The Great is a uniquely brilliant show. Created by Tony McNamara, also known for his work writing Cruella and The Favourite, the show follows Catherine the Great as she marries Peter III. The Hulu Original is based on historical events, though the show is quick to remind you that it’s only based on these events loosely. The historical comedy takes the facts behind Catherine the Great’s rise to Russia’s throne and elevates them to the height of absurdity, setting the stage for great comedy.
That said, The Great walks the line between drama and comedy well. While the characters stray into the absurd, the conflicts they face have a genuine impact and consequences. Catherine isn’t trying to take Russia from Peter because she’s greedy or ambitious, but because she loves Russia and wants to protect it from Peter III’s madness. We never forget that these people, for all their colorful shiengagans, are members of a powerful court whose whims dictate the lives of a massive country. The characters are what truly breathe life into this show, so here’s everything you need to know about the cast and characters of The Great.
Catherine (Elle Fanning)
Elle Fanning is no stranger to the camera, having acted since she was a young girl. Recent significant roles include the leading role as Jesse in The Neon Demon (2016) and Aurora in Maleficent (2014) and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019). In The Great, Fanning plays the titular Catherine. A bold and imaginative, if terribly naive young woman, Catherine marries Peter with all the hopes in the world only to have them dashed by the cold reality waiting outside her father’s tiny mansion, a world that frowns upon open-minded women who read, and the idea of rebellion. But rather than letting her wild spirit get damned by this harshness, Catherine resolves herself to overthrow Peter and reshape the world into one that reflects her ideals.
Peter III (Nicholas Hoult)
The Great isn’t Nicholas Hoult’s first venture with McNamara, having had a role in his other period piece The Favourite as Harley. Other significant roles include recurring appearances as Hank McCoy aka Beast in the X-Men franchise, and playing J. R. R. Tolkien in 2019’s biopic Tolkien. Here, he plays Peter III, the mad emperor of Russia in The Great. Peter’s spoiled attitude and lack of care have made him a real threat to the country he’s meant to govern as his whims lead to ludicrous laws, such as forbidding men to grow beards. His careless governance makes much of his court into yes men incapable of standing up against his reign while others try to manipulate his whimsy for their own gains.
Marial (Phoebe Fox)
Phoebe Fox has had a smattering of supporting roles in movies and television, including in 2019’s The Aeronauts and 2014’s horror film The Woman in Black 2. In her role as Marial, Fox plays a quick-witted woman who had been a lady in Peter’s court, but she and her family fell from grace at one of his whims, making her Catherine’s chambermaid and accomplice. Marial acts as a voice of reason who balances the wild cast around her, calming erratic natures or encouraging mild ones while bearing the weight of several personal depths. Like Catherine, Marial wants to see Peter’s erratic reign come to an end, and perhaps get a touch of revenge on the court’s ladies who look down on her.
Count Orlo (Sacha Dhawan)
Sacha Dhawan has had roles in a variety of mediums, working as a voice actor for games including Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017) while working in television, including a notable role as the Master in Doctor Who. But while the Master may have been a wild character, his role as Count Orlo shows a more reserved side to the actor as he plays a cowardly beaurocrat in Peter’s court. Orlo disagrees with every action Peter takes but doesn’t make any moves against him for fear of angering Peter. Catherine manages to ignite the fire of rebellion in him as the pair share many ideals, and her bold nature plays beautifully off his timid one that tempers her impulses.
General Velementov (Douglas Hodge)
Douglas Hodge has had plenty of acting experience, with recent notable roles including playing Alfred Pennyworth in Joker (2019) and Leroy Brown in The Devil All The Time (2020). He plays one of the most complex characters in The Great, an aging general who manages to find himself at the butt of all Peter’s cruelest jokes while trying to fight a war with as few casualties as possible, despite Peter caring less about the bloodshed. Velementov becomes a key ally for Catherine as he fights a war inside himself, trying to protect his country while lamenting that he sends young men to die in a war he no longer wishes to fight.
Grigor (Gwilym Lee)
Gwilym Lee has a supporting role in The Great but is no stranger to larger roles including one as Queen’s lead guitarist Brian May in their biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (2018). His role as Grigor in The Great isn’t as significant, but still gives him a lot of depth to play with. Grigor is one of Peter’s closest friends and one of the greatest victims of his insanity. Peter frequently has sex with Grigor’s wife and makes horrible fun of his “friend” while Grigor echoes back Peter’s nonsense, hoping for some shred of respect from somebody, though usually finding none.
Archie (Adam Godley)
Adam Godley’s acting career began at age nine in a BBC radio production and has continued ever since, including a recurring role in Breaking Bad (2008) as Elliot Schwartz and the voice of Pogo in The Umbrella Academy (2019). The Archbishop, or Archie as Peter calls him, represents the Church on Peter’s court in a position he uses to elevate his status, encouraging many of Peter’s worst behaviors to maintain his comfortable position of power without regard for the consequences. He becomes one of Catherine’s greatest enemies in the court, trying to crush her free-thinking spirit that threatens his power.
Aunt Elizabeth (Belinda Bromilow)
Belinda Bromilow is an experienced television actress whose career includes roles in 2010’s Spirited as Jonquil Payne and the current show Doctor Doctor (2016) as Betty. Her role in The Great as Peter’s Aunt Elizabeth lets her play a character as mad as her nephew - at least, on the surface. Elizabeth shows a cunning side herself, willing to play alongside Catherine in the show’s finale to see what kind of country Russia might become with an empress rather than an emperor.
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