The highly-publicized sexual harassment scandal at Fox News is brought to life in Bombshell by a star-studded cast. Directed by Jay Roach, the movie tells the story of several women who accused Fox News CEO Roger Ailes of sexual harassment in 2016. Bombshell's cast comprises actors and actresses taking on the appearances, personalities, and mannerisms of real-life figures involved in the scandal.
In 2016, Fox News became caught in a major sexual harassment scandal when Roger Ailes was accused of sexual harassment by multiple women who worked as anchors at Fox News, most notably Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly. Fox settled lawsuits with some of the women, and in 2016 Ailes stepped down as CEO. Ailes passed away less than a year later.
Bombshell isn't the first project to dive into the scandal surrounding the late Fox News mogul. Released in 2018, a documentary titled Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes looked at interviews with the people who knew him. Showtime's The Loudest Voice, a miniseries that aired over the summer, focused on important events from Ailes' life. Unlike Divide and Conquer and The Loudest Voice, Bombshell deals exclusively with the allegations against Ailes — most notably, Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson's.
Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly
During her time at Fox News, Megyn Kelly was one of the network's top anchors. Kelly was the host of her own nightly show, The Kelly File, which was often the #1 program in its time slot. After some women had already come forward against Ailes, Kelly spoke out as well, and claimed that Ailes made a number of unwanted sexual advances toward her. Thanks to hair, makeup, and prosthetics, actress Charlize Theron went through a remarkable transformation to play Kelly on the big screen. Theron's performance as Megyn Kelly has already been nominated for the Golden Globe Award for "Best Actress", and several more.
Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson
The Roger Ailes scandal kicked off in the summer of 2016 when Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson, who was fired from the network, filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Ailes and alleged that she lost her job as the result of her refusal of his sexual advances. Gretchen Carlson worked as a co-host of the popular morning show, Fox and Friends while also hosting The Real Story with Gretchen Carlson in the daytime. Carlson's accusations started a fire at Fox News, as a long list of women followed suit with similar allegations. In Bombshell, Carlson is played by another A-list actress, Nicole Kidman. Kidman's role as Carlson has earned her multiple award nominations, including a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Margot Robbie as Kayla Pospisil
Margot Robbie, star of Suicide Squad, Mary Queen of Scots, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, plays one of the three leading roles in Bombshell. Robbie's character is Kayla Pospisil, a young woman with strong, conservative views who gets a job at Fox News. Kayla is loyal to Ailes and Fox News, but this loyalty is tested when she gets to know Ailes. Kayla isn't a real person, but her part in the film is based on stories from many of Ailes' anonymous accusers. For her work in the movie, Robbie has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for "Best Supporting Actress".
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John Lithgow as Roger Ailes
Celebrated actor John Lithgow, who had an award-winning performance in The Crown as Winston Churchill, takes on the role of Roger Ailes himself in Bombshell. To play Ailes, Lithgow had to wear a fat suit and a great deal of facial prosthetics in order to capture the physical appearance of the mogul.
Malcolm McDowell as Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch is the founder of 20th Century Fox, and the owner of Fox News. It was he who hired Ailes to become its CEO in 1996. While the women portrayed in the film are credited with taking down Ailes, it was Murdoch and his sons who had him ousted and forced out of his position. After Ailes' resignation, Murdoch took his place as the CEO of Fox News. Rupert Murdoch is portrayed by 76-year-old English actor Malcolm McDowell, who has played dozens of supporting roles in movies and TV shows. What may perhaps be his most famous work is The Clockwork Orange, in which he played the lead character.
Supporting Cast
Mark Duplass as Douglas Brunt: Douglas Brunt is a novelist and the husband of Megyn Kelly. Brunt is played by Mark Duplass, who starred as Pete Eckhart in FX's The League.
Connie Britton as Beth Ailes: Connie Britton (Spin City, Nashville, and Friday Night Lights) plays Beth Ailes, the wife of Roger Ailes. During the controversy, Beth vehemently defended her husband.
Kate McKinnon as Jess Carr: Saturday Night Live cast member Kate McKinnon plays Jess Carr, a fictional character and a producer who works at Fox News.
Allison Janney as Susan Estrich: Estrich was a friend to Ailes, and served as his legal counsel during the scandal. Estrich is played by Mom star Allison Janney.
Alice Eve as Ainsley Earhardt: Ainsley Earhardt is one of the three co-hosts on Fox and Friends, and another prominent conservative voice at Fox News. Earhardt is portrayed by Iron Fist and Star Trek: Into the Darkness actress Alice Eve.
Alanna Ubach as Jeanine Pirro: A well-known conservative television personality and pro-Trump commentator on Fox News, Alanna Ubauch's Jeanine Pirro stood behind Ailes when the allegations emerged. Ubach played Mama Imelda in Coco.
Elizabeth Rohm as Martha McCollum: Fox News anchor Martha McCollum was one of Ailes' many defenders.
Spencer Garrett as Sean Hannity: For two decades, Sean Hannity has been one of Fox News' most important television personalities. His show, Hannity, is a ratings giant for Fox News. Hannity has a reputation for his outspoken support of President Donald Trump. Hannity was also a vocal supporter of Roger Ailes.
Bree Condon as Kimberly Guilfoyle: Trailers for Bombshell have shown Bree Condon's Kimberly Guilfoyle wearing a "Team Roger" shirt as a show of her support for Ailes. Guilfoyle worked at Fox News as a co-host of The Five.