Young Woman & The Sea Cast & Real-Life Character Guide

Summary Disney's Young Woman and the Sea has been praised for ensemble cast performances.

The movie celebrates Gertrude Ederle's historical English Channel swim in 1926.

Daisy Ridley leads the cast with veteran actors Christopher Eccleston and Stephen Graham.

The new Disney romance drama Young Woman and the Sea has received critical acclaim for the performances of its ensemble cast. The film is based on the true story of Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim across the English Channel in 1926. The movie celebrates her incredible achievement and examines her interpersonal connections with her trainer, sister, and others as events build toward the crossing. Young Woman and the Sea reviews have been mostly positive, with acclaim for the cast led by the charisma and likability of star Daisy Ridley.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Young Woman and the Sea is directed by Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Rønning, who previously worked with Disney on Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. He'll partner with the studio again for 2025's Tron: Ares. Young Woman and the Sea is playing in theaters for its limited release after initially planned as a Disney+ streaming original. Because of the limited release plan, it could arrive on the streaming service sooner than later.

Young Woman and the Sea Cast Role Daisy Ridley Gertrude "Trudy" Ederle Christopher Eccleston Jabez Wolffe Stephen Graham Bill Burgess Tilda Cobham-Hervey Margaret "Meg" Ederle Kim Bodnia Henry Ederle Jeanette Hain Gertrude Anna Ederle Glenn Fleshler James Sullivan Sian Clifford Charlotte Olive Abercrombie Young Trudy Ederle Lilly Aspell Young Meg

Daisy Ridley as Gertrude "Trudy" Ederle

Close

Active Since: 2013

Actor: Daisy Ridley is an English actress who rose to prominence playing Rey in the Star Wars sequels, beginning with The Force Awakens in 2015. While not considered the best Star Wars movies, Ridley earned praise for her performance in the trilogy and will return to the iconic sci-fi universe in a planned follow-up film. Outside of Star Wars, she hasn't had much luck with movies and shows, with Young Woman and the Sea being one of her highest-rated movies. She's an enormously talented actor, so hopefully, the 2024 movie is the start of a successful streak for her.

Notable Movies & TV Shows Star Wars: The Force Awakens Rey Murder on the Orient Express Mary Debenham Peter Rabbit Cottontail Rabbit Chaos Walking Viola Eade

Character: Ridley plays Trudy Ederle, the film's main protagonist, who's a competitive Olympic swimmer.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Christopher Eccleston as Jabez Wolffe

Close

Active Since: 1989

Actor: Christopher Eccleston is an English actor who's best known as the ninth iteration of the Doctor in Doctor Who. He had one of the shortest-lived tenures as the iconic character, having played the Doctor for only one season and thirteen episodes. Eccleston has had prominent roles on celebrated HBO shows like The Leftovers and True Detective and has appeared in tons of well-known films, including Elizabeth, 28 Days Later, and Thor: The Dark World.

Notable Movies & TV Shows Doctor Who Ninth Doctor Elizabeth Duke of Norfolk 28 Days Later Major Henry West Thor: The Dark World Malekith The Leftovers Matt Jamison

Character: Jabez Wolffe is Gertrude's trainer who previously attempted the English Channel swim.

Stephen Graham as Bill Burgess

Close

Active Since: 1990

Actor: Stephen Graham is an actor from Lancashire, England, whose breakout performance was in This is England. Graham has delivered prestige performances to some of the most celebrated films and shows of the 21st century, primarily in the crime genre. In film, he's appeared in Snatch, Gangs of New York, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and The Irishman. Stephen Graham has had memorable roles on the TV shows Boardwalk Empire, Peaky Blinders, and Band of Brothers.

Notable Movies & TV Shows Gangs of New York Shang Snatch Tommy This is England Combo Gascoigne Boardwalk Empire Al Capone Peaky Blinders Hayden Stagg

Character: Stephen Graham plays Bill Burgess, who was the second person to complete the English Channel swim, and Gertrude Ederle's coach.

Related 10 Biggest Details Young Woman & The Sea Leaves Out & Changes About Trudy Ederle's True Story Young Woman and the Sea is based on the true story of Trudy Ederle. We break down what the film changes or leaves out from the swimmer's real story.

Tilda Cobham-Hervey as Margaret "Meg" Ederle

Image via Disney

Active Since: 2013

Actor: Tilda Cobham-Hervey is an Australian actress whose film debut was in the independent film 52 Tuesdays, launching her into a career in movies, television, and theatre. Aside from Young Woman and the Sea, her most prominent roles so far have been in films like Hotel Mumbai and I Am Woman. In 2023, she appeared in the Australian Amazon Prime Video series in an ensemble led by Sigourney Weaver.

Notable Movies & TV Shows Hotel Mumbai Sally I Am Woman Helen Reddy The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart Agnes Hart

Character: Tilda Cobham-Hervey plays Gertrude's sister, Meg.

Young Woman & The Sea Supporting Cast & Characters

Kim Bodnia as Henry Ederle: Kim Bodnia is a Danish actor who's best known for his roles in the series Killing Eve and The Bridge. He also played a crime boss in the Danish film Pusher, which is well worth seeking out for fans of the crime genre.

Jeanette Hain as Gertrude Anna Ederle: Jeanette Hain is a German actress with over two decades of film acting credits, including the Best Picture-nominated romantic film The Reader.

Glenn Fleshler as James Sullivan: Glenn Fleshler is an American character actor who can be recognized for his roles in True Detective, Boardwalk Empire, and Billions. In his thirty-year career, he has also appeared in films like Joker.

Sian Clifford as Charlotte: Sian Clifford is an English actress who's been acting for nearly two decades. She's best known for playing Claire in the BBC series Fleabag.

Lilly Aspell as Young Meg: Lilly Aspell is a child actress who starred as the young version of Wonder Woman in the films Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984.