Below Cast Guide: Josh Hartnett, Charlie Heaton and the Penney Family

Josh Hartnett, Charlie Heaton and Mackenzie Davis lead Below, the six-episode Netflix thriller arriving on October 8, 2026. Hartnett plays fisherman Calvin Penney, Heaton plays his son Wade, and Davis plays visiting marine researcher Fonda Howander. Their attempt to understand a dangerous sea creature draws a family and a Newfoundland community into the same mystery.

The cast gives the series several familiar faces from supernatural dramas, but the actors’ interviews point to relationships as a major part of the story. Calvin’s household already has its problems before the trouble in the water begins. Knowing who plays whom helps separate those personal tensions from the creature threat without revealing the series’ answers ahead of its release.

Josh Hartnett plays Calvin Penney

Calvin is a fisherman haunted by his father’s unexplained death. Hartnett told TV Insider that the monster story also carries a family drama, with Calvin’s relationship with Wade already under strain before the crisis.

Hartnett has moved between war films, historical drama and darker genre stories. The Canadian Press identified Black Hawk Down and Oppenheimer among his earlier work in its interview ahead of Below’s Toronto International Film Festival premiere. That same report confirmed the series’ October 8 global Netflix release after its festival screenings.

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Charlie Heaton plays Wade Penney

Heaton’s Wade becomes directly affected by the strange events surrounding the town. Heaton told TV Insider that Wade feels isolated among people his age and uncertain about his place. His siblings have left and are visiting again as the story unfolds.

Hartnett described poor communication between father and son at the outset. Their home life has created tensions, giving them problems to address even as danger reaches the community.

Heaton played Jonathan Byers in Stranger Things, another Netflix series built around a town’s encounters with a supernatural threat. Netflix also lists The Souvenir Part II among his credits.

Mackenzie Davis plays Fonda Howander

Davis plays the marine researcher who joins Calvin’s investigation. She told TV Insider that Fonda works through scientific reasoning, developing and eliminating hypotheses as she investigates something that might initially appear impossible. Her expertise complements Calvin’s connection to the community.

Before Below, Davis played Kirsten in Station Eleven, the HBO Max limited series about survival after a pandemic. She also starred in Speak No Evil and The Martian, as The Canadian Press noted in its TIFF reporting. Her new role places a researcher inside the uncertainty, with the work of asking questions central to what Fonda contributes.

Ruby Stokes and Rohan Campbell join the Penney family

Ruby Stokes plays Mary Penney, and Rohan Campbell plays Jay Penney. Both have substantial experience in stories that combine danger with character relationships. Netflix previously introduced Stokes as Lucy Carlyle in Lockwood & Co., where she played a young investigator able to hear ghosts. Stokes also portrayed Francesca in the earlier seasons of Bridgerton.

Campbell played Corey Cunningham in Halloween Ends. In his original Moviefone interview about that film, he discussed a role at the center of a story involving a traumatic accusation, a relationship and violence. Below gives him another genre project, but Jay’s shared surname with Calvin and Wade places him within this series’ family circle rather than that earlier slasher narrative.

Willow Kean, Kaleb Horn and the wider cast

Willow Kean plays Ruth Penney. Kean is an actor and writer originally from Labrador West, according to her author biography submitted to the Leacock Associates. Her work also spans theater: her five-woman comedy Supper Club premiered at St. John’s LSPU Hall in 2021. That background connects the ensemble to creative work within the province where the series is set.

Kaleb Horn plays Noah. His film and television credits include Revival, Chucky and Glamorous. His Crow’s Theatre biography also records music direction for A Streetcar Named Desire and As You Like It, alongside acting work on stage. Horn is a multi-instrumentalist, music producer and songwriter, with an album titled Scars To Take Care Of. Natasha Henstridge as Jan and Joshua Close as Officer Jaxon Noseworthy are also listed in the wider ensemble.

How the actors prepared to sound like a family

Hartnett told Sharp that the cast worked together on their accents before filming began. With shooting two weeks away, the actors encouraged one another through early attempts and worked toward sounding as though they came from the same family. That shared preparation offered a practical way to build familiarity before playing relationships shaped by years of living together.

Those interviews provide useful preparation for Below’s arrival, while keeping the central mystery for the series itself. For more character-focused television reporting, browse FilmiFeed’s TV cast guides and series coverage.