Land Of Bad Cast & Character Guide: Russell Crowe Leads Action Movie
Summary Land of Bad's small ensemble adds thrilling depth to the modern war movie, led by standout performances from Hemsworth and Crowe.
Viewership numbers on Netflix reveal Land of Bad to be a global hit, with intense action and a talented cast drawing praise.
The central cast, including Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth, offers a nice mix of veteran actors and younger talents worth exploring.
The Land of Bad cast is a small ensemble but the actors all add to the thrilling modern war movie. The 2023 film centers on young JTAC officer Kinney (Liam Hemsworth), who unwittingly finds himself part of a Delta Force extraction team in the Philippines, which includes Sergeant Abel, and Reaper (Russell Crowe), the USAF drone pilot who gives the team air support. The movie is directed by William Eubank, who also serves as a producer and co-wrote the screenplay with David Frigero.
Following a small theatrical window that earned it minimal attention, Land of Bad's viewership numbers on Netflix have proven the movie a global hit, with the audience finally finding it on streaming. While the intense and grounded action of the thriller has been praised, the central cast is also a big selling point for the movie. With a nice mix of veteran actors and younger up-and-coming talents, the Land of Bad cast is worth exploring in more detail.
Actors Characters Image Russell Crowe Reaper Liam Hemsworth Kinney Milo Ventimiglia Captain Sugar Luke Hemsworth Sergeant Abell Robert Rabiah Saeed Hashimi
Related 10 Best Movies Like Land Of Bad Land of Bad was a fantastic war thriller that blended wartime drama and intense action, leaving many viewers searching for what to watch next.
Russell Crowe
As Reaper
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Character: The biggest name in the Land of Bad cast is Oscar winner Russell Crowe, who steps into the role of Reaper, the USAF drone pilot who helps the extraction team on the ground in the Philippines. Reaper is shown to be a man of particular habits and he can easily lose his temper when people do not abide by the rules he lays out. However, he proves to be an asset to the men on the ground, working tirelessly to help Kinney get out safe while also dealing with the impending birth of his child.
Title Role L.A. Confidential (1997) Officer Wendell "Bud" White Gladiator (2000) Maximus Decimus Meridius A Beautiful Mind (2001) John Nash 3:10 to Yuma (2007) Ben Wade The Nice Guys (2016) Jackson Healy
Actor: Russell Crowe has starred in a number of acclaimed movies, earning his breakout role in the United States as the brutal yet principled detective Bud White in the Oscar-winning noir thriller L.A. Confidential. Crowe further cemented his star status in Hollywood with his Oscar-winning turn as the heroic Maximus in Ridley Scott's Gladiator.
The actor was nominated for Oscars for his roles as Jeffrey Wigand in The Insider and John Nash in A Beautiful Mind. He has continued to show his versatility over the years in everything from the Western 3:10 to Yuma to the crime-comedy The Nice Guys. Crowe will soon be seen in the comic book movie Kraven the Hunter.
Liam Hemsworth
As Kinney
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Character: While Russell Crowe is the biggest name in the Land of Bad cast, Liam Hemsworth is the true star of the movie. Hemsworth plays Kinney, the JTAC officer who becomes part of the extraction team. Kinney is out of his element on this on-the-ground mission and was not even meant to be part of it in the first place. While he makes for a grounded protagonist who is scared and ill-equipped in the beginning, he develops into a hero when the lives of his comrades are on the line.
Title Role The Last Song (2010) Will Blakelee The Hunger Games (2012) Gale Hawthorne The Expendables 2 (2012) Billy "The Kid" Timmons Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) Jake Morrison The Witcher (TBA) Geralt of Rivia
Actor: Hemsworth's first big role was Josh Taylor on the long-running Australian soap opera Neighbours, but he broke out into the Hollywood mainstream when he played Gale Hawthorne in the Hunger Games movies. Hemsworth is a versatile actor, having starred in a variety of film genres, including the action movie The Expendables 2 as Billy "the Kid" Timmons, the sci-fi blockbuster Independence Day: Resurgence as Jake Morrison, and the rom-com Isn't It Romantic as Blake. Hemsworth will soon take over the role of Geralt in The Witcher on Netflix.
Milo Ventimiglia
As Captain Sugar
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Character: Among the Land of Bad cast is Milo Ventimiglia as Captain Sugar, a leader of the extraction team. Sugar is a man of few words in the lead-up to the mission, but he proves to be a strong leader when things start to get chaotic in the field. Though Kinney originally thinks Sugar was killed in the initial ambush, the commanding officer returns to save Kinney. Further proving his loyalty to his team, Sugar insists that he and Kinney return to the hostile territory to save their captured ally.
Title Role Gilmore Girls (2001-2006) Jess Mariano Heroes (2006-2010) Peter Petrelli Rocky Balboa (2006) Rocky Balboa Jr. This Is Us (2016-2022) Jack Pearson The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019) Denny Swift
Actor: Ventimiglia is best known for his TV roles as Rory's bad boy love interest Jess Mariano in Gilmore Girls and family patriarch Jack Pearson in This Is Us. He was also one of the main characters in Heroes as Peter Petrelli, the super-powered man who has the ability to absorb the powers of other superpowered beings. In film, Ventimiglia notably starred in Rocky Balboa as the titular boxer's son, Rocky Balboa Jr., a role he would reprise in Creed II, and The Art of Racing in the Rain as Denny Swift.
Related Land Of Bad Ending Explained Liam Hemsworth's Land of Bad has an ending befitting the movie's overall tense tone, with the twists and turns throughout influencing the finale.
Luke Hemsworth
As Sergeant Abel
Character: Sergeant Abel is the other leader of the extraction team in Land of Bad, and he's played by Luke Hemsworth. Like the other members of the team, Abel is not too impressed by what he sees in Kinney as a soldier. However, he is somewhat amused by the inexperienced yet friendly young soldier. He makes more of a connection with him than the rest of the team and even tells Kinney that he has children back home.
Title Role Neighbours (2001-2002) Nathan Tyson Westworld (2016-2022) Ashley Stubbs Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Thor actor Next Goal Wins (2023) Keith
Actor: The eldest Hemsworth brother also got his start in Neighbours as Nathan Tyson. His most famous role is Ashley Stubbs in the cast of Westworld, the Head of Security for the titular theme park. The actor also notably starred opposite brother Chris Hemsworth in Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder, in which Luke played Actor Thor.
Robert Rabiah
As Saeed Hashimi
Character: Robert Rabiah plays the leader of the Abu Sayyaf rebels, Saeed Hashimi, in the Land of Bad cast. Hashimi is introduced from afar as Kinney and his team observe his actions. However, even from a distance, he cements himself as a vicious killer, beheading a woman and preparing to do the same to a young boy before he's stopped. However, the Land of Bad's villain is given some complexity as he explains to Kinney that he is haunted by the brutality of his actions, but feels that makes him more human than the Americans who attack dispassionately with drones.
Title Role Neighbours (1999) Spiro Pilotis Chopper (2000) Nick Deadline Gallipoli (2015) Mehmet Face to Face (2011) Hakim Slimon Ali's Wedding (2017) Mohsen
Actor: Most of Rabiah's acting credits were filmed in his native Australia, and like the Hemsworth brothers, he too got his start on Neighbours, playing Spiro Pilotis. His other notable TV credits include Fat Tony & Co. as Dario Mancini and Deadline Gallipoli as Mehmet. In movies, he has played Nick in Chopper, Hakim Slimon in Face to Face, and Mohsen in Ali's Wedding.
Land Of Bad Supporting Cast & Characters
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Ricky Whittle as Bishop - Bishop is played by Ricky Whittle, another member of the extraction team who immediately forms an antagonistic relationship with Kinney. However, Bishop grows to respect him when the young soldier proves himself in battle. Prior to joining the Land of Bad cast, Whittle had several prominent television roles, including Calvin Valentine in Hollyoaks, Daniel Zamora in Mistresses, and Shadow Moon in American Gods.
Chika Ikogwe (Staff Sgt. Nia Branson) - Chika Ikogwe plays Staff Sgt. Nia Branson in the Land of Bad cast. Branson is Reaper's partner in overseeing the support for the mission and is also his good friend, asking Reaper to walk her down the aisle at her upcoming wedding. In 2022, Ikogwe appeared in the film Unravelling as Zira and the TV series Heartbreak High as Jojo Obah.
Daniel Macpherson (Colonel Duz Packett) - Daniel MacPherson plays Colonel Dux Packett in Land of Bad, the commanding officer at Reaper's base and a man Reaper constantly butts heads with. Another Neighbours alumnus, MacPherson played Joel Samuels on the soap opera. He is also known for co-hosting six seasons of Dancing with the Stars.
George Burgess as Cooper - George Burgess plays Cooper in the Land of Bad cast, one of the soldiers at the base where Reaper works. Burgess is a professional English rugby player who last played for the Cairns Brothers in the Cairns District Rugby League. The athlete has appeared in two feature films, in Locusts as Ivan and Rising Wolf as Sergey.

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