Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s ISS cast is packed with eclectic talents. Although not A-list actors, the six-person cast includes several notable faces in film and television. ISS was one of 2023 best science fiction thrillers set in space onboard the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS is the world’s largest space station, built by the collaborative efforts of NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada).
The movie’s plot centers around six astronauts – three Americans and three Russians. Although they enjoy each other’s company at first, when a nuclear war breaks out on Earth, their respective governments give them orders to commandeer the ISS by any means necessary. The movie follows the crew’s strategies to survive and overpower one another to ensure their government takes control of the space station. To help breathe life into Nick Shafir’s screenplay, here is the ISS cast and the characters they play.
Ariana DeBose as Dr. Kira Foster
Academy Awards winner Ariana DeBose leads the ISS cast, playing Dr. Kira Foster. Her character is introduced as a former marine and astronaut making her first trip to the ISS. As the star of the film, she’s one of the characters who play the moral compass when the United States and Russian governments order the astronauts to take over the space station. It’s no coincidence Ariana DeBose is chosen to lead the ISS cast. Ariana DeBose, whose television career began in 2009 as a contestant in season 6 of So You Think You Can Dance, made her acting debut in 2011. A decade later, her performance in Steven Spielberg’s musical romantic drama West Side Story (2021) earned DeBose her first Oscar nomination and win. Ariana DeBose is also known for her roles in Schmigadoon! (2021–2023), Westworld (2022), and Argylle (2024).
Chris Messina as Gordon Barrett
Gordon Barrett is the Commanding officer of the American astronaut team onboard the ISS. As Commander, Gordon received the message for the United States government to take control of the space station. Although only a supporting character, Gordon Barrett’s leadership skills are top-notch – putting himself on the line for the safety of the station’s crew. American actor and filmmaker Chris Messina joins the ISS cast as Gordon Barrett. Chris Messina is known for playing Chris Sanchez in Damages (2011-2012), Dr. Daniel Castellano in The Mindy Project (2012-2017), and Nathan Bartlett in Based on a True Story (2023). On the big screen, he portrayed Victor Zsasz in Birds of Prey (2020), David Falk in Air (2023), and Will Harper in the supernatural horror The Boogeyman (2023).
John Gallagher Jr. as Christian Campbell
Actor and musician John Gallagher Jr. was one of the last ISS cast members to join the project. Gallagher plays the last American astronaut, Christian Campbell. Although he sets out as one of the good characters, a plot twist will see him become one of the movie’s antagonists. Some of John Gallagher Jr.’s notable roles include The Newsroom (2012-2014), Olive Kitteridge (2014), 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), and Westworld (2020).
Masha Mashkova as Weronika Vetrov
Russian-American actress Masha Mashkova joins the cast, playing Weronika Vetrov. The character is one of the Russian cosmonauts onboard the International Space Station. Tasked to commandeer the space station, Vetrov, who has formed a romantic bond with Commander Gordon Barrett, is hesitant to cause harm to the American crew. She does her best to de-escalate things on the space station. ISS (2023) was Masha Mashkova’s debut in a Hollywood movie. In the same year, she also made her debut in American television in a recurring role as Svetlana Zakharova in For All Mankind (2023).
Costa Ronin as Nicholai Pulov
Russian-Australian actor Costa Ronin plays one of the Pulov cosmonaut brothers, Nicholai Pulov, onboard the International Space Station. The character is ISS‘ main villain, who, by orders given from his government, sets out to take control of the space station. Besides his acting credits, Costa Ronin has also raked in credits as a cinematographer. As an actor, Costa Ronin is known for his roles in Red Dog (2011), The Americans (2014-2018), Homeland (2018-2020), The Endgame (2022), and Obliterated (2023).
Pilou Asbæk as Alexey Pulov
A more familiar face to film audiences, Danish actor Pilou Asbæk joins the ISS cast as Alexey Pulov. Known for playing the villain, Asbæk’s character does his best to avoid conflict between the two teams. Pilou Asbæk got his international breakthrough playing Euron Greyjoy on HBO’s Game of Thrones. On the big screen, he has had starring roles in Ben-Hur (2016), Uncharted (2022), and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023). Besides the six-person ISS cast in 2023, check out the four-person cast of 65 science fiction movie.
Watch the official trailer for ISS below
Follow Us
