This article contains discussions/references to sexual assault an drug use
With a narrative so extensive that it needed two movies to tell it, Kill Bill has one of the biggest ensemble casts of Quentin Tarantino’s career, featuring some of the most badass characters in the Tarantino oeuvre. The two-part action-packed epic revolves around former assassin, Beatrix “The Bride” Kiddo’s, quest to exact vengeance against the fellow contract killers who left her for dead at her wedding. From the five names on the Bride’s kill list to the allies she makes along the way, Kill Bill is full of colorful characters.
Kill Bill wasn’t as successful in awards season as most of Tarantino’s other movies – Oscar voters tend to dismiss action films – but it was one of his biggest box office hits. Volume 1 became known as one of the best revenge movies in the 2000s thanks to its engaging narrative and Volume 2 concluded that story in a wildly satisfying way. With a sprawling cast full of Tarantino regulars like Uma Thurman and Michael Madsen and exciting newcomers like Lucy Liu and David Carradine, Kill Bill cast the perfect actor for each character.
Uma Thurman As The Bride
Uma Thurman plays the lead role of Beatrix “The Bride” Kiddo (codenamed “Black Mamba”), a former assassin seeking revenge after her old co-workers killed her wedding party and left her to die. Dubbed “the deadliest woman in the world,” Kiddo is one of the most formidable antiheroes in Tarantino’s rogues’ gallery. Thurman had previously worked with Tarantino when she played the quotable Mia Wallace in Pulp Fiction. The role of Mia made Thurman an overnight star and led to parts in movies like The Truth About Cats & Dogs, Batman & Robin, and Gattaca.
David Carradine As Bill
The titular villain in Kill Bill, codenamed “Snake Charmer,” is played by David Carradine. The leader of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, Bill is the Bride’s former lover and the father of her daughter. He’s the last name on the Bride’s kill list. Carradine’s voice can be heard in Volume 1, but he doesn’t appear on-screen until Volume 2. Carradine is best known for playing peaceful Shaolin monk Kwai Chang Caine in the ‘70s TV series Kung Fu. The series was previously referenced by Tarantino in Pulp Fiction, as Jules’ “wander the earth” plan was based on Caine’s lifestyle.
Daryl Hannah As Elle Driver
Daryl Hannah played Elle Driver (codenamed “California Mountain Snake”), who is the Bride’s closest rival and Bill’s new lover. Hannah made her screen debut in Brian De Palma’s supernatural thriller The Fury. She went on to become one of the go-to romantic comedy leads of the 1980s with roles in classics, such as Splash and Roxanne. She also played more dramatic roles in Blade Runner, Wall Street, and Steel Magnolias. After Kill Bill, Hannah played Angelica Turing in the Wachowskis’ short-lived Netflix sci-fi series Sense8. In addition to her acting career, Hannah is a well-known environmental activist.
Michael Madsen As Budd
Bill’s brother Budd, codenamed “Sidewinder,” is played by Michael Madsen. After the dissolution of the Deadly Vipers, Bill gets a job as a bouncer at a strip club. Madsen is one of Tarantino’s frequent collaborators. He played the sadistic Mr. Blonde in Tarantino’s first film, Reservoir Dogs, had a supporting role in The Hateful Eight and a cameo appearance in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Madsen also played Jim Morrison’s friend Tom Baker in The Doors, Louise’s boyfriend Jimmy in Thelma & Louise, and Jesse’s foster dad Glen Greenwood in Free Willy.
Lucy Liu As O-Ren Ishii
The Bride’s first target, O-Ren Ishii, is played by Lucy Liu. Codenamed “Cottonmouth,” O-Ren has a complex backstory detailed in Kill Bill’s stunning anime segment. After witnessing her parents’ murders at the hands of the yakuza, O-Ren became a skilled killer, avenged her parents, and took over the yakuza for herself. Liu is known for her TV roles as Ling Woo in Ally McBeal and Joan Watson opposite Jonny Lee Miller’s Sherlock Holmes in the iconic Elementary. She also played Alex Munday in the Charlie’s Angels films and voiced Master Viper in the Kung Fu Panda franchise.
Vivica A. Fox As Vernita Green
Vernita Green, codenamed “Copperhead,” is the first of the Bride’s revenge targets to be killed on-screen (although not the first to be killed chronologically). After the Deadly Vipers disbanded, Green became a mother and homemaker in the suburbs under the assumed name of Jeannie Bell. Green is played by Vivica A. Fox. Fox got her start appearing on the variety series Soul Train before joining the cast of the classic soap opera Days of Our Lives. She also starred alongside Patti LaBelle in the sitcom Out All Night and played a supporting role in Independence Day.
Kill Bill Supporting Cast & Characters
Julie Dreyfus as Sofie Fatale: O-Ren’s lawyer, best friend, and second lieutenant, Sofie Fatale, is played by Julie Dreyfus. Dreyfus is a French actor best known for her roles in Japanese movies like Tōki Rakujitsu and Rampo. Tarantino later cast her in Inglourious Basterds.
Sonny Chiba as Hattori Hanzō: The legendary swordsmith who comes out of retirement to make a sword for the Bride, Hattori Hanzō, is played by Sonny Chiba. Chiba is a martial arts movie icon best known for starring in the Street Fighter movies, which Tarantino featured in True Romance.
Gordon Liu as Johnny Mo and Pai Mei: Gordon Liu has dual roles in Kill Bill. He plays Johnny Mo, the head of the Crazy 88’s, in Volume 1, and Pai Mei, the Bride’s mentor, in Volume 2. Liu has appeared in many classic martial arts films, most notably The 36th Chamber of Shaolin.
Michael Parks as Ranger Earl McGraw and Esteban Vihaio: Michael Parks also plays two roles in Kill Bill. He plays Earl McGraw, the Texas Ranger who investigates the wedding chapel massacre, in Volume 1, and Esteban Vihaio, Bill’s father figure who helps the Bride find him, in Volume 2. Parks first played McGraw in From Dusk till Dawn and later reprised the role in Grindhouse. Parks also turned Justin Long into a walrus in Tusk.
Chiaki Kuriyama as Gogo Yubari: O-Ren’s sadistic bodyguard, Gogo Yubari, is played by Chiaki Kuriyama. Besides Gogo, Kuriyama’s most iconic role is Takako Chigusa in Battle Royale.
Michael Bowen as Buck: Buck, the hospital orderly who sexually assaulted the Bride during her coma, is played by Michael Bowen. Bowen is best known for playing Nicolas Cage’s love rival in Valley Girl and Todd’s white supremacist uncle Jack Welker in Breaking Bad.
Perla Haney-Jardine as B.B.: The Bride’s daughter, B.B., who was raised by her father Bill while her mother is comatose, is played by Perla Haney-Jardine in Kill Bill. Haney-Jardine also played the Sandman’s terminally ill daughter Penny Marko in Spider-Man 3 and the titular Apple co-founder’s daughter Lisa Brennan-Jobs in Steve Jobs. Tarantino gave her a cameo role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as the hippie who sells an acid-dipped cigarette to Cliff Booth.