Who’s your hit man? That’s the question that Glen Powell’s Gary Johnson asks in his new film “Hit Man,” because he quite literally plays multiple versions. Don’t worry though, he’s just one man — but he’s flanked by quite the team.
After a short theatrical run, Richard Linklater’s new film is now streaming on Netflix, and tells the (mostly) true story of a college psychology professor who helped out the New Orleans police department part-time. His job? Pose as a hit man for hire, meet with prospective clients, and let the police take it from there.
So, here are all the people you’ll need to know when watching the movie.
Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) — Powell plays the central character, and co-wrote the film with his director, Richard Linklater. You’ll recognize Powell from a lot, including Linklater’s “Everybody Wants Some!!,” but most recently from “Anyone But You” and “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Madison (Adria Arjona) — Madison is the would-be client that turns Gary Johnson’s life upside down. She’s played by Adria Arjona, who’s starred in the 2022 remake of “Father of the Bride” as Sofia Herrera, and in eight episodes of “Andor” on Disney+ as Bix Caleen. Previous films also include “Morbius” and “6 Underground.”
Claudette (Retta) — One of Gary’s most immediate colleagues is Claudette, who works in the van with him and Phil on stakeouts. You’ll recognize her immediately, as she’s played by “Parks and Rec” and “Good Girls” alum, Retta.
Jasper (Austin Amelio) — Jasper is a bad cop who Gary replaces as the fake hit man, after Jasper gets caught very publicly being a little too, uh, zealous in his job. He’s played by Austin Amelio, who previously worked with Linklater when he starred as Nesbit in “Everybody Wants Some!!” Amelio also starred as Dwight in both “The Walking Dead” and “Fear the Walking Dead.”
Phil (Sanjay Rao) — Phil is Gary’s other van cohort, but he’s too scared to play the hit man himself. He’s largely had small appearances in single episodes of TV series, including Max’s “The Flight Attendant,” and starred in the 2022 film “Bad Romance.”
Ray Masters (Evan Holtzman) — Ray is an abusive husband, and the reason Madison nearly becomes a client of Gary’s. Evan Holtzman plays the character and, similar to Rao, has largely appeared in single episodes of TV series. He did previously work with Glen Powell, when he appeared in “Hidden Figures” as Deke Slayton (Powell starred in the film as John Glenn).
