Where You've Seen The Cast Of Catherine Called Birdy Before

It has been more than 10 years since Golden Globe-winning actress-filmmaker Lena Dunham's comedy-drama "Tiny Furniture" won best narrative feature at the South by Southwest festival; now, the "Girls" creator is making her feature directorial comeback with two new comedy films. On the heels of "Sharp Stick" comes Amazon Studios' film adaptation of "Catherine Called Birdy," based on Karen Cushman's award-winning 1994 novel of the same name. A long-time passion project for Dunham, the coming-of-age dramedy also has her serving as writer and producer.

"Catherine Called Birdy" is set in 1290 at the Medieval English village of Stonebridge. Despite taking place in a period setting, the film tackles timeless issues concerning the perils of growing up, and a woman's role in society. The story is told from the point-of-view of Lady Catherine, a spirited and clever girl who longs for adventure and seeks to explore the world, instead of being tied down to her responsibilities as a Lady. After learning about the family's impending financial ruin, Birdy's father wants to marry her off to a wealthy man. Throughout the film, Birdy does everything she can to sabotage any suitors who'll attempt to ask for her hand.

The film adaptation is led by Bella Ramsey, in her first feature film. She is joined by a solid ensemble cast of TV stars, experienced staged actors, a former teen pop star, and "Harry Potter" actors. Below, a breakdown of the cast of "Catherine Called Birdy," and where you've seen them before.

Taking on the titular role of Catherine (aka Birdy) is rising young actress Bella Ramsey. Her character is described as a headstrong, free-spirited teenage girl who's fond of keeping birds as pets. Throughout the story, she dreams of going on adventures instead of just being restricted to doing lady-like activities.

Ramsey is no stranger to the period drama genre, as she first gained recognition for her scene-stealing performance as Lady Lyanna Mormont on HBO's popular drama "Game of Thrones," her acting debut. Despite only appearing in nine episodes throughout the last three seasons of the acclaimed fantasy drama, Ramsey still managed to capture hearts, thanks to her character's tenacity, straightforwardness, and fierceness as a kid leader. Following that debut, she landed one of the leading roles in the children's fantasy series "The Worst Witch," in which she played Mildred Hubble for three seasons from 2017-2020.

Audiences may have also heard Ramsey's voice in Netflix's ongoing animated series "Hilda." She followed that up with recurring appearances in the HBO fantasy drama "His Dark Materials" and the historical drama "Becoming Elizabeth." Compared to her TV career, Ramsey has only appeared in a few movies, including the British drama "Two for Joy," the mystery comedy "Holmes & Watson," and the biographical drama "Resistance."

Following her leading performance in "Catherine Called Birdy," Ramsey lined up her next major TV project, the highly-anticipated adaptation of "The Last of Us," based on one of the best-selling horror video games of all time. In the horror drama, Ramsey portrays Ellie, opposite Pedro Pascal's Joel.

Andrew Scott stars in "Birdy" as Lord Rollo, the father of Bella Ramsey's Birdy, who plans to form social connections and gain wealth through his daughter's potential marriage to a rich man. Before making a name for himself in television and film, Scott had already shown interest in acting at a young age, when he started joining weekend theater classes and appearing in a handful of TV commercials in Ireland as a child.

Scott made his debut as a professional actor in 1995, when he starred in the independent Irish feature drama "Korea." After that, he made a small appearance in his first major film "Saving Private Ryan," directed by Steven Spielberg. In the early 2000s, he landed leading roles in two films including the Irish drama "Dead Bodies" and the film adaptation of "The Duel," as well as a supporting role in the Ewan McGregor-led drama "Nora." His other notable film roles include: Donal in Steve Knight's psychological thriller "Locke;" C in Sam Mendes' James Bond film "Spectre;" Inspector Roderick Turpin in "Victor Frankenstein;" Addison Bennett in the fantasy sequel "Alice Through the Looking Glass;" Lazlow in the family adventure "Swallow and Amazons;" Chris in the Irish romantic drama "The Delinquent Season;" and Lieutenant Leslie in Mendes' epic war drama "1917."

On top of that filmography, Scott has also managed to find success in his television career thanks to a standout performance on the mystery crime drama "Sherlock," in which he played the cunning rival of Benedict Cumberbatch's titular detective. That portrayal earned him his first BAFTA award for best actor in a supporting role. In 2019, he once again gained international attention after appearing opposite Phoebe Waller Bridge in the second season of the acclaimed comedy-drama "Fleabag." For his fan-favorite performance as "The Hot Priest," he received a Golden Globe Award nomination for best actor in a supporting role. 

Following "Catherine Called Birdy," Scott will next be seen in Showtime's upcoming series adaptation of "Ripley," based on Patricia Highsmith's novel series of the same name.

Billie Piper plays the role of Lady Aislinn, the loving mother of Bella Ramsey's Birdy, who wants her only daughter to adopt lady-like manners and skills. Before venturing into acting, Piper first became a British teen popstar during the late '90s. She's best known for her number one hit songs "Because We Want To" and "Girlfriend."

By the 2000s, Piper had officially transitioned from music to acting. She restarted her career by securing roles on TV shows including "The Canterbury Tales," "Bella and the Boys," and "ShakespearRe-Told" as well as in films such as the Orlando Bloom-led comedy "The Calcium Kid," the British movie "Things to Do Before You're 30," and the horror film "Spirit Trap." Piper's acting breakthrough came in the form of a 2005 "Doctor Who" revival, in which she portrayed the role of Rose Tyler, the traveling companion to Christopher Eccleston's version of the titular Time Lord. After leaving the show in 2006, she reprised her role in the fourth installment for a three-episode appearance in the David Tennant-led season. Her last appearances as Rose Tyler are in the Christmas special "The End of Time" (led by Tennant's tenth doctor), and in the 2013 special "The Day of the Doctor" featuring Tennant and Matt Smith's versions.

Following her successful run on "Doctor Who," Piper nabbed the leading role of Hannah Baxter in the British drama "Secret Diary of a Call Girl," which aired for four seasons from 2007-2011. After the drama ended, she got cast in the series regular role of Brona Croft/Lily Frankenstein on Showtime's underrated horror drama "Penny Dreadful." Piper is currently starring in the dark comedy-drama "I Hate Suzie," which she also co-created. For her titular performance, she received a BAFTA TV Award nomination for best actress. 

As for her film career, she has only appeared in a few movies, including the crime thriller "City of Tiny Lights" opposite Riz Ahmed and the psychological drama "Two for Joy." In 2019, she made her feature directorial and writing debut with the British drama "Rare Beast," which she also co-starred in, alongside Lily James and David Thewlis.

Joe Alwyn plays the role of George, the charming uncle of Birdy — who secretly harbors an innocent crush on him. 

Alwyn began his acting career in 2016, when he got cast in Oscar-winning filmmaker Ang Lee's war drama "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk," which marked his onscreen acting debut. In a 2016 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lee revealed that he was initially worried about casting a handsome newcomer like Alwyn to portray his title character, who suffers from PTSD. However, thanks to the English actor's ability to capture the "book's paradox of war with just his facial expressions," Lee fought the studio for his casting. Filmed by Lee in a boundary-breaking high frame rate, Alwyn's feature debut performance received praise from critics, even if the film itself was a notorious misfire at the box office.

Since then, Alwyn has been securing supporting roles in films like the historical drama "Operation Finale" with Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley; Yorgos Lanthinos' award-winning black comedy "The Favourite" with Olivia Colman; the biographical drama "Boy Erased" with Lucas Hedges; the 2018 period drama "Mary Queen of Scots" opposite Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie; the biographical film "Harriet" with Cynthia Erivo; and the romantic drama "The Last Letter from Your Lover," alongside Felicity Jones. Following his turn in "Catherine Called Birdy," Alwyn is also set to co-lead A24's romantic thriller "Stars at Noon" with Margaret Qualley.

So far, Alwyn only has two acting TV credits to his name, including a supporting appearance in BBC One's limited series "A Christmas Carol" and a major part in Hulu's Irish drama "Conversations with Friends" as Nick Conway. During the height of the pandemic in 2020, Alwyn was able to tap into his musical abilities after co-producing songs with global superstar (and long-time girlfriend) Taylor Swift for her eighth studio album "Folklore," which won him his first Grammy Award for album of the year. Under the pseudonym of William Bowery, Alwyn has co-written five songs with Swift, including "Exile," "Betty," and "Champagne Problems."

Sophie Okonedo takes on the supporting role of Ethelfritha Rose Splinter of Devon, a kind and odd older woman = set to become the wife of Joe Alwyn's Uncle George. 

After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Okonedo made her acting debut in 1991, when she was cast in the coming-of-age thriller film "Young Soul Rebels." She followed that up with her first Hollywood project, the Jim Carrey-led comedy "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls."

After multiple supporting roles in TV shows and films, Okonedo's big break came in 2004, when she landed a major part opposite Don Cheadle in the Terry George-directed drama "Hotel Rwanda," about a married couple who saved over a thousand refugees during the Rwandan Civil War by giving them shelter. For her acclaimed portrayal of Tatiana Rusesabagina, Okonedo received her first Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress. Since then, she began landing roles in high-profile projects including: the sci-fi action film "Æon Flux" with Charlize Theron; the action spy film "Stormbreaker;" the film adaptation of "The Secret Life of Bees" alongside Queen Latifah and Jennifer Hudson; the David Harbour-led superhero reboot "Hellboy;" and the whodunit mystery drama "Death on the Nile."

In addition to movies, Okonedo also found success in television with notable performances in a few miniseries such as "Tsunami: The Aftermath" and "Ratched," which earned her Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominations, respectively. Her most recent works include one-episode appearances on shows like "Modern Love," "The Wheel of Time," and "Slow Horses." 

Following "Catherine Called Birdy," she will also be appearing in the comedy-drama film "Raymond and Ray" and the spy action thriller "Heart of Stone," opposite Gal Gadot.

In "Catherine Called Birdy," Dean-Charles Chapman plays Birdy's eldest brother Robert. Chapman is best known for his role as Tommen Baratheon on HBO's acclaimed fantasy drama "Game of Thrones." He played Cersei's second son and Westeros' young king for 16 episodes. Interestingly, he experienced a rare casting opportunity, as he first appeared during the third season of the popular series, playing the role of Martyn Lannister for only two episodes.

Before gaining international awareness for his involvement in "Thrones," Chapman first began acting as a child stage actor, when he nabbed a minor part in Elton John's coming-of-age theater production "Billy Elliot the Musical." After that, he took on the titular role of Billy Elliot from 2009-2011, making him the longest-serving cast member to portray the lead. The following year, he transitioned from theater to television by securing roles in the short-lived sitcom "The Revolting World of Stanley Brown" and the historical drama "The White Queen." After his time on "Game on Thrones" concluded, he made recurring appearances in the TNT drama "Will" and the AMC series "Into the Badlands."

As for his film career, Chapman made his feature acting debut in the 2014 Nicole Kidman-led thriller "Before I Go to Sleep." He followed that up with supporting roles in the romantic comedy "Man Up," biographical drama "Breathe," the action-thriller "The Commuter," and the comedy-drama "Blinded by the Light." Perhaps his most notable film role thus far has been portraying Lance Corporal Thomas Blake in Sam Mendes' award-winning epic war drama "1917."

Rising English actor Archie Renaux stars as Edward the Monk, Birdy's favorite brother. 

Before getting into acting, Renaux revealed in a 2022 interview with W Magazine, he had a 9-5 apprenticeship job as an air conditioning engineer. After quitting, he got scouted as a model for various brands, including Top Man and Moss Bros.

In 2019, Renaux made his onscreen acting debut with a one-episode appearance on Prime Video's action drama "Hanna." Soon after, he landed his first major acting role on BBC One's limited drama "Gold Digger," in which he played Leo Day, the son of Julia Ormond's lead character. His big break came in 2021, when he got cast for the series regular role of Mal Oretsev on Netflix's fantasy drama "Shadow and Bone," based on Leigh Bardugo's bestselling Grishaverse novels. The hit fantasy drama also marked his second collaboration with "Narnia" alum Ben Barnes, after working together on "Gold Digger." In a 2021 interview with Collider, Renaux described Barnes as a mentor who had been a great help to him as an up-and-coming actor trying to make a name for himself in the industry.

Following the success of "Shadow and Bone," Renaux started getting roles in films such as: the sci-fi film "Voyagers" opposite Tye Sheridan; Sony Pictures' critical disappointment "Morbius," led by Jared Leto; and Apple Studios' biographical war dramedy "The Greatest Beer Run Ever." Following his appearance in "Catherine Called Birdy," he will next be seen opposite Camila Mendes in the romantic comedy film "Upgraded."

Isis Hainsworth plays the role of Aelis in "Catherine Called Birdy." Her character is the sweet, lovely best friend of Bella Ramsey's Birdy. 

Hainsworth is a Scottish actress who made her acting debut on the BBC miniseries "One of Us." Before nabbing her first major TV project as the lead on Netflix's horror drama "Red Rose," she first appeared in a handful of shows including Hulu's period drama "Harlots," the Netflix miniseries "Wanderlust," the David Oyelowo-led 2019 adaptation of "Les Misérables," and the Scottish thriller "The Victim" starring Kelly Macdonald.

After supporting roles in the 2020 comedy-drama films "Emma" and Misbehaviour," Hainsworth bagged one of the lead roles in Netflix's teen dramedy film "Metal Lords," which hails from "Game of Thrones" co-creator D.B. Weiss. In the 2022 film, she portrayed cello-playing high school student Emily Spector, recruited to become the bassist for an amateur heavy metal band. In an interview with Wonderland Magazine, she opened up about the experience of filming the project during the height of the pandemic, which she described as a challenging endeavor, especially since it was her first time coming to America.

Besides trying to make her mark in television and film, Hainsworth has also worked in theater as a professional stage actress. Her first production was the 2017 play "Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour," which was based on Alan Warner's 1998 novel "The Sopranos." She also appeared as Hermia in a 2019 production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream,” at London's Bridge Theatre.

Paul Kaye will be appearing as Sir John Henry Murgraw, an older wealthy man arranged to be married to Birdy, who calls him by the nickname of Shaggy Beard. 

Kaye is a comedic actor, known for his character portrayal of a fake celebrity interviewer named Dennis Pennis, whom Kaye co-created with his friend Anthony Hines for "The Sunday Show." During the 1990s, he managed to interview a number of A-list stars including Hugh Grant, Steve Martin, Kevin Costner and more, who were put in awkward situations thanks to his rude, playful style of straightforward questioning.

After he stopped playing Dennis Pennis, Kaye starred in the sketch show "Citizen Kaye" and in the comedy series "Perfect World," which both aired from 2000-2001. After that, he started taking on more serious but minor roles in shows like the British drama "Two Thousand Acres of Sky," the police procedural "Waking the Dead," the crime drama "Hustle," the soap opera "EastEnders," and the ITV drama "Kingdom." His most recognizable TV drama performance is portraying Thoros of Myr in HBO's popular fantasy drama "Game of Thrones," in which he appeared for ten episodes from 2013-2017.

Apart from his television career, Kaye has also made appearances in several films beginning in 2003: the sports comedy "Blackball;" the action comedy "Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London;" the psychological thriller "Match Point;" the horror fantasy "Dracula Untold;" and zombie musical film "Anna and the Apocalypse." Audiences may have also recently heard him in Netflix's stop-motion animated anthology film "The House."

Ralph Ineson portrays the role of Golden Tiger in "Catherine Called Birdy," his latest role in a career begun in the 1990s after landing minor roles on shows such as "Spender," "The Bill," "All Quiet on the Preston Front," "99-1," "The Cinder Path," "Goodnight Sweetheart," and "Playing the Field." The latter marked his longest TV project to date; he appeared as Luke Mullen on the BBC drama for over 30 episodes from 1998-2002.

In 2009, Ineson received the opportunity to join the ensemble cast of the "Harry Potter" franchise. In the popular coming-of-age fantasy, he played the Death Eater named Amycus Carrow in the final three films of the blockbuster franchise. Since then, he continued making small appearances in high-profile features like "Robin Hood," "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Kingsman: The Secret Service," "The Huntsman: Winter's War," and "Ready Player One." He's also known for his collaboration with acclaimed writer/filmmaker Robert Eggers, whom he worked with in the folk horror film "The Witch" and the epic drama "The Northman."

Beside being a frequent face on the big screen, Ineson is also a familiar one  on television, thanks to recurring roles on popular shows such as the British sitcom "The Office," the hit HBO drama "Game of Thrones," the BBC crime drama "Peaky Blinders," and the historical drama "Chernobyl." Viewers might have also heard him in various animated shows like "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance," in which he voiced The Hunter for seven episodes. Following "Catherine Called Birdy," he is set to appear in the fantasy adventure series "Willow" for Disney+.

In "Catherine Called Birdy," David Bradley will be appearing as the delightfully named Lord Gideon Sidebottom. Bradley is a veteran English actor who has been in the industry for over five decades. His career started with an acting debut on the British sitcom "Nearest and Dearest" in 1971. After that, he continued landing supporting roles in shows like "A Family at War," "The Professionals," "Coronation Street," "Our Friends in the North," "Ideal," and "The Tudors."

In 2001, Bradley got cast in his most memorable role to date, playing Argus Filch in the film adaptation of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." The character reintroduced him to a whole new generation, who'll forever recognized him as Hogwarts' grumpy caretaker who has a cat named Mrs. Norris. He reprised the role in six more sequels including "Chamber of Secrets" and "Deathly Hallows Part 2." Apart from being a part of the beloved "Harry Potter" franchise, Bradley also gained recognition for his recurring role as the vile Walder Frey on HBO's fantasy drama "Game of Thrones." His character is responsible for one of the show's most iconic and shocking death sequences, the so-called "Red Wedding."

Bradley's other acting credits include appearances in high-profile films such as "Sweeney Todd," "Hot Fuzz," and "Captain America: The First Avenger." In addition, he has done voice work on a few animated projects including Guillermo del Toro's Netflix series "Wizards: Tales of Arcadia" and the HBO Max special "Adventure Time: Distant Lands." He is set to reunite with del Toro in Netflix's upcoming animated film "Pinocchio," in which he voices Mister Geppetto.

British Zimbabwean actress Mimi M. Khayisa (formerly known as Mimi Ndiweni) stars in "Catherine Called Birdy" as Lady Berenice Sidebottom. Before venturing into the world of film and television, Khayisa first studied acting at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. During her time in college, she won the coveted Spotlight Prize at a 2013 showcase, where she performed a monologue in front of industry experts based on one of YouTuber Jenna Marbles' sketches "How to Avoid Talking to People You Don't Want to Talk To."

After graduating, Khayisa grabbed the opportunity to join the Royal Shakespeare Company, where she appeared in the stage productions of "Wendy & Peter Pan," "King Lear," and " Hamlet." In 2015, she finally made her feature acting debut in Disney's live-action film adaptation of "Cinderella," starring Lily James and Richard Madden. After that, she appeared in a live-action film based on another classic tale, "The Legend of Tarzan." In 2019, she briefly appeared as a Resistance Officer in J.J. Abrams' "Stars Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."

As for Khayisa's TV career, she left the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2015 after she nabbed a series regular role in the fourth season of the period drama "Mr. Selfridge." Following recurring appearances in the drama series "Rellik" and "Black Earth Rising," Khayisa successfully scored her biggest role to date on Netflix's TV adaptation of "The Witcher." She's currently starring in the Henry Cavill-led fantasy drama as the sorceress Fringilla, who's working for the Nilfgaardian Empire, the show's main antagonists.