Hereditary cast and character guide: Who plays whom in Ari Aster's psychological thriller on Netflix?

Aster's Hereditary, an A24 film, opens with a family struck by grief and pain coming face to face with some really obscure heritage. It is a nerve-wracking psychological thriller and a folk-horror film that denotes Ari Aster's directorial debut. Hereditary first premiered in 2018 at the Sundance Film Festival.

The film explores some gruesome themes with a horror aspect in mind like it explores trauma, trauma within the family, grief, and a lot of supernatural stuff all blended together. In an interview with Vox Ari Aster explained -

“I knew that I really wanted to make a film about the corrosive effects of trauma on a family unit. I knew that I wanted to make a film that had sort of an ouroboros quality about a family that’s basically eating itself in its grief. It’s a story that I certainly had in me. I didn’t really have to find it.”

Hereditary Cast and Character Guide:

Featuring an astounding cast that is rightly fit for the movie and their roles, here is a full list of the important characters that appear in Hereditary.

1) Toni Collette as Annie Graham

Taking up the center stage of Hereditary is Annie Grahm played by Toni Collette. Her character is depicted as an artist who early on in the movie is in the midst of dealing with the death of her alienated mother.

Toni Collette delivers an exhilarating performance as a woman trying to untie the heavy weight of her family’s ominous history.

Toni Collette as Annie Graham in the trailer for Hereditary (Image Via. A24)

As Annie deciphers the secrets hailed by her late mother, a series of supernatural and menacing events begin to unfold within the family's home.

Toni Collette is known for her works in: Emma (1996), Glassland (2014), and Knives Out (2019) among others.

2) Alex Wolff as Peter Graham

Peter Graham is Annie’s teenage son who faces his own sets of battles after the death of his grandmother. Played by Alex Wolff, Peter’s damaged relationship that he shares with his mother tends to rot even more after a tragedy that involves the death of his younger sister.

Alex Wolff as Peter Graham for the trailer of Hereditary (Image Via. A24)

Plagued by guilt and dealing with his own mental health, Peter’s character arc in Hereditary is quite a distressing exploration of liability and a whole lot of trauma that has been previously inherited.

Alex Wolff is known for his works in: Castle in the Ground (2019), A Good Person (2023), and Oppenheimer (2024) among others.

3) Milly Shapiro as Charlie Graham

Charlie Graham played by Milly Shapiro is Annie’s second ward who is seen to be as quiet a peculiar character. After the death of her grandmother, Charlie’s behaviors that the audiences notice first begin to set the aura and the ambiance of the film has an eerie atmosphere.

Milly Shapiro as Charlie Graham in the trailer for Hereditary (Image Via. A24)

Her sudden death by something uncanny serves as a turning point in Hereditary that then pushes the family into something much more sinister.

Milly Shapiro is known for her work in: Hysteria (2024).

4) Gabriel Byrne as Steve Graham

Gabriel Byrne plays Steve Graham in Ari Aster’s Hereditary who is the stoical head of the Graham family. As a psychiatrist by profession, Steve is seen to be deeply troubled by the happenings at his home as well as his wife’s mental health which keeps deteriorating with each and every passing day.

Gabriel Byrne as Steve Graham in a still from the trailer of Hereditary. (Image Via. A24)

Gabriel Byrne is known for his works in: Just a Sigh (2013), Mad to be Normal (2017) & Murder at Yellowstone City (2022)

Supporting Cast and Characters

1) Ann Dowd as Joan:

Joan as a character in Hereditary makes friends with Annie Graham at a support group, a friendship that slowly takes a sinister and eerie turn. With Joan teaching Annie how to conduct a séance, she soon becomes a vital figure in the life of Annie for reasons that are truly dreadful.

Ann Dowd is known for her works in: The Forgotten (2004), Nancy (2018) & The Exorcist: Believer (2023) among others.

2) Pat Barnett Carr as Ellen Leigh:

Even though Ellen, who is Annie’s mother passes away at the very beginning of Hereditary, her presence is ever looming all over the screens of the audience watching. It is through Ellen that everything in the film unravels in an ominous way.

Pat Barnett is known for her work in: Thanksgiving (2024)

Hereditary – as a folk horror film and a psychological thriller, delves deep into themes like grief, loss, supernatural, demonic stuff, and much more. Ari Aster’s masterful direction makes sure that Hereditary remains a foundation for modern folk-horror films.