By now, Olivia Wilde’s sophomore directorial project needs no introduction. Opening in theaters Sept. 23, “Don’t Worry Darling” is set somewhere in the California desert, telling the story of the idyllic town of Victory. In 1950s-era Victory, all the housewives dominate their domestic spheres while seeing their hard-working husbands off to work at the same time every morning.
Victory houses employees of the Victory Project, a top-secret corporate project with the vague mission of developing “progressive materials.” But then Florence Pugh’s character starts to question her surroundings in the well-kept but also sinister town. Wilde herself also plays a supporting role in the film, and she is joined by quite the cast.
Here’s who plays who in “Don’t Worry Darling”:
Alice Chambers (Florence Pugh)
Pugh’s Alice is married to Styles’ Jack, who works for the Victory Project. She is happy enough as a homemaker who awaits Jack’s return home after seeing him off at the same time all the other housewives see their Victory-employed husbands off to work each morning. But when Alice starts to notice things, like a plane crashing behind a hill and other disturbing details, she starts to wonder what her husband really does at work every day. She makes it her mission to find out, going through some major struggles in the process.
Florence Pugh has previously appeared as Amy in Greta Gerwig’s rendition of “Little Women” (2019), for which she received an Oscar nomination. She also portrays Yelena Belova, sister of Natasha Romanoff (Scarlet Johansson) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so far appearing in “Hawkeye” and “Black Widow” (2021). Pugh also starred in Ari Aster’s “Midsommar” (2019). She is set to appear in the upcoming “Oppenheimer” (2023) from Christopher Nolan as well as “The Wonder” (2022) and “Dune Part 2” (2023).
Jack Chambers (Harry Styles)
Pop musician Harry Styles was cast in the role of Jack Chambers after Shia LaBeouf left the project. Jack is husband to Alice, and he works for the Victory Project under CEO Frank (Chris Pine). Styles infuses Jack’s character as doting husband with his signature charm. Jack also makes sure to satisfy his wife in all ways possible.
Styles has previously appeared in Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” (2017) as Alex as well as Chloe Zhao’s Marvel film “Eternals” (2021) in a post-credit scene as Eros. Besides “DWD,” another film in which he stars as a closeted gay police officer, “My Policeman,” arrives in 2022 as well. Styles only recently dove into acting after starting out as a member of the highly popular group “One Direction” formed by Simon Cowell on The X Factor. Now Styles has a career as a solo musician, and he recently released his third studio album “Harry’s House” in May 2022.
Frank (Chris Pine)
Chris Pine’s Frank is a charismatic Chief Executive Officer in charge of the Victory Project. Frank’s enthusiastic optimism for the work he and Jack are doing bond (or bind) the community together. According to the film’s website, Frank is “equal parts corporate visionary and motivational coach.” Pine has previously played roles like Henry Pelham in “All the Old Knives” (2022), Mr. Murray in “A Wrinkle in Time” (2018), Steve Trevor in “Wonder Woman” (2017) and Captain Kirk in the “Star Trek” films — “Star Trek Beyond” (2016), “Star Trek Into Darkness” (2013) and “Star Trek” (2009). He also starred in 2016 Best Picture nominee “Hell or High Water” and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance in “SuperMansion” (2015).
Shelley (Gemma Chan)
Shelley is Frank’s wife. She is described on the website as his “elegant partner,” and she keeps Alice and the other wives company both socially and confidently. Gemma Chan recently starred in Chloe Zhao’s Marvel film “Eternals” (2021) as Sersi, the Prime Eternal. She also appeared as Astrid Young Teo in “Crazy Rich Asians” (2017), Karen in “Let Them All Talk” (2020) and Mia/Anita in the TV series “Humans” (2015-2018).
Bunny (Olivia Wilde)
After originally looking to play Alice, Wilde took on the supporting role of Bunny, one of Alice’s closest friends and another Victory housewife. Alice confides in Bunny, who hosts lavish parties for Victory residents, and who doesn’t seem too concerned about whatever is going in re: the Victory Project. Wilde directed “Don’t Worry Darling,” her second helmed project after 2019’s “Booksmart.” High profile roles include “Cowboys and Aliens,” “In Time” and “Tron: Legacy.” She has appeared in films like “The Girl Next Door,” “The Change-Up” and “Conversations With Other Women.” She broke into entertainment in the TV series “The O.C.,” “The Black Donnellys” and “House.”
Bill (Nick Kroll)
Nick Kroll plays Bunny’s husband Bill, who parties hard right alongside her. Kroll is known largely for comedy, especially in his Netflix series “Big Mouth” which he co-created, and the “Human Resources” spinoff. He also created the Comedy Central sketch comedy series, “Kroll Show” in which he starred. His voice can also be heard in “The Bob’s Burgers Movie,” “Sausage Party,” “Sing,” Sing 2,” “The Addams Family,” The Secret Life of Pets 2,” and “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. Comedy films in which he has appeared include “Uncle Drew,” “The House,” “Date Night,” and “Vacation.” More serious films like “Don’t Worry Darling” in which he has taken roles are “Loving,” “Operation Finale” and “Knight of Cups.”
Margaret (KiKi Layne)
KiKi Layne plays Victory resident Margaret. In the trailer, Margaret appears standing on a roof in a foreboding manner, hinting at something sinister about Victory. Margaret’s behavior in the trailer indicates that she triggers Alice’s deeper investigation into the town and the Project for which her husband works. Layne’s catalyst character drives the film’s plot.
She has previously appeared in films like “If Beale Street Could Talk,” “The Old Guard” and “Coming 2 America.” Most recently, she played Detective Ellie Steckler in “Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers,” and she will reprise her role as Nile Freeman in “The Old Guard 2.”
Peg (Kate Berlant)
Kate Berlant was a late addition to the cast. Her character Peg appears in the trailer as another friend in the Victory women’s social circle. Berlant is an actress known mostly for comedy. She has appeared in Quentin Tarrantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” the television show “Search Party,” and most recently Amazon Prime Video’s series adaptation “A League of Their Own” as Shirley Cohen.
