Several years after the release of Marriage Story, Noah Baumbach is back with a new Netflix film that features two of his regular co-stars. The satirical 1985 novel of the same name by Don DeLillo served as the inspiration for the screenplay’s writer and director’s most recent movie, White Noise. The plot revolves around a controversial university professor and his dysfunctional family as they struggle to overcome many obstacles when their town is affected by harmful air pollution. In August, White Noise made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival before being shown at the New York Film Festival. Baumbach’s film adaption will ultimately be available on Netflix on December 30, 2022, months after its festival-season premiere. Here is a useful reference to the key characters and primary performers you’ll get to watch in this eagerly awaited production given that a few notable celebrities are participating in its cast.
Adam Driver as Jack
Jack is a professor at a university who has established himself as an authority on Hitler. While things appear to be going smoothly, an airborne hazardous event strikes his university town and completely upends everything. Given this dire condition, Jack must take care of his family to keep them safe in spite of everything. His constant fear of dying is another significant quality of this character that should be noted.
This character is Adam Driver and Noah Baumbach’s fifth collaboration. The actor received his second Oscar nomination for his prior performance in Baumbach’s Marriage Story. Driver served in the U.S. Marine Corps before becoming well-known for his supporting role opposite Lena Dunham in the film Girls. Driver and co-star Greta Gerwig have collaborated twice, most recently on White Noise. Both of them appeared in the cast of Baumbach’s other movie, Frances Ha.
Dean and Henry Moore as Wilder
Toddler Wilder is the only child of Jack and Babette and also their youngest child. He isn’t as conscious of what is going on as the rest of his family because of his age. In the Netflix movie, twins Dean and Henry Moore take turns playing Wilder, making their acting debut.
Don Cheadle as Murray
Jack lectures at a university where Murray is another professor. Murray is passionate about popular culture and this relates to his academic career, much like Jack is a specialist in Hitler studies. That Don Cheadle is a well-known actor in Hollywood goes without saying. Cheadle is one of the few black actors to receive an EGOT nomination after winning numerous honours throughout the years, including two Grammys and two Golden Globes (the four major American awards, which are the Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and the Tonys). He began his career in the late 1980s with Hamburger Hill and Colors, and he went on to become well-known for his work in the Iron Man trilogy, Hotel Rwanda, and Boogie Nights. Marvel fans are eagerly anticipating Cheadle’s return to the MCU in the next film Armor Wars, which is scheduled to start production in 2023.
Greta Gerwig as Babette
Jack is Babette’s fourth husband, while she is his fourth wife. Babette has a demanding daily schedule caring for her four children and teaching older people proper posture. She also conceals a sinister secret, which is subsequently revealed following the chaotic airborne poisonous event’s aftermath. Babette, like Jack, is horrified by death and will do anything to avoid it.
Greta Gerwig, an actress, screenwriter, and director, makes a comeback with White Noise. Gerwig’s most recent appearance in front of the camera was in Isle of Dogs, a 2018 Wes Anderson production. She has recently received praise for her work as a director and screenwriter on Lady Bird and the 2019 Little Women adaption. Similar to how Driver and Baumbach have collaborated before this Netflix original, Gerwig likewise frequently works with the director/screenwriter, with whom she has been in a relationship since 2011. In Greenberg, Frances Ha, and Mistress America, they collaborated. The pair will debut their eagerly awaited live-action Barbie movie the following year.
May Nivola as Steffie
Steffie, who is Jack’s child from his third marriage, is extremely sensitive to the tumultuous aftermath of the explosion. Steffie gets upset and anxious whenever she hears bad news because she wants to know how her family will handle these difficulties. May Nivola is not only the real-life sister of Sam Nivola, but she also portrays him in the film White Noise. Additionally, the young actress appeared in a short film that was included in With In.
Raffey Cassidy as Denise
Babette’s daughter from her second marriage is Denise. She is highly obstinate and obsessed because she is the oldest child in Babette and Jack’s blended household. This even prompts her to repeatedly confront her mother in an effort to learn about her sinister secret.
The teenage actress Raffey Cassidy, who plays Denise in White Noise, has been working in the business for a while. In Snow White and the Hunstman, she made her film debut alongside Charlize Theron and Kirsten Stewart. She has since appeared in Tomorrowland, The Killing of the Sacred Deer, and Dark Shadows. Cassidy admitted she enjoyed working with Baumbach and the cast on White Noise in an interview with The Upcoming: “It was kind of fun for me because I had faith in Noah as a director. The cast and staff were outstanding, and everything else was pure fun for me.”
Sam Nivola as Heinrich
Heinrich, one of Jack’s children from previous marriages, is the family member who is most pessimistic and analytical about the disaster that befalls their community. He is the first to express concern about potential consequences that they might experience from the toxic waste releases as his family struggles to remain intact. Sam Nivola is a budding actor whose prior work includes appearances in With In and one of the short films featured in the series Doll and Em. His upcoming movies, Maestro and Eileen, are both scheduled for 2023 release.
