Past Lives‘ bittersweet and romantic concept is perfectly pulled off by the talented cast that brings the characters to life. The 2023 film, which is the directorial debut of screenwriter Celine Song, explores the heart-wrenching concept of love across lives. Past Lives has managed an impressive 95% “Certified Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes and earned 2024 Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay — and none of this would have been possible without cast members like Greta Lee and Teo Yoo.

Past Lives follows its central characters through their lives, starting with their initial meeting as children and continuing through their years apart and various reunions. This means that multiple actors were cast to play the characters of Nora Moon and Hae Sung. Additionally, as these kindred spirits grow apart and lose touch, new influences and lovers enter their lives, which makes their conflicted romance all the more confusing. Past Lives‘ ending is all about missed opportunities and contentedness with choices, and its cast and characters come together to bring this impactful concept to the forefront.

Greta Lee As Na Young (Nora Moon)

Date Of Birth: March 7, 1983

• Active Since: 2005

Actor: The leading role of Past Lives, Na Young (aka Nora Moon), is played by California-born actor Greta Lee. Now living in New York City, Lee’s parents are Korean immigrants, so she is fluent in Korean (as seen in Past Lives). The actor is best known for playing Stella Bak in The Morning Show alongside Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, and Maxine in the Netflix original series Russian Doll with Natasha Lyonne. Lee also lends her voice to Lyla in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) and Bella in Strays (2023). Lee will soon be seen in the upcoming Tron: Ares.

Character: Na Young became best friends with Hae Sung while her family lived in South Korea, but the pair lost touch after she moved to Canada and changed her name to Nora Moon. As an adult, Nora is a married aspiring playwright in New York City. While she builds a life she is happy with, the connection she had with Hae Sung remains strong enough that she feels the need to reunite with him and confront her past.

Teo Yoo As Hae Sung

Date Of Birth: April 11, 1981

• Active Since: 2003

Actor: Teo Yoo, who plays Hae Sung in Past Lives, is a German-born actor who has lived in New York, London, and now Seoul, South Korea, making him a fluent German, English, and Korean speaker. Yoo is best known for playing Viktor Tsoi, a real-life Soviet rock musician from the 1980s, in the 2018 Russian musical film Leto. This role won him the Blue Dragon Film Award for Best New Actor. Yoo’s role in Past Lives has elevated him to broader recognition, earning him a role in The Recruit season 2.

Character: Hae Sung remained in South Korea after Nora’s family moved away, and he managed to track her down on Facebook after completing his time in the military. Hae Sung ultimately comes to the US to reconnect with Nora, and their complicated emotions for one another lead him to consider the impact of past (and future) lives. He is conflicted with feelings that he may have missed an opportunity for a life with Nora, but also doesn’t want to disrupt the life she has built.

John Magaro As Arthur Zaturansky

Date Of Birth: February 16, 1983

• Active Since: 2005

Actor: Nora’s husband in Past Lives, Arthur Zaturansky, is played by Ohio-born actor John Magaro, who is best recognized for playing Leonard Peabody and Harold Jenkins in the TV series The Umbrella Academy and Vince Muccio in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. Magaro also appeared in supporting roles in The Big Short and Overlord as well as starring in the acclaimed indie drama First Cow. Aside from Past Lives, Magaro has played roles in movies like Under the Boardwalk (2023) and Not Fade Away (2012), the last of which won him a Hollywood Film Award.

Character: As Nora’s spouse, Arthur feels conflicted throughout the movie about his wife’s relationship with Hae Sung, but he is hesitant to get involved. Additionally, Arthur becomes paranoid that Nora only married him to acquire a green card, which adds several more layers to the complicated love triangle between the three primary characters of Past Lives. However, he remains loving and supportive, wanting to give Nora the chance to reconnect with Hae Sung.

Past Lives Supporting Cast & Characters

Seung Ah Moon, Seung Min Yim And More

Seung Ah Moon as Young Nora – The younger version of Nora’s character is played in Past Lives by Seung Ah Moon, who has also appeared in recent films like Bimileui eondeok (2023) and Voice of Silence (2020).

Seung Min Yim as Young Hae Sung – The part of young Hae Sung is played by actor Seung Min Yim, who has previously appeared in Korean-based movies such as Good Deal (2022), Resellers (2022), and Route 1 (2022).

Choi Won-young as Nora’s Dad – South Korean-born actor Choi Won-young plays Nora’s father in Past Lives. The actor is best known for his roles in Korean TV dramas like While You Were Sleeping, A Hundred Year Legacy, Sky Castle, and Doctor Prisoner.

Ji Hye Yoon as Nora’s Mom – South Korean actor Ji Hye Yoon, who plays Nora’s mother in Past Lives, is best known for her roles in a variety of early 2000s Korean films like Possible Changes, No Mercy for the Rude, and Jundo: Age of the Rampant. Yoon also appeared in the 2007 TV series Que Sera Sera.

Jojo T. Gibbs as Janice – The role of Janice, a New York performer Nora meets while starting her career as a playwright, is played by American actor Jojo T. Gibbs, who is best known for playing the lead role of Hattie on the series Twenties. Gibbs also appeared in the 2022 movies Fresh and Something from Tiffany’s.

Federico Rodriquez as Robert – Federico Rodriquez, best known for his guest appearances in TV shows like Madam Secretary, The Path, Blue Bloods, and American Rust, plays Robert in Past Lives, an aspiring New York actor who befriends Nora.