Netflix certainly is the home for movies in 2023. There are plenty of awesome films that are releasing in the 2023 new release movies, but the streamer has certainly been capturing our attention. From sequels such as Murder Mystery 2 to new films like Your Place or Mine, the streaming platform has continued to deliver movie after movie for fans to watch. Now, they’re continuing that trend with The Mother.
The new movie, starring Jennifer Lopez, is an action adventure tale that stars the famous singer/actress as the titular Mother, a former assassin who comes out of hiding in order to protect her daughter from people who wish to take out everything she loves, and more. The cast is small but full of stars, and I’m sure you’ve seen them in something before. Here is where you’ve seen The Mother cast in the past.
Jennifer Lopez (The Mother)
First up on the list is the obvious, and that is Jennifer Lopez, the star of the film and the main person we are watching. Lopez got her start in acting years ago, with one of her most-known appearances being in Selena, a biographical movie about the famous star who was killed at a young age, a true crime story that has continued to get wide-spread attention.
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However, Lopez's fame has only grown since then. Many people might know her from her music career that has spanned more than two decades, releasing hit after hit and going on tour, frequently collaborating with plenty of other artists, such as Pitbull, Iggy Azalea ,and others. She even starred in her own documentary called Halftime which covered the show that she did with fellow artist, Shakira, at the Super Bowl.
The star has done a lot in movies, however. I would personally call her a rom-com queen, because she’s been in several and Jennifer Lopez's best romantic comedies have truly shown her range as an actress. This includes some of her earlier films like Maid in Manhattan and The Wedding Planner, to recent romantic comedies like Marry Me (alongside Owen Wilson), as well as Shotgun Wedding.
Besides that, Lopez has also stepped into more dramatic roles, with her lead role in the Hustlers cast, and was also a judge on the long-running American Idol for a time. Lopez seems to be stepping into more dramatic roles with movies such as The Mother, so this probably won’t be the last time you see her in a film like this.
Lucy Paez (Zoe)
Next up on the list is Lucy Paez, the young actress who plays Zoe, The Mother's daughter. As you might expect, Paez is quite young and hasn’t had much of a chance to really show her talents in Hollywood yet, as this is her first major role in a movie.
She’s had smaller parts in films like Silencio, as well as The Exorcism of Carmen Farias, but hopefully, after appearing in The Mother, we’ll only continue to see more of her in the future.
Omari Hardwick (William Cruise)
Next up on the list is Omari Hardwick, who plays William Cruise in the action drama. Hardwick has been around in movies and television for a while, and has had multiple big roles in television shows such as Dark Blue, Being Mary Jane, Pieces of Her, and a main role on the hit Starz television series, Power. He was also a part of the voice cast for Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, a spinoff TV series of the Netflix movie from Zack Snyder.
Besides television, Hardwick has done plenty of movies as well. Some of his biggest that you might have seen him in include the aforementioned Army of the Dead, Spell, Sorry to Bother You, American Skin, Things Never Said, The Guardians and Kick-Ass, among others. Now, he can add The Mother to that list.
Gael García Bernal (Hector Álvarez)
Gael García Bernal plays Hector Álvarez, an arms dealer, in The Mother. Bernal has been around in the industry for a while, and has appeared in a variety of movies and television. One person he frequently collaborates with is actor Diego Luna, where he has been in several movies with him, including Y tu mamá también, Rudo y Cursi, The Terminal, and more.
Bernal has done his fair share of work without his good friend, as well, appearing in films such as Bad Education, The Motorcycle Diaries, the M. Night Shyamalan movie, Old, back in 2021, The King, Blindness, Mammoth, Wasp Network and more. He also voiced Hector Rivera in Coco, a fantastic Disney Pixar movie.
Aside from movies, Bernal has also been very successful in television. He had a lead role on the popular series, Mozart in the Jungle, which earned him critical acclaim, was a part of the miniseries, Station Eleven, on HBO Max, and starred in the Disney+ Marvel special, Werewolf by Night as the main character.
Joseph Fiennes (Adrian Lovell)
Next up on this cast list is Joseph Fiennes, who plays Adrian Lovell, another arms dealer and a mentor to The Mother. Fiennes has a lot of range when it comes to movies and television. His biggest films in his career thus far have been those such as Shapespeare in Love, for which he had the lead role, as well as Luther, Leo, Dust, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, Man to Man, Elizabeth, Strangerland, Risen, and more.
He’s also done some excellent work in television. One of his biggest roles in TV thus far was playing the role of Commander Fred Waterford in one of the best Hulu original series, The Handmaid’s Tale, but he’s also had roles in shows such as the Ryan Murphy-created series, American Horror Story: Asylum, where he played Monsignor Timothy Howard, as well as FlashForward, Camelot, Sherwood and others.
Paul Raci (Jons)
Last but not least, we need to talk about Paul Raci, who plays The Mother's friend, Jons, someone who aided her when she had to start over after vanishing from the public eye years ago. Raci is mainly known for his guest roles in television shows such as Baskets, Goliath, Parks and Recreation, Life, Heroes and many, many more.
He’s also appeared in movies like Sound of Metal, as well as The Glimmer Man, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story and more in smaller, supporting roles.
With a cast so small but so talented, I’m sure you’ll be seeing way more of the stars of The Mother soon enough. For now, I’m going to go and have fun watching this exciting action movie.
