The military thrillerAmerican Renegades, alternatively known as simplyRenegades, gained massive popularity on Netflix, and it’s partly due to its deeply talented cast.American Renegadesentered thelist of Netflix’s best moviesin early February 2025, and reached the number 3 spot on the streaming service’s most popular films. It’s also a contender to become one of thebest action movies on Netflix, given how audacious the plot ofAmerican Renegadesis, and how over-the-top its action sequences can get.
American Renegadesfollows a renegade Navy SEAL team during the Bosnian War in 1995. After an undercover operation to kidnap a tyrannical ruler, the team learns of a stash of gold that was stolen by the Nazis and hidden for decades. They decide to help a local woman, Lara (Sylvia Hoeks), recover the gold and distribute it back to its rightful owners. While it may not be asilly, feel-good action movie,American Renegadespresents a story that’s easy to root for and has more than enough action to keep viewers entertained.
Sullivan Stapleton As Matt Barnes
Date Of Birth: July 12, 2025
Actor: Sullivan Stapleton was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Stapleton’s breakthrough role was in 2010’sAnimal Kingdom, where he played Craig Cody. Since then, Stapleton’s most prominent role was likely as Themistokles in300: Rise of an Empire, the sequel to Zack Snyder’s historical fiction actioner300. Stapleton also had long-term starring roles inBlindspot, where he played Kurt Weller, and inStrike Back, where he played Sergeant Damien Scott.
300: Rise of an Empire
Darkness Falls
Matt
Character: InAmerican Renegades, Sullivan Stapleton plays Matt Barnes. Barnes was the leader of the Navy SEAL team. Throughout the movie, Barnes displayed a lot of care and respect for his team members, and he also showed a strong sense of justice by convincing his men to help Lara recover the Nazi gold.
Charlie Bewley As Stanton Baker
Date Of Birth: June 24, 2025
Actor: Charlie Bewley was born in London, England, United Kingdom.Bewley’s breakthrough role was inThe Twilight Saga: New Moon, where he played the vampire Demitiri. Bewley would go on to reprise that role in the remaining three movies in theTwilightsaga, and he even played a vampire again inThe Vampire Diaries, where he portrayed Galen Vaughn. Since then, Bewley has done an assortment of TV shows, action movies, and more dramatic roles.
Extant
Odin James
Character: InAmerican Renegades, Charlie Bewley plays Stanton Baker. Stanton was one of the main members of the SEAL team and the lover of Lara. Because of his relationship with her, Stanton was a fierce advocate for taking the mission to recover the gold. He also displayed an ability to work undercover, as he was one of the SEALs posing as a journalist inAmerican Renegade’s opening scene.
Sylvia Hoeks As Lara Simic
Date Of Birth: July 24, 2025
Actor: Sylvia Hoeks was born in Maarheeze, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.Hoeks' breakthrough role in Europe came in 2007, when she starred inDuska, but she wouldn’t gain international fame until she played the villainous Luv inBlade Runner 2049in 2017. Since then, Hoeks has starred in a number of American films and shows, includingThe Girl in the Spider’s Web, where she played Camilla Salander, and Apple TV+‘sSee, where she played Queen Kane.
See
Queen Kane
Character: InAmerican Renegades, Sylvia Hoeks plays Lara Simic. Lara is a local woman who has a romantic relationship with Stanton Baker. Lara’s grandfather survived the Nazi occupation, and after she discovered the lost stash of gold ingots, she enlists the help of Stanton’s SEAL team to recover them and distribute half to her people.
J.K. Simmons As Rear Admiral Levin
Date Of Birth: July 15, 2025
Actor: J.K. Simmons was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.Simmons had his breakthrough role in Sam Raimi’sSpider-Man, where he played the brash editor of the Daily Bugle, J. Jonah Jameson. Prior toSpider-Man, Simmons was a Broadway actor, and he went on to do far more dramatic roles in the future. Since 2002, Simmons has been known for his booming voice, which can be heard through Omni-Man in Prime Video’sInvincible, and his intense on-screen presence, which can be felt inWhiplash.
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Spider-Man
J. Jonah Jameson
Character: InAmerican Renegades, J.K. Simmons plays Rear Admiral Levin. Levin was the commanding officer of Matt Barnes’ Navy SEAL team, and he read the squad the riot act after their joyride in the tank through Sarajevo. Despite seeming mad at the team, Levin offered them a complimentary bottle of whiskey, and proved that he respected their bravery and courage more than he disliked their brazen methods.
American Renegades Supporting Cast & Character Guide
Joshua Henry as Ben Moran: Joshua Henry plays Ben Moran inAmerican Renegades. Ben is another member of the SEAL team, and he proved to be the butt of the group’s jokes when they went out to the bar after their first mission. Henry is best known for playing Roger intick, tick… BOOM!
Diarmaid Murtagh as Kurt Duffy: Diarmaid Murtagh plays Kurt Duffy inAmerican Renegades. Kurt was a member of Barnes' SEAL team, and he went undercover as the audio guy alongside Stanton in the film’s opening scene. Murtagh is best known for playing Leif inVikings, though he took a similar role toAmerican RenegadesinThe Monuments Men.
Dimitri Leonidas as Jack Porter: Dimitri Leonidas plays Jack Porter inAmerican Renegades. Jack was the explosives expert of the SEAL team, a skill which came in handy in several different ways. Leonidas is best known for playing Leonidas inCenturion, though he also worked with hisRenegadesco-star Diarmaid Murtagh previously inThe Monuments Men.
