The Uprising (2026) Cast & Characters
Director Paul Greengrass has assembled a formidable British and international ensemble to portray the leaders of the 1381 Peasants' Revolt and the royal court of King Richard II.
Andrew Garfield
Character: Ploughman
The protagonist of the film: an English rural laborer and ploughman whose personal loss and defiance against feudal tax bailiffs transforms him into an unexpected leader of the 1381 rebellion.
Jamie Bell
Character: John Ball
The radical Lollard priest and ideological firebrand whose famous sermon — "When Adam delved and Eve span, who was then the gentleman?" — provided the moral and philosophical foundation for the Peasants' Revolt.
Stephen Dillane
Character: Archbishop Simon Sudbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor of England whose enforcement of the 1381 Poll Tax made him the prime target of the rebel commoners.
Tom Hollander
Character: Sir Robert Hales (Treasurer)
The Grand Prior of the Knights Hospitaller and Lord High Treasurer of England, responsible for the crown's fiscal policies and ruthless tax collection apparatus.
Cosmo Jarvis
Character: Wat Tyler
The charismatic and military-minded leader of the Kentish rebels who marched on Canterbury and London, negotiating directly with young King Richard II at Mile End and Smithfield.
Thomasin McKenzie
Character: Role Announced in Production
A crucial commoner ally whose resilience and voice amplify the plight of rural working women during the 1381 uprising.
Jonny Lee Miller
Character: Royal Council Lord
A senior aristocrat and counselor within King Richard II’s inner circle who advises ruthless military retaliation against the commoners.
Woody Norman
Character: King Richard II (Young Monarch)
The fourteen-year-old King of England who famously confronted the rebel horde at Mile End and Smithfield, navigating the lethal factional politics of his council.
Katherine Waterston
Character: Noblewoman / Rebel Confidante
A noble ally whose sympathies for the commoners provide insight into the moral dilemmas dividing England’s upper classes.
Stanley Townsend
Character: Mayor William Walworth
The combative Mayor of London who defended London Bridge and struck down Wat Tyler during the fateful Smithfield conference.
Sky Yang
Character: Rebel Vanguard Youth
A spirited young insurgent who travels with the vanguard from Kent to London, representing the generation born in the shadow of the Black Death.
Jamie Maclachlan
Character: Sheriff of Essex / Crown Envoy
The aggressive royal official whose heavy-handed tax collection in Brentwood, Essex ignited the initial armed resistance in May 1381.