Snatch has become a cult classic comedy, and part of what makes it great is its unique characters played by an unlikely cast. The London-based film is clearly influenced by Quentin Tarantino's first two movies, as Snatch follows the aftermath of a jewel heist, just like Reservoir Dogs, and it has a multi-stranded narrative, just like Pulp Fiction. Most of all, it's full of pop-culture-referencing one-liners, over-the-top violence and comedy, and distinctly memorable characters. Snatch interweaves boxing promoters, jewelers, bank robbers, and many other sketchy characters all fighting to get their hands on a diamond.
Snatch put Guy Ritchie on the map, as it was his breakthrough film and on a much higher level than his directorial debut, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. However, not only is it one of Guy Ritchie's best movies, but it was also the breakout movie for many actors, too. Jason Statham, Stephen Graham, and other recognizable performers have roles in the comedy, and they bring their colorful characters to life. Only one movie star features in the movie: Brad Pitt. His dialogue is completely unintelligible, but the Snatch characters using the local vernacular is part of the movie's charm.
Jason Statham As Turkish
Turkish is an underground boxing promoter whose primary job is to make sure his boxers are in good enough shape to fight when the match comes around. But it turns out he isn't all that great at it, despite his confidence, especially when he hires Mickey to fight. Given that Turkish is the narrator of the movie, he provides many of Snatch's best quotes, which are only made more memorable by his distinct Cockney accent. Jason Statham became a huge actor after starring in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, going on to star in blockbuster franchises, including The Expendables, Crank, The Meg, and Fast & Furious.
Stephen Graham As Tommy
Tommy is Turkish's sidekick, but he doesn't have half the confidence and always makes things worse when his partner isn't around, such as paying thousands for a broken-down caravan from Irish travelers. Though Tommy isn't involved in the fight over the diamond whatsoever, he and Turkish end up with the stone after he adopts the dog that eats it. Marking his breakout role, Snatch features one of Stephen Graham's best performances, but the actor is also memorable in two Martin Scorsese movies: Gangs of New York and The Irishman.
Alan Ford As "Brick Top" Pullford
Almost every character in Snatch is some sort of criminal, but they all also have some kind of likable quality to them. However, Brick Top is easily the most unlikeable character, as he sadistically describes how to dispose of human bodies by feeding them to pigs, runs dogfights, and threatens to torture people for simply looking at him wrong. Alan Ford is a quintessentially British performer who is well-known overseas, and he's often cast in English gangster movies, such as The Smoke.
Dennis Farina As Abraham "Cousin Avi" Denovitz
Cousin Avi is the only American character in Snatch, as he's a New Yorker who despises England but visits to collect the 82-carat diamond. There are so many sketchy things about the character, and Avi isn't even the character's real name. In many ways, he's the eyes of the audience, as he's constantly confused by what's going on and doesn't understand the local vocabulary or dialect. Dennis Farina is best known for his typecast roles as mobsters and police officers in such movies as Get Shorty, Out of Sight, and Midnight Run and the TV shows Crime Story and Law & Order.
Brad Pitt as Mickey O'Neil
Mickey O'Neil is an Irish boxer who puts Turkish in danger when he doesn't take a fall during his fights. It turns out he's secretly betting on himself to win, but Turkish doesn't have to worry about his life being on the line, as Mickey has Brick Top shot dead. Famed for his lead roles in Fight Club, Se7en, Inglourious Basterds, Bullet Train, and the Ocean's Eleven franchise, American movie star Brad Pitt couldn't do a London accent as Guy Ritchie had planned for Mickey. That's why the character speaks in an unintelligible Irish accent in Snatch instead.
Benicio Del Toro As Franky Four-Fingers
The Snatch character Franky Four-Fingers is a professional thief and gambling addict, and he kicks the movie's whole plot into motion, as he robs the jeweler and takes the 82-carat diamond. But his luck runs out when Boris learns about the diamond and hires Vinny and Sol to rob him. Though the robbery doesn't go as planned, Franky ends up tied to a chair with a hood over his head with his fate in the hands of Boris, who shoots him dead. Though Franky is among Benicio Del Toro's best roles, he's become a major Hollywood actor, playing the Collector in the MCU and DJ in the Star Wars franchise.
Robbie Gee As "Vinny" Vincent
Vinny is a pawnbroker who pulls off small-time robberies with his friend Sol. The two are hired by Boris to rob Franky Four-Fingers, who will be at a betting exchange. The robbery goes terribly, and Vinny and Sol look like the world's dumbest criminals. It goes from one botched robbery to the next when they try to hold up Bullet-Tooth Tony, only to end up getting held up by him instead. Gee hasn't been in many movies outside of British gangster films, but he had minor roles in Zack Snyder's Justice League and Paddington 2, which is one of the best sequels ever made.
Lennie James As "Sol" Solomon
Sol is a lot more easy-going and a lot less trigger-happy than his partner, Vinny. Sol has the best moral compass in Snatch, and it's almost as if he's forced into the crimes by Vinny. Out of everything that happens to the characters in Snatch, Sol's fate is somewhat undeserved. At the end of the movie, Vinny and Sol are arrested by police for being in the same area where Brick Top's dead body is supposedly hidden. Lennie James has had a successful career following Snatch, as he's best known for playing Morgan Jones on the TV series The Walking Dead.
Snatch's Supporting Cast & Characters
Vinnie Jones as Bullet-Tooth Tony: Bullet-Tooth Tony is hired by Cousin Avi as his muscle while in London and to help retrieve the diamond. Vinnie Jones had previously worked with Guy Ritchie on Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and he later co-starred again with Brad Pitt as part of the cast of Bullet Train.
Ade as Tyrone: Tyrone is Vinny and Sol's getaway driver when they attempt to rob the bookies. He's the worst getaway driver imaginable and responsible for everything that goes wrong for the duo. He's eventually murdered by Tony in the pub. Ade hasn't done much acting since Snatch, but he had a minor role in Casino Royale.
Rade Šerbedžija as Boris "The Blade" Yurinov: Boris is a Russian arms dealer who attempts to steal the diamond to the point where he's running around with a giant assault rifle. He's another victim of Tony's, as he's shot dead in the pub, too. Rade Šerbedžija has had minor roles in many blockbuster movies, including Batman Begins and X-Men: First Class.
Adam Fogerty as Gorgeous George: There's no doubt that Snatch is a great boxing movie, but it features some of the worst boxers. Gorgeous George is knocked out by one punch from Mickey and spends the rest of the movie being fed his food. Adam Fogerty has been featured in several tough, British crime movies thanks to him being a former boxer.
Mike Reid as Douglas "Doug The Head" Denovitz: Doug the Head is the diamond dealer who arranges the deal between Franky and Avi before everything goes wrong in Snatch. Though he didn't become a movie star, Mike Reid is an icon in the UK for playing Frank Butcher in the soap opera Eastenders for 780 episodes.