Now You See Me's true strength lies in its exceptional characters and cast, transforming Louis Leterrier's magical crime caper into an immersive experience.

With its star-studded Hollywood cast, Now You See Me became an instant hit upon release, even without the advantage of being an existing franchise or established intellectual property. reviews for Now You See Me. Consequently, the franchise's debut film is the most memorable, because of its superb cast, who were instrumental in introducing us to this world.

Jesse Eisenberg As J. Daniel Atlas

Born October 5, 1983

• Active Since: 1996

Actor: Born in Queens, New York, Jesse Eisenberg broke big in the 2010 biographical drama, The Social Network. Starring alongside Andrew Garfield, Eisenberg portrayed Mark Zuckerberg in what has since become a classic. Although his first feature film was Roger Dodger in 2002, his role in The Social Network propelled him to a new level of fame, leading to significant recognition from the Academy, the Golden Globes, and BAFTA. Prior to this, Eisenberg appeared in Zombieland and Adventureland, both of which were released in 2009 and proved quite successful overall. Recently, Eisenberg wrote, directed and starred in his Academy Award-nominated film, A Real Pain.

Character: J. Daniel Atlas is the leader of the Four Horsemen in the Now You See Me movies. Atlas is responsible for bringing the four magicians together at the beginning of the first movie. In the events that follow, the illusionist and street magician gets into trouble while trying to steal the world's most valuable jewel, leading the three other Horsemen to save him. Atlas possesses the greatest strength within the ensemble, and Eisenberg has revealed "Every day we walk onto set and pinch ourselves because the set pieces, the magic, the ensemble, it's really, truly miraculous." (via GamesRadar+)

James Franco As Jack Wilder

Born April 19, 1978

• Active Since: 1997

Actor: James Franco was born in California in 1978, and had his first breakout role in a television movie in 2001, James Dean. The project not only introduced his talent to a broader public and caught the eye of talent scouts, but it also launched Franco into a remarkable number of iconic films and franchises. Perhaps his most recognizable role is as Harry Osborn in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, from the years 2002 to 2007. Since then, Franco has collaborated with Seth Rogen on several projects, including This is the End, and The Disaster Artist, which earned him the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.

Character: Jack Wilder is the youngest member of Now You See Me's Four Horsemen, but just as cunning as the remaining . Starting his career as a daring pickpocket, Wilder specialized in sleight of hand illusions, picking locks, and impersonating voices. Franco's character s the group and quickly causes friction with certain certain individuals. That being said, he is reliable and proves himself to be integral to the group on a frequent basis. At one point, Wilder appears in the midst of a botched heist, despite having an altercation with Atlas shortly before, telling him "[I'm] saving your a--."

Woody Harrelson As Merritt McKinney

Born July 23, 1961

Active Since: 1985

Actor: Born in Midland, Texas, Woody Harrelson broke big in NBC's hit sitcom, Cheers. The show first aired in 1985, where Harrelson played Woody Boyd alongside Ted Danson's beloved bartender, Sam Malone. Cheers saw its final episode eight years later in 1993, but the co-stars have since started a podcast with Team Coco, called Where Everybody Knows Your Name. With a wealth of awards and a broad range of performances, Harrelson has proven himself a remarkably versatile actor. The actor's three Academy Award nominations were Best Actor for The People vs. Larry Flynt, as well as Best ing Actor for The Messenger and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

Character: Merritt McKinney stands out among the Horsemen with his captivating abilities as a mentalist and hypnotist. He is unhelpful and often impolite, and he loves to manipulate minds whenever he gets the opportunity. However, McKinney has dedicated many years of his life to finessing his skills and working closely with other magicians to improve alongside them, including James Franco's Jack Wilder. In reality, Harrelson's character has a tragic backstory. Before working with the Four Horsemen, his twin brother, Chase McKinney, took off with his life savings — leaving him with nothing.

Isla Fisher as Henley Reeves

Born February 3,1976

Active Since: 1993

Actor: Isla Fisher was born in Oman, on the coast of West Asia and the Middle East. Fisher's breakout role was in the 2005 comedy, Wedding Crashers, starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn. This role opened her up to many other projects in Hollywood, having successfully exhibited her comedic abilities. Before this, Fisher was featured in a range of Australian soaps such as Home and Away and Bay City. She began to transition into Hollywood with roles in Scooby-Doo and The Great Gatsby, and she is continuing to work in mainstream film and TV.

Character: Henley Reeves is the only female member of the Four Horsemen in Now You See Me. The actress only starred in the first movie, as there were scheduling conflicts during the sequel's production. Reeves specializes in escapology as a stage magician, and often undertakes the most dangerous tasks during the group's heists. She is the ex-partner and assistant of Atlas, as their relationship came to an end after a number of disagreements that involved her wanting to pursue her dreams, and Atlas's tendency to be overly demanding. Although her character was replaced in the second movie, Reeves will return for Now You See Me 3.

Mark Ruffalo As Dylan Rhodes

Born November 22, 1967

Active Since: 1988

Actor: Born in Wisconsin, United States, Mark Ruffalo had his breakout role as Terry Prescott in the 2000 feature film, You Can Count on Me. Ruffalo is one of the most diverse and recognizable actors in Hollywood. Aside from his most lucrative role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which happens to be the one that secured him international fame, Ruffalo has starred in a selection of projects. The actor has participated in numerous rom-coms, as well as thrillers, and has even gone on to receive a Tony Award nomination for his contribution in the Broadway revival of Awake and Sing!

Character: Dylan Rhodes is the main member of the ensemble in Now You See Me, outside the Four Horsemen. Rhodes is an unsuspecting FBI Agent, and is assigned to the Four Horsemen's case alongside the French agent, Alma Dray. Rhodes leads a number of interrogations against the Horsemen, but he's ultimately unable to find a reason to arrest them, resulting in their freedom. Ruffalo's character appears to be very opposed to the group, and a firm non-believer in magic, although it's revealed in the film's final act that he is the fifth Horseman of the group.

Michael Caine As Arthur Tressler

Born March 14, 1933

• Active Since: 1956

Actor: Michael Caine was born in London, England and Caine had his first breakout role playing the titular character, Alfie, in the film of the same name in 1966. Coincidentally, this was the role that earned him his first Academy Award for Best Actor at the prestigious ceremony. Caine is best known for his roles in The Italian Job, where he played the leading role, as well as Bruce Wayne's beloved Butler, Alfred, in Christian Bale's Dark Knight series. These films began the long-standing partnership between him and Christopher Nolan, where he can also be seen in The Prestige, Inception, and Interstellar.

Character: Arthur Tressler is the secondary antagonist in Now You See Me and later one of the two main antagonists of Now You See Me 2. Tressler becomes the benefactor of the Four Horsemen after attending their stage show in Las Vegas. The group reveal their plan to rob a bank, and they "randomly" choose a volunteer from the audience. The group invites him on stage, and while their act plays out, Atlas thanks Tressler for his sponsorship. However, it's soon revealed that the Four Horseman stole his money, on top of exposing his company's unethical practices.

Now You See Me's ing Cast & Characters

Beyond Its Main Stars, Now You See Me Boasts An Impressive Ensemble Cast

There are plenty of other characters in Now You See Me who are played by major Hollywood stars. Morgan Freeman is perhaps the most prominent example, who plays Now You See Me's Thaddeus Bradley. His character is a retired magician who works privately to expose the illusions of others, while profiting from the damage. Throughout the film, Bradley's actions are unpredictable as he seems to operate ahead of the Horsemen and the FBI.

This comprises nearly the entire cast, as the film focuses solely on these characters.

In addition to this, Dylan Rhodes' partner, Alma Dray, is portrayed by the French actress, Melanie Laurent. Her role is substantially smaller than her co-stars, but her character plays an important role in the credibility of Rhodes' deception and concealment. This comprises nearly the entire cast, as the film focuses solely on these characters. However, Now You See Me does feature brief appearances from other stars if you're vigilant, such as David Warshofsky, and Michael Kelly.

Source: GamesRadar+