Knox Goes Away Cast & Character Guide

Summary Michael Keaton shines as both director and star in Knox Goes Away, a thriller with a solid ensemble cast.

John Knox, a contract killer with dementia, navigates a final job and family crisis in this tense film.

With Al Pacino and Marcia Gay Harden, Keaton weaves a unique story of crime and redemption.

Directed by Batman actor Michael Keaton, Knox Goes Away is an unusual crime thriller that's bolstered by a solid ensemble cast of characters. Keaton, who also co-produced the film, stars as John "Aristotle" Knox, a book-loving contract killer who's estranged from his wife, Ruby Knox (Marcia Gay Harden), and his adult son, Miles Knox (James Marsden). John Knox's best friend and hitman partner, Thomas "Tommy" Muncie (Ray McKinnon), becomes concerned when Knox suddenly leaves town on a personal errand. While away, Knox learns that he has a fast-moving form of dementia called Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease.

With just a few weeks left to live, Knox makes arrangements to cash out and retire from the contract-killer business. However, before calling it quits, Knox takes one more job from the crime boss, Jericho. While on assignment with Tommy, John accidentally shoots and kills his partner. Knox's circumstances only get more complicated when Miles shows up, frantic and afraid after killing the man who assaulted his teenage daughter. In Michael Keaton's underrated thriller, Knox sets out to evade the suspicions of Detective Emily Ikari (Suzy Nakamura) and secure his retirement funds before his disease takes over.

Knox Goes Away's Cast Actors' Roles In Knox Goes Away Michael Keaton John "Aristotle" Knox James Marsden Miles Knox Suzy Nakamura Detective Emily Ikari Ray McKinnon Thomas "Tommy" Muncie Marcia Gay Harden Ruby Knox Al Pacino Xavier Crane

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Michael Keaton As John "Aristotle" Knox

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Active Since: 1975

Character: Estranged from his wife and adult son, John Knox is a contract killer who's diagnosed with a fast-moving form of dementia called Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, which prompts him to want out of his line of work in Michael Keaton's action thriller with an 83% from Rotten Tomatoes' audiences.

Notable TV Shows & Films Michael Keaton's Role Batman Bruce Wayne / Batman Birdman Riggan Thomson / Birdman Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Dopesick Samuel Finnix Spider-Man: Homecoming Adrian Toomes / Vulture

Actor: Known for his leading roles in a wide variety of genre films, Michael Keaton is perhaps best-known for playing characters like Batman and Beetlejuice. An Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner, Keaton has been nominated for Oscars and a BAFTA. His more recent projects include Birdman, Dopesick, and The Flash — in which he played Batman once again.

James Marsden As Miles Knox

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Active Since: 1993

Character: Miles suddenly shows up on his father's doorstep, tearfully asking for help because he killed a man who assualted his daughter (John's granddaughter).

Notable TV Shows & Films James Marsden's Roles X-Men Scott Summers / Cyclops Dead to Me Steve Wood / Ben Wood Jury Duty Himself Westworld Teddy Flood The Notebook Lon Hammond

Actor: After guest starring in '90s shows like Saved by the Bell: The New Class and Party of Five, James Marsden gained wide-spread fame for his portrayal of Cyclops in the X-Men movies. Marsden has gone on to land roles in projects like The Notebook, Enchanted, Westworld, Dead to Me, and the more recent docu-comedy Jury Duty, in which he plays himself.

Suzy Nakamura As Detective Emily Ikari

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Active Since: 1996

Character: A determined detective, Emily Ikari gets involved in two murder cases — one committed by Miles and the other by John Knox.

Notable TV Shows & Films Suzy Nakamura's Roles The West Wing Cathy Dead to Me Karen Avenue 5 Iris Kimura Tacoma FD Linda Price Dr. Ken Allison Park

Actor: An acclaimed improv comedian and actor, Suzy Nakamura has had starring roles in Dr. Ken and Avenue 5, as well as guest appearances on sitcoms like According to Jim, Half and Half, 8 Simple Rules, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and How I Met Your Mother. While Nakamura has also landed dramatic roles (The West Wing), Knox Goes Away is definitely a departure from her traditional fare.

Ray McKinnon As Thomas Muncie

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Active Since: 1989

Character: Alongside Knox, Thomas "Tommy" Muncie is a contract killer employed by the mysterious crime boss Jericho. In many ways, he's Knox's best friend.

Notable TV Shows & Films Ray McKinnon's Roles O Brother, Where Art Thou? Vernon T. Waldrip Apollo 13 Jerry Bostick - FIDO White Deadwood Reverend H.W. Smith Sons of Anarchy US Attorney Lincoln Potter Dopesick Jerry Mallum

Actor: A recognizable character actor, Ray McKinnon has appeared in big-name projects like O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Apollo 13, The Blindside, Deadwood, Sons of Anarchy, and Fear the Walking Dead, among many others. Alongside his wife, Lisa Blount, and actor Walton Goggins, McKinnon founded the production company behind the Oscar-winning The Accountant.

Marcia Gay Harden As Ruby Knox

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Active Since: 1987

Character: Ruby is Knox's estranged wife and Miles' mother, who has a minor role in the film's ending.

Notable TV Shows & Films Marcia Gay Harden's Roles Miller's Crossing Verna Bernbaum Pollock Lee Krasner The First Wives Club Dr. Leslie Rosen The Morning Show Maggie Brener Mystic River Celeste Boyle

Actor: After her breakthrough role in the Coen brothers' film Miller's Crossing, Marcia Gay Harden won an Oscar for her portrayal of the artist Lee Krasner in Pollock. Her other well-regarded and well-known projects include The First Wives Club, Mystic River, Mona Lisa Smile, The Newsroom, and How to Get Away With Murder.

Al Pacino As Xavier Crane

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Active Since: 1967

Character: A former thief and friend of Knox's, Xavier Crane helps John come up with a plan to set his family up for life and evade Detective Ikari's suspicions for the murders.

Notable TV Shows & Films Al Pacino's Roles The Godfather Michael Corleone Scarface Tony Montana Scent of a Woman Frank Slade Angels in America Roy Cohn You Don't Know Jack Dr. Jack Kevorkian

Actor: An acclaimed stage and screen actor, the Oscar-winning Al Pacino has appeared in classics such as Scent of a Woman, Serpico, The Godfather movies, and Scarface. For his TV roles in Angels in America and You Don't Know Jack, Pacino won Golden Globes.

Related Knox Goes Away Review: Keaton Directs & Stars In Overly Ambitious Thriller With great performances all around & a well-intentioned script that is creative & overly ambitious, Knox Goes Away is compelling in its own right.

Other Members Of Knox Goes Away's Cast

Michael Keaton's Crime Thriller Features A Large Ensemble

Joanna Kulig as Annie: An acclaimed actor in the Polish cinema scene, Kulig has appeared in the Academy Award-winning Ida as well as TV series like Hanna and Masters of the Air.

John Hoogenakker as Detective Rale: Hoogenakker has appeared in a wide variety of TV projects, including Chicago Fire, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, Castle Rock, and Dopesick.

Lela Loren as Cheryl Knox: Despite film roles in The Hangover Part III and Reign Over Me, Loren's most well-known works include Altered Carbon and Power.

Dennis Dugan as Philo Jones: Behind the scenes, Dugan is most well-known for his partnership with Adam Sandler, for whom he directed many films, including Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, and The Benchwarmers, among many others.

Jay Paulson as Detective Gelfuso: A relative newcomer, Paulson appeared in George Clooney's remake of Catch-22 as well as AMC's Mad Men.

Paul Perri as Dr. Burns: Best known for genre films like Hellraiser: Bloodline and Manhunter, Perri has appeared in tons of TV projects too, from Grey's Anatomy to Prison Break.

Chad Donella as Jordan Moore: After getting his start on the stage, Donella appeared in TV classics like The X-Files, Smallville, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, NCIS, and Lost, though his more recent projects include Blindspot and Scandal.

As of July 2024, Knox Goes Away is streaming on Max.