In 2014 Warner Bros. released a legal drama called The Judge that had admirably the most star-studded cast of that year.
The film was directed by David Dobkin, an American director who’s also known for movies such as Wedding Crashers and Shanghai Knights. However, The Judge received most of its attention thanks to its wide cast, featuring a number of renowned actors and actresses, many of whom starred in other Hollywood hits at that time.
In the movie, the main character, Hank Palmer, is a lawyer who visits his family in Indiana. He doesn’t have a great relationship with his father due to a conflict when the former was a teenager. However, when Palmer’s father is accused of murder, the lawyer takes over the case as lead counsel, trying to clear his dad’s name, who is revealed to be undergoing chemotherapy for terminal cancer.
Who stars in The Judge on Netflix?
The Judge, like many successful legal dramas, is impressive in many ways due to excellent acting by both the main and the supporting cast. It’s spearheaded by Robert Downey Jr., who was on top of the world at that time, mostly thanks to his role as Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film also features an array of other popular and superb actors, some of whom have also become known for their roles in superhero films. Here’s the list of all of them.
- Robert Downey Jr. as Henry Palmer, aka Hank, a high-powered defense attorney
- Robert Duvall as Joseph Palmer, aka The Judge, Hank’s father and a judge
- Vera Farmiga as Samantha Powell, aka Sam, Hank’s high school sweetheart
- Billy Bob Thornton as Dwight Dickham, the prosecutor
- Vincent D’Onofrio as Glen Palmer, Hank’s older brother
- Jeremy Strong as Dale Palmer, Hank’s younger brother
- Dax Shepard as C.P. Kennedy, Joseph’s attorney
- Emma Tremblay as Lauren Palmer, Hank’s daughter
- Leighton Meester as Carla Powell, Sam’s daughter
- Mark Kiely as Mark Blackwell, a man Joseph convicted of murder
- Denis O’Hare as Doc Morris
- Ken Howard as Judge Warren
- David Krumholtz as Mike Kattan
- Daryl Edwards as Judge Carter
- Grace Zabriskie as Mrs. Blackwell
- Balthazar Getty as Deputy Hanson
You may recognize some of these names from other popular productions in Hollywood from the past few years, including the MCU. Vera Farmiga is known for her role as Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring trilogy as well as the mother of Kate Bishop in MCU’s Hawkeye, Eleanor Bishop. Vincent D’Onofrio, on the other hand, plays the Kingpin, the villain of Netflix’s Daredevil series and Disney Plus’ Daredevil: Born Again series.
Jeremy Strong should be known by everyone who has watched a single episode of Succession since he plays a lead role in the series, Kendall Roy. However, he also appeared in other films, like The Big Short, where he was Steve Carell’s brilliant sidekick. Last but not least, let’s not forget Robert Duvall, who starred in The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and Gone in 60 Seconds, to name just a few.
Where can you watch The Judge?
Fortunately, you don’t have to look far to see the legal drama for yourself, if you haven’t already. The Judge is currently available on Netflix, arguably the most popular streaming service in the U.S., and the movie doesn’t seem to be disappearing from the platform anytime soon.