1. Ramón Rodríguez – Will Trent
Character: Will Trent
Role: Outstanding GBI investigator with an unhappy childhood
What the audience loves:
Ramón Rodríguez portrayed a Will Trent who was both coldly intelligent and vulnerable.
The way he portrayed Will’s eyes when remembering his abandoned childhood touched the hearts of viewers.
The audience was especially impressed with his ability to convey loneliness and the desire to be loved without long dialogue.
Performance highlights:
The scene where Will quietly looked at the orphan victims’ files and closed his eyes to calm down before the haunting became a classic image of the series.
2. Erika Christensen – Angie Polaski
Character: Angie Polaski
Role: Atlanta police officer, childhood friend and complicated lover of Will
What audiences love:
Erika brings a conflicted Angie: both strong and vulnerable.
Audiences love the “healer – wounded” love between Angie and Will.
The way Erika expresses the pain of addiction and past guilt has received much praise from critics.
Performance highlights:
The scene where Angie confesses that she is afraid of never being worthy of Will’s love has moved many fans.
3. Iantha Richardson – Faith Mitchell
Character: Faith Mitchell
Role: Will’s close partner at GBI
What the audience loves:
Faith is the model of a modern female investigator: smart, witty, opinionated but sympathetic.
Iantha creates sympathy thanks to her naturalness, closeness, and complete transformation into the role of Faith.
The colleague-friend relationship between Faith and Will is the highlight of the film.
Acting highlights:
The moments when Faith encourages Will to overcome his childhood complexes always make the audience feel warm.
4. Sonja Sohn – Amanda Wagner
Character: Amanda Wagner
Role: Leader of GBI, protector and guide of Will
What the audience loves:
Sonja Sohn portrays Amanda as a tough but humane female leader.
She creates an interesting balance between a principled leader and Will who always acts unconventionally.
Audiences love the way Amanda implicitly protects Will from prejudice and work pressure.
Performance Highlights:
The scene where Amanda gently puts her hand on Will’s shoulder, saying “you’re not an orphan anymore” is one of the most touching moments of season 1.
5. Jake McLaughlin – Michael Ormewood
Character: Michael Ormewood
Role: Atlanta police officer, Will’s initially disliked partner
What audiences love:
Michael initially comes off as a “difficult opponent”, but gradually shows his integrity and dedication.
Jake McLaughlin does a great job of portraying the hot temper on the outside and the righteousness hidden inside.
The confrontation – then cooperation between Michael and Will creates many dramatic scenes.
Performance Highlights:
The scene where Michael unexpectedly defends Will in front of his superiors is the turning point that makes him more loved by the audience.
6. Gina Rodriguez – Marion Alba
Character: Marion Alba
Role: ADA appeared in season 3, Will’s potential new love interest
What the audience loves:
Gina Rodriguez brings a new breeze: warm, intelligent, full of life, in contrast to Will’s dark world.
Many fans praise her for having great “chemistry” with Ramón Rodríguez.
Although she doesn’t appear much, Marion quickly becomes a favorite character.
Performance Highlights:
The scene where Marion tells Will that he “deserves to be happy, despite his past” makes a strong impression.
Why is this cast loved?
They create multi-dimensional characters, not just cops or victims, but real people.
Each actor leaves his or her own mark, not overshadowed in a script with many storylines.
Natural chemistry makes the character relationships real and memorable.
