Derivative and dumb, the 2018 movieDen of Thievesis a high-octane heist film that was a surprise hit at the box office despite moderately negative reviews from critics. Less than a month after the film’s release, its sequel,Den of Thieves 2: Pantera, was already in development; six years later, the film is finally set to release in 2024. Should you find yourself throwing onDen of Thievesin preparation for its reportedly “more fun” sequel, you’re sure to find several familiar faces.
The directorial debutofLondon Has Fallen screenwriter Christian Gudegast,Den of Thievesfollows a group of ex-special forces Marines who have turned to crime in bustling Los Angeles. Led by Ray Merrimen, the group plans to carry out a seemingly impossible heist: robbing the Federal Reserve. Hot on their tail is Detective Nick O’Brien and his gang of LASD officers ready to do whatever it takes to stop the criminals, regardless of morality or even the law.
Though many find the film derivative of classic crime thrillers, most notablyHeat,Den of Thievesis loved by its fans as a fun action flick that wears its love for the genre with pride.
Gerard Butler as Detective “Big Nick” O’Brien
Gerard Butlerstars inDen of Thievesas protagonist Nick O’Brien, a detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Unit. Brash and over-the-top, Butler’s O’Brien shows just one of this actor’s many sides. Butler first found stardom in the critically pannedDracula 2000, where he played none other than the Count himself.
Four years later, he starred as another cloaked menace, this time as the titular Phantom in Joel Schumacher’s 2004 film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Weber’sThe Phantom of the Opera. But Butler wouldn’t become the star he is today until 2007 when he led the Spartans to their demise inZack Snyder’s300.
In the years that followed, Butler starred in action movies of varying quality, includingRocknRolla,Law Abiding Citizen, andGamer. At the same time, the actor also tried to make a name for himself as a romantic lead inP.S. I Love You,The Ugly Truth, andThe Bounty Hunter. 2013 saw the Scottish actor first take on the role of Secret Service agent Mike Banning in the action flickOlympus Has Fallen, which hereprised in the sequelsLondon Has Fallen, andAngel Has Fallen.
Most recently, Butler has received quite a bit of praise for his role as pilot Brodie Torrance in the action thrillerPlane. And if you recognize Butler by his voice alone, then you’ve heard his voice as Hiccup’s father Stoick the Vast inHow to Train Your Dragonand its sequel.
Pablo Schreiber as Ray Merrimen
Playing ex-Special Forces Marine Ray Merrimen isPablo Schreiber. While not as big a star as Butler, Schreiber has had a number of recognizable roles over the years. His first major role was in the groundbreaking seriesThe Wire. He played union man Nick Sobotka in the series’ second season.
ForLaw and Order: Special Victims Unitfans, Schreiber will likely be most familiar as criminal William Lewis, antagonist to Detective Olivia Benson and the reason behind her trauma. At the same time, Schreiber played a different criminal in the Netflix comedyOrange Is the New Black, where he played antagonist George “Pornstache” Mendez.
Related:15 Heist Movies That Are Highly Rewatchable
Around the time ofDen of Thieves, Schreiber would take on more action-oriented roles in Michael Bay’s Benghazi thriller13 Hoursand alongside Dwayne Johnson inSkyscraper. It was also around this time that the actor joined the cast ofAmerican Godsas the leprechaun Mad Sweeney for the first two seasons.
True crime aficionados may also recognize Schreiber from his part as the husband Allan Gore in the miniseriesCandy. Meanwhile, gamers will recognize Schreiber as theface of the iconic hero Master Chiefin Paramount’s live-actionHaloadaptation.
O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Donnie Wilson
Getaway driver turned secret mastermind Donnie Wilson is played by musician/actorO’Shea Jackson Jr. The son of famed rapper Ice Cube, Jackson Jr. got his start as an actor by portraying his father in the N.W.A. biopicStraight Outta Compton. From 2015 to 2019, the actor had small roles inIngrid Goes West,Long Shot,Godzilla: King of the Monsters, andJust Mercy.
From 2019 to 2023, most of Jackson Jr.’s roles have been on television, most notably as political dissident Kawlan Roken inObi-Wan Kenobiand as coach Ike “Icon” Edwards in the acclaimed sports dramaSwagger. He returned to the big screen in the 2023 horror comedyCocaine Bear, in which he plays Daveed, the fixer who’s sent to Tennessee to recover the eponymous drugs.
Curtis Jackson aka 50 Cent as Enson Levoux
Merrimen’s right-hand man Enson Levoux is played by famedrapper and producerCurtis Jackson, otherwise known as50 Cent. In the style of Eminem, Jackson started his film career by appearing as a version of himself, Marcus Greer, in a movie loosely based on his own life,Get Rich or Die Tryin’.
Over the years, the rapper has starred alongside genre giants like Al Pacino and Sylvester Stallone in action thrillers includingRighteous KillandEscape Plan. In 2015, the rapper played boxing manager Jordan Mains in the sports dramaSouthpawopposite Jake Gyllenhaal.He also regularly cameos as himself in films such asLast Vegas,Spy, andPopstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.
In the same year that Jackson was inDen of Thieves, he reprised his role fromEscape Planas tech expert Hush in the direct-to-video sequelsEscape Plan 2: HadesandEscape Plan: The Extractors. Jackson’s career as an action star will be permanently cemented in the annals of history in 2024 as he joins the legendary cast ofExpend4bles.
On television, Jackson is most well known as Kanan Stark in the immensely popular crime dramaPower,for which he is also an executive producer.
Mo McRae as Detective Gus Henderson
Detective Gus Henderson is played by film and television actorMo McRae. McRae has had roles in several films, most notably as quarterback Leon Hayes inGridiron Gang,reporter Jimmy Carter inWild,and 7 & 7 inThe First Purge. However, he’s more recognizable for his plethora of television roles.
In the final three seasons ofSons of Anarchy, McRae played the new boss of the Niners, Tyler Yost. The next year, McRae played rapper J. Poppa in the popular musical dramaEmpire. During that time, he also starred as Blip Sanders in the highly acclaimed but short-lived baseball seriesPitch.
In 2019, McRae joined the castofBig Little Liesas Michael Perkins, a new teacher at Otter Bay Elementary. The actor’s latest role on television is in the dark comedyThe Flight Attendant, where he plays Cassie’s handler, CIA agent Benjamin Berry.
Meadow Williams as Holly
Playing Merrimen’s girlfriend and Big Nick’s one-time lover is actressMeadow Williams. Williams may not have a familiar name, but she will probably look familiar to eagle-eyed moviegoers. Often playing bit parts, Williams has been in films and television since the early ’90s, appearing in films likeThe Mask,Beverly Hills Cop III, andApollo 13.
On TV, Williams landed roles in episodes ofMurder, She Wrote,Dream On(from the creators ofFriends), andMarried … With Children. At the turn of the century, the actress turned exclusively to feature films, grabbing her only starring role in the 2008 indie thrillerSkeletons in the Desert. Most recently, Williams can be seen in the first film in theAfterseries as Professor Soto and in the 2020 sci-fi action movieBoss Level.
Dawn Olivieri as Debbie O’Brien
Nick’s soon-to-be ex-wife is played by actressDawn Olivieri, who fans of the superhero drama seriesHeroesmight recognize as the empath Lydia from Season 4. Other thanDen of Thieves, Olivieri has been in action films likeThe Last Witch HunterandBrightas well as the critically panned horror-thrillerTraffik.
She’s had recurring roles on popular shows likeTrue BloodandThe Vampire Diaries, and she was a series regular as Marty’s ex-wife Monica Talbot in the Don Cheadle-led comedy dramaHouse of Lies.Fans ofYellowstoneand its spinoffs may also recognize Olivieri for her part as Claire Dutton in the prequel1883or as Sarah Atwood in the main series.
Maurice Compte as Detective Benny “Borracho” Megalon
ActorMaurice Comptehas played both sides of the law in several different television shows over the years. Fans ofNarcosmight remember him as Colonel Horacio Carillo in Seasons 1 and 2. In theSons of AnarchyspinoffMayans M.C., Compte played another man trying to stop the drug trade, this time DEA agent Kevin Jimenez.
Related:Den of Thieves Ending, Explained
On the other side of the law, Compte playedPowerantagonist Diego Jimenez, who led the Jimenez cartel with his sister Alicia. More recently, Compte played the role of drug kingpin Josiah in the CW crime dramaIn the Dark.
Evan Jones as Bo “Bosco” Ostroman
On the side of the ex-Marines is Bosco as portrayed by actorEvan Jones. Jones is another one of those actors whose name probably doesn’t ring a bell, but his face can be seen in countless popular films and TV series. Jones’s first major role was in Eminem’s semi-autobiographicaldrama8 Mile,in which he played Jimmy’s friend Cheddar Bob.
Like many of his costars, Jones can regularly be found in TV crime dramas likeCSI: NY,Criminal Minds, andHawaii Five-0. Fans of DC’s TV outings might also recognize Jones from his minor roles inLegends of TomorrowandTitans. Jones has been in several hit films includingThe Book of EliandGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the latter in which he played Retch, a member of Yondu’s scavengers.
Fans of the horribly received Seth McFarlane comedyA Million Ways to Die in the Westwill recognize Jones as Lewis, the right-hand man to Liam Neeson’s Clinch Leatherwood.
Brian Van Holt as Detective Murph Connors
Like costars McRae and Compte, actorBrian Van Holtis also a part of theSons of Anarchyuniverse, albeit in a much smaller role. In the first season episode “Giving Back,” Van Holt plays Kyle Hobart, a former SAMCRO member who was excommunicated for abandoning Opie Winston at a crime scene and letting him take the fall.
Perhaps Van Holt’s best known television role was in the sitcomCougar Town, where he starred opposite Courtney Cox as Jules’ ex-husband, Bobby Cobb. Some of Van Holt’s best known film credits includeA Very Brady Sequel,Black Hawk Down, andWild, but perhaps the actor’s biggest claim to fame is his starring dual roles as twins Bo and Vincent Sinclair inthe underrated 2005 remakeofHouse of Wax.
