Peaky Blinders star Paul Anderson, veteran Italian actress and singer Romina Power, and Oscar winner Mary Steenburgen all joined the cast of Nightmare Alley during the first few months of shooting, following the January 2020 additions of The Shape of Water’s Richard Jenkins and Ron Perlman, who has an extensive history with the director.
Before Bradley Cooper got the part of deceptive carny Stan Carlisle, Leonardo DiCaprio was in talks to lead the cast of Nightmare Alley in early 2019 before scheduling conflicts forced him to abandon the project.
Cooper’s stepping in was confirmed the following September, along with Cate Blanchett as Lilith Ritter, and her Carol co-star Rooney Mara as Molly Cahill.
That same month, in another instance of casting replacements for the project, David Strathairn took over Michael Shannon’s original role of Pete Krumbein, while Toni Collette was announced as his carnival performer wife, Zeena, followed by Willem Dafoe’s inclusion that October and Mindhunter’s Holt McCallany the next month.