Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin lead a great ensemble cast of tourists traveling through Poland on a Holocaust tour in the acclaimed comedy-drama movie A Real Pain. When their Holocaust survivor grandmother pᴀsses away, two mismatched Jewish American cousins join a tour group in Poland to honor her memory. This is Eisenberg’s second film as writer-director after 2022’s When You Finish Saving the World.

Since its release, A Real Pain has been met with positive reviews and awards recognition. Amid Oscar buzz, A Real Pain is now streaming on Hulu. Eisenberg and Culkin’s hilarious odd-couple dynamic has been widely praised, but the cast of A Real Pain is full of great performances.

Jesse Eisenberg As David Kaplan

Date Of Birth: October 5, 1983

Active Since: 1996

Actor: Jesse Eisenberg was born in New York City, and first broke out with the role of angsty teenager Walt Berkman in Noah Baumbach’s The Squid and the Whale. He gained further recognition with his Oscar-nominated turn as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network. Eisenberg has also played Columbus in the Zombieland movies, J. Daniel Atlas in the Now You See Me movies, and Lex Luthor in the DC Extended Universe.

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Character: Eisenberg stars in A Real Pain as the awkward and anxious David Kaplan. Dave is mourning the loss of his grandmother and struggling to get along with his cousin, with whom he shares a complicated relationship. Eisenberg also wrote and directed the movie.

Kieran Culkin As Benji Kaplan

Date Of Birth: September 30, 1982

Active Since: 1988

Actor: Kieran Culkin was born in New York City, and got his big break playing Fuller alongside his brother Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone. He went on to play Jason Slocumb, Jr. in Igby Goes Down, Matty Banks in the Father of the Bride movies, and Wallace Wells in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Today, Culkin is most renowned for his Emmy-winning role as Roman Roy in HBO’s Succession.

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Character: Culkin co-stars with Eisenberg as Dave’s cousin Benji. Benji is much more confident, outgoing, and charming than Dave, but he’s also shown to have a deep well of sadness and loneliness. Culkin won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in A Real Pain.

Will Sharpe As James

Date Of Birth: September 22, 1986

Active Since: 2008

Actor: Will Sharpe was born in Camden, London, and first broke out with the role of Yuki Reid in Casualty. Sharpe is best known for playing Shun in Flowers, Will Packham in Defending the Guilty, and Ethan Spiller in The White Lotus season 2, for which he received an Emmy nomination. He also wrote and directed the movies Black Pond, The Darkest Universe, and The Electrical Life of Louis Wain.

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Character: In A Real Pain, Sharpe plays James, the leader of the tour group. James has to relieve the tension whenever Benji goes off on an emotional tirade. He ultimately ends up respecting Benji’s outspokenness, and thanks him for his feedback.

Jennifer Grey As Marcia

Date Of Birth: March 26, 1960

Active Since: 1979

Actor: Jennifer Grey was born in New York City, and got her big break with the role of Jeanie Bueller, the тιтle character’s sister, in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. She earned wider recognition for her leading role as Frances “Baby” Houseman in Dirty Dancing. Grey also played Toni Mason in Red Dawn, Patsy Dwyer in The Cotton Club, and voiced Mrs. Kurokawa in the English dub of The Wind Rises.

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Character: Grey plays Marcia, a member of the tour group. Marcia is going through a divorce and embarks on the tour to reconnect with her family roots. During the trip, she develops a friendship with Benji.

A Real Pain Supporting Cast & Characters

Kurt Egyiawan as Eloge: Eloge, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, is played by Kurt Egyiawan. Egyiawan is best known for playing Adrian in Kaos, Grand Maester Orwyle in House of the Dragon, and Father Bennett in The Exorcist TV show. Ncuti Gatwa was originally cast as Eloge, but his Doctor Who filming schedule forced him to drop out.

Liza Sadovy as Diane: Liza Sadovy plays the mild-mannered Midwestern tourist Diane. Sadovy previously played Maisie Tolliver in Outlander and Mrs. Stoppelman in the miniseries A Small Light.

Daniel Oreskes as Mark: Daniel Oreskes plays Diane’s husband Mark, who’s unmoved by Benji’s charms. Oreskes is known for playing Marv in Only Murders in the Building and NYPD Lieutenant Moennig in Law & Order: Organized Crime.

Ellora Torchia as Priya: Dave’s wife Priya, who stays back in New York while he travels to Poland, is played by Ellora Torchia. In addition to her role in A Real Pain, Torchia has played Connie in Midsommar and Runa in Ali & Ava.