The film adaptation of Delia Owens’ best-selling novel, “Where the Crawdads Sing,” finally arrives in theaters Friday, July 15 a few years after Reese Witherspoon selected the book as a pick for her book club, then decided to produce the film adaptation through her Hello Sunshine banner with a screenplay written by Lucy Alibar.
The “Where the Crawdads” movie was directed by Olivia Newman, with “Normal People” breakout star Daisy Edgar-Jones leading the cast as Kya. The story mixes together themes of survival and living with nature alongside a murder mystery and a coming of age story, with a new original Taylor Swift song “Carolina” to boot.
Fans of Owens’ book are no doubt wondering, who plays who in the film? We’ve got you covered with our complete “Where the Crawdads Sing” cast and character guide below.
Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones)
At 7 years old, Kya’s mother walked out on her family and their shack in the marsh near Barkley Cove in North Carolina. Kya’s siblings soon followed until she was left with her father, who didn’t stick around either. Kya tries to go to school, but the children are so snide, and she thinks she can learn more from nature in the form of her marsh surroundings anyway. As she grows up alone, learning to survive on grits and selling mussels that she gathers to make some money, Kya gets pretty lonely, but she comes to rely on the marsh as her friend. She strikes up a romance with Tate Walker (Taylor John Smith), who she has known since childhood, but he leaves to go to college at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson) swoops in to take his chances with “The Marsh Girl” as Kya has been called her whole life. When Chase’s dead body is found in the swamp, Kya becomes a suspect, and she eventually has to sit through a whole trial to determine whether she is the culprit.
Daisy Edgar-Jones has also been in “Normal People” based on Sally Rooney’s novel, the horror film “Fresh” alongside Sebastian Stan and FX’s limited series “Under the Banner of Heaven.”
Tate Walker (Taylor John Smith)
Tate was good friends with Kya’s brother Jodie when they were younger, and he came to Kya’s defense in an important memory when her dad struck both her Ma and then her. Tate shoved Pa and helped Kya up. Later when all of Kya’s family members have left, she sees Tate in the marsh and he guides her home by boat when she can’t remember the way. One day, Kya discovers a beautiful feather stuck in a stump by a tree that she frequently visits, and she and Tate start to trade them back and forth until they run into each other during the process. The two then slowly fall in love and bond over their love of the marsh and observing nature. But when Tate goes to college, he joins the long line of people who leave Kya behind.
Taylor John Smith has appeared in HBO’s “Sharp Objects” with Amy Adams, “Wolves” (2016), “Cruel Intentions” (2016), “You Get Me” (2017) and “Hunter Killer” (2018).
Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson)
Chase’s dead body is found in the marsh at the beginning of the film. Chase has had his eye on Kya every since they were little and he used to see her come to town on her own for groceries. After Tate leaves, Chase takes a chance on Kya and asks her on a picnic date, which she accepts. But he comes on a little too strong in the beginning, and he apologizes, saying he wants to get to know Kya better. After they have been seeing each other for a while, he starts to stoke Kya’s hopes with talk of marriage. Then one day when she goes to town, she runs into Chase and his fiancée Pearl. Kya is later put on trial for Chase’s murder since they have history.
Dickinson has previously appeared as Prince Philip in “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” (2019) and Conrad Oxford in “The King’s Man” (2021).
Tom Milton (David Strathairn)
Tom Milton comes out of retirement when he hears about Chase Andrews’ death and catches snippets of conversation suspecting The Marsh Girl. He decides to represent Kya pro bono in her trial, assuring her that things will be alright. On his first visit with Kya, Milton brings her a book of shell illustrations to calm her, and she remembers him encouraging her to go to school even though she was barefoot and other girls walking past her made fun of her.
Strathairn has appeared in films like “A League of Their Own” (1992), “Good Night, and Good Luck” (2005) “We Are Marshall” (2006), “The Spiderwick Chronicles” (2008), “Godzilla: King of Monsters” (2019) and “Nomadland” (2020). He was nominated for an Oscar for Lead Actor for his role in “Good Night, and Good Luck.” Emmy nominations include his supporting role of John Dos Passos in “Hemingway & Gellhorn” as well as a win for his supporting turn of Dr. Carlock in “Temple Grandin.”
Jumpin’ (Sterling Macer Jr.)
Jumpin’ is a nickname, but everyone has called him that ever since Kya could remember. He owns a small supply store and dock where he supplies gas for boats. Kya strikes up a deal with Jumpin’ to sell him mussels that she picks fresh. Jumpin’ and his wife Mabel help Kya by getting her shoes and clothes and checking in on her whenever she comes into their shop. Macer Jr. has appeared in “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story” (1993), shows like “Lincoln Heights,” and more recently “Double Down” (2020).
Mabel (Michael Hyatt)
Mabel, Jumpin’s wife, notices right away that Kya has been left to fend for herself out in the marsh. She uses her motherly instincts to help Kya by measuring her feet for shoes and overall making sure Kya is okay when she comes by. Mabel defends Kya at first when Jumpin’ says they need to be careful helping her, quoting the Bible. Hyatt has appeared in “Nightcrawler” (2014), “The Little Things” (2021) and shows like “Snowfall,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” “Crunch Time,” “Ray Donovan” and “True Detective.”
Jodie Clark (Logan Macrae)
Jodie was Kya’s closest sibling. When he left, he advised her to run away into the marsh from people approaching the house. Jodie returns later on after serving in the army to check in on Kya. He brings news of Ma, and he sticks by her side during the trial. Macrae appeared in “A Mouthful of Air” (2021) and will also appear in “Devotion” (2022).
Sheriff Jackson (Bill Kelly)
Sheriff Jackson leads the hunt for whoever pushed Chase Andrews off of the fire tower and to his death. He testifies in court after gathering enough evidence to arrest Kya. Kelly has appeared in shows like “Bloodline” and “The Wonder Years” as well as “The Banker” (2020) and “Hillbilly Elegy” (2020).
Dr. Cone (Joe Chrest)
Dr. Cone conducts the autopsy on Chase’s body after it is found. He gathers that his examinations reveal Chase hit the back of his head on a beam of the tower before he fell to his death. Sheriff Jackson and later the lawyer who represents the Andrews family, muse that Chase would have had to fall backwards to hit the back of his head, thus getting pushed. Joe Chrest might be most well known for his iconic dad character Ted Wheeler in Netflix’s “Stranger Things.”
Ma (Ahna O’Reilly)
Ma appears a few times in the film at crucial moments for Kya. Kya remembers her as someone who loved her children and painted scenic portraits of the marsh. Ma had to leave because Pa abused her, and she wrote a letter to try and get her children back, but that was before Kya could read or write. Ahna O’Reilly has appeared in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” (2008), “The Help” (2011), “Fruitvale Station” (2013), “Jobs” (2013) and “Bombshell” (2019).
Pa (Garret Dillahaunt)
Pa returned from war with an injured leg. He beat Ma and his children until all of them but Kya left. They had some time together that wasn’t so bad, but eventually he too didn’t come back to the shack. Dillahaunt has appeared in “Deadwood” (2004-2005), “Raising Hope” (2010-2014), “No Country for Old Men” (2007), “12 Years a Slave” (2013) and “The Mindy Project” (2015-2017).
Young Kya (Jojo Regina)
Regina’s younger version of Kya watches Ma walk out, as well as the rest of her siblings. She remembers Pa hitting Ma and then Jodie. She goes to school for one day, enticed by the hot lunch option, but then never returns after her classmates make fun of her. Regina has appeared in “The Chosen” TV series and the short film “Delight” which has not been released yet.