Apple TV’s lineup continues to expand with distinctive original programming, and its latest offering, Nocturne, delivers a dark, gripping serial-killer mystery led by the formidable Stephen Graham.
The psychological crime thriller draws from The Sandman and Lazarus, two entries in Lars Kepler’s 10-book “Joona Linna” series. Written by married authors Alexander Ahndoril and Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril, the story revisits a notorious investigation involving serial killer Jurek Walter (Graham), unfolding as a tense and deliberately unsettling slow burn.
Rowan Joffé developed the series for television and serves as co-showrunner with John Hlavin. The ensemble also includes Liev Schreiber, Zazie Beetz, Rory Culkin, Poorna Jagannathan, Bill Camp, and other major screen talents.
To mark Nocturne’s arrival, Decider put together this cast and character guide, spotlighting the central figures in Apple TV’s new serial-killer thriller.
Liev Schreiber as Jonah Lynn
Jonah Lynn is a former soldier who became a homicide detective before stepping away from the job soon after Jurek Walter was convicted. Following a devastating family tragedy, Jonah left Fairhaven and tried to distance himself from the investigation. Three years later, Michael Frost (Landon Valentin), one of the siblings believed to have been abducted by Jurek, reappears, drawing Jonah back into the case—and sending him in search of Michael’s sister, Felicia.
As Decider’s Nocturne review observes, “Jonah, immune to Jurek’s deceptive ways, is tormented by grief, regret, and his complex history with the case. Despite his gruff voice and hardened exterior, Nocturne’s leading man wears his past on his sleeve, and a perpetually pained expression that suggests he’s seconds away from sobbing at any given moment.”
Liev Schreiber plays Jonah and also serves as an executive producer on the series. The Emmy and Golden Globe nominee has accumulated more than 100 film and television credits, appearing in projects such as Ray Donovan, Caught Stealing, The Perfect Couple, A Small Light, Across The River And Into The Trees, Asteroid City, Golda, Spotlight, The French Dispatch, Isle of Dogs, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Wes Craven’s Scream trilogy, The Manchurian Candidate, The Daytrippers, and many more. His reputation extends to the stage as well, with The New York Times once describing him as “the finest American theater actor of his generation.”
You can follow Schreiber on Instagram at @lievschreiber to learn more.
Zazie Beetz as Saga Bauer
Saga Bauer, an FBI agent and Jonah’s goddaughter, shares his personal determination to solve the Frost case and bring down Jurek. To gather information from inside the investigation, Jonah reluctantly assigns Saga to an undercover operation.
Zazie Beetz portrays Saga and is also an executive producer alongside Schreiber. Decider’s Nocturne review notes that “Saga’s bold, badass undercover turn challenges Beetz to craft two characters, ride two wildly different emotional rollercoasters, and perform mental gymnastics to separate their intertwined stories and traumas. Beetz runs the gamut of emotions, showing fierce physicality and a thirst for revenge.”
Viewers may recognize Beetz from her extensive film and television résumé, which includes nearly 50 IMDb credits in projects such as Atlanta, Joker, The Dutchman, Black Mirror, Bullet Train, Nine Days, The Harder They Fall, and more.
You can follow Beetz on Instagram at @zaziebeetz to learn more.
Stephen Graham as Jurek Walter
Jurek Walter is the infamous killer whose crimes drive Nocturne‘s story. Authorities believe he was responsible for more than half a dozen deaths and the disappearance of two young siblings. He was sentenced to life in the Restricted Housing Unit at Riverside Psychiatric Hospital, but his case comes back into focus when Michael Frost, one of the missing children, unexpectedly returns three years later.
Stephen Graham takes on the role of Jurek, following an acclaimed run that has earned him Emmy, Golden Globe, and Actor awards. As Decider’s Nocturne review puts it, “Just over a year after Graham won three Emmy awards for writing, executive producing, and starring in Adolescence as the guilt-ridden father of a 13-year-old boy accused of murder, he reminds us of his remarkable range by making the haunting transformation into a sociopathic serial killer who subverts expectations. Despite Jurek’s brawny physique, he doesn’t rely on physical strength to subdue others. By pinpointing and preying upon personal weaknesses, the manipulative master of psychological warfare sneakily wraps people around his fingertips.”
Graham has more than 140 film and television credits, with notable appearances in Boardwalk Empire, Boiling Point, The Peaky Blinders, A Thousand Blows, Heel, Accused, Line of Duty, Public Enemies, and other acclaimed productions. According to Nocturne’s production notes, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2023 New Year’s Honours List for his contributions to drama.
You can follow Graham on Instagram at @stephengraham1973 to learn more.
Rory Culkin as Karl Anders
Decider’s Nocturne review describes Karl Anders as a compassionate nurse whose request for a raise—to help care for his mother and disabled younger brother—lands him in the hospital basement. There, Jurek quickly identifies Karl’s emotional needs and gives him the attention and validation he has been missing.
Rory Culkin plays Karl as a gentle, vulnerable man torn between his instincts and his growing tendency to view Jurek as something more complicated than a monster. Their brief exchanges through a reinforced window and small hatch develop into one of Nocturne’s most fascinating relationships, with the striking chemistry between Culkin and Graham creating an unexpectedly intimate bond.
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Culkin has appeared in more than 50 film and television projects, including Under the Banner of Heaven, Waco, The Expecting, Castle Rock, City on a Hill, Halston, Black Mirror, Scream 4, and more. He is also the younger brother of actors Macaulay Culkin and Kieran Culkin.
Poorna Jagannathan as Agent Alexandra Quinn
Alexandra Quinn is an FBI special agent brought in to oversee the task force and direct the search for Felicia Frost. While navigating a custody battle of her own, Quinn brings an unusual warmth and deeply protective maternal instinct to the investigation—qualities that set her apart from Jonah’s more hardened methods.
Quinn is played by Poorna Jagannathan who’s having one heck of a year in Deli Boys, Nobody Wants This, and Lanterns. You may also recognize the Nocturne star from Never Have I Ever, or roles in Wolves, Turtles All The Way Down, The Out-Laws, The Night Of, Big Little Lies, Ramy, and more.
You can follow Jagannathan on Instagram at @poornagraphy to learn more.
Bill Camp as Chief Dave Ellison
Shortly after Michael Frost is found we meet Fairhaven, Pennsylvania Police Chief Dave Ellison, who worked the original case with Jonah back in the day.
Chief Ellison is played by the legendary, award-nominated actor Bill Camp, who has nearly 100 film and TV credits on IMDb. Apple TV fans may recognize him from Presumed Innocent, but he’s also starred in Judgement Day, Sirens, The Gilded Age, The Mastermind, Huntington, The Queen’s Gambit, 12 Years a Slave, Vice, Killing of a Sacred Deer, Molly’s Game, and more.
Gary Carr as Nathan Pollack
Also taking part in the Frost/Jurek Walter investigation is Nathan Pollack, a police officer who previously worked with Jonah, Saga, and Ellison.
If Nathan looks familiar that’s because he’s played by Gary Carr, an actor, dancer, singer, and musician with two dozen film and TV credits on IMDb, including 21 Bridges, Death in Paradise, The Deuce, Bolden, Genius, The Peripheral, Trigonometry, Downton Abbey, and more. Per Nocturne’s production notes, “A graduate from LAMDA, Carr was snapped up by the Royal National Theatre to play the lead in the play Earthquakes in London,” so he’s known for his work on stage as well.
Chrissy Metz as Ida Frost
At the center of Nocturne is the mystery of Ida Frost’s two kidnapped children, Michael and Felicia Frost. When we first meet her in the hospital in Episode 1, it’s clear that she and Jonah have lots of history and complex emotions as a result of the initial investigation.
Ida is played by Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Chrissy Metz, who you may recognize from her role as Kate Pearson in This Is Us. With nearly two dozen TV and film credits, Metz has also starred in Breakthrough, American Horror Story, The Hunting Wives, and more. In addition to acting, Metz is also the author of her memoir, This Is Me, and a children’s book, When I Talk to God, I Talk About You. And as you may know from watching certain projects she’s also a singer.
You can follow Metz on Instagram at @chrissymetz to learn more.
Landon Valentin as Michael Frost
In Nocturne Episode 1, a young boy emerges from the woods and wanders onto a bridge where locals find him and call the police. That boy? Michael Frost, who went missing three years earlier with his sister Felicia. The two were presumed victims of Jurek Walter, so the race is on to learn how Michael was released while Jurek’s in custody, who was holding him, and where is sister is.
Michael Frost is played by Landon Valentin, a young actor from California who’s starred in several shorts including Summer Reighn, Stranger in the Woods, Treasure Imagination, and The Last Hurrah. He also appeared in 2024’s The Short Game prior to landing his role in Nocturne. Per Nocturne‘s production notes, “Landon fell in love with acting at a young age. He started taking classes at the age of seven and has been working on his skills ever since… In his free time he enjoys riding his bike, snowboarding, playing soccer, and exploring the world.”
You can follow Valentin on Instagram at @itslandonvalentin to learn more.
Decider will update this article as new characters join the show.
New episodes of Nocturne stream Fridays on Apple TV.