unique aspects to new guests. As the film’s trailer reveals, he, too, has done some horrible things in the past.
The son of legendary actor Bill Pullman, Lewis has mostly appeared in short films. Bad Times at the El Royale will be an adrenaline shot to his career, and he’ll next appear in the long-awaited Top Gun sequel, Top Gun: Maverick.
Chris Hemsworth
Chris Hemsworth plays Billy Lee. The character is a charismatic cult leader who shows up at the motel to confront Emily Summerspring.
Hemsworth began his career on popular Australian soap opera Home and Away, and he played a cameo role in the first J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie. Around the same time, Bad Times at the El Royale writer/director Drew Goddard cast him in The Cabin In The Woods. Then, of course, Hemsworth was chosen to play Marvel hero Thor. That role turned him into one of the most recognizable movie stars of the decade.
Tickets for BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE are on sale now!
