While True Detective: Night Country had many plotholes and headscratchers, viewership for the acclaimed anthology series reached an all-time high across HBO and its MAX streaming platform. The collective pool of viewers who both enjoyed and were frustrated by Night Country ended up working to HBO and MAX’s benefit as it ultimately performed better than the brilliant True Detective season 1. Without much information available about López’s vision for True Detective season 5, here are 10 outstanding actors who would excel as the new faces of True Detective.
Emily Blunt
Similar works include Sicario & Edge of Tomorrow
Emily Blunt would make an outstanding female lead in True Detective season 5. She has demonstrated the necessary grit and levelheadedness to play a convincing detective in previous works such as Sicaro (2015) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014). Both of these roles were also quite action-heavy, indicating that she would bring a lot to the table in True Detective season 5 after a relatively mundane season 4. Following her recent Oscar nomination for Oppenheimer, she would be a tough but amazing actor to get on the series.
Edward Norton
Similar works include Red Dragon & The Bourne Legacy
Edward Norton is exceptional in just about everything he’s in, from his iconic roles in Fight Club and American History X to his work on several Wes Anderson films. One area that the Oscar-nominated actor has generally stayed away from is television, having only appeared as himself or in guest roles throughout his decade-spanning career. If HBO was able to get Norton on board for True Detective season 5, it would be an incredibly anticipated and monumental event that could result in one of the best roles of Norton’s career.
Charlize Theron
Similar works include In the Valley of Elah
Charlize Theron would also be another dream casting in True Detective season 5, one that likely wouldn’t even require a typical True Detective cop counterpart. Theron was an executive producer on the acclaimed Netflix crime series Mindhunter, indicating an interest in the genre at large. Her performance as Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) is cemented in film history as one of the best performances by a female lead in an action movie. Theron played a great detective in the acclaimed 2007 film In the Valley of Elah alongside Tommy Lee Jones.
Jeff Bridges
Similar works include Hell or High Water & The Old Man
Jessica Chastain
Similar works include Zero Dark Thirty
Jessica Chastain’s Oscar-nominated performance in Zero Dark Thirty proves that she is well-equipped to take on something like a leading role in True Detective season 5. She has demonstrated a wide range of acting abilities across various genres and has appeared in some of the most masterful films ever made such as Interstellar and The Tree of Life. She also played a detective previously in 2011’s Texas Killing Fields. Chastain excels in whatever role she puts herself in and would make for a captivating lead detective in the HBO series.
Benicio del Toro
Similar works include Sicario & Reptile
Benicio del Toro would make for an incredible True Detective season 5 lead. His recent performance in Netflix’s 2023 crime drama Reptile showcased his abilities as a seasoned police detective, making a transition to True Detective effectively seamless. He excels at playing noble characters with an air of immorality, which aligns perfectly with True Detective’s historical protagonists. Del Toro offered a scene-stealing performance in 2015’s Sicario, which could set up a reunion for him and Blunt in True Detective season 5
Kerry Washington
Similar works include Scandal
Kerry Washington is best known for her leading role as Oliva Pope in Scandal, in which she played a crisis management handler in the corrupt and deceptive world of Washington D.C. politics. Since Scandal ended in 2018, Pope has appeared in the psychological drama series Little Fires Everywhere and the comedy series Unprisoned, but she has yet to truly sink her teeth into a substantial crime drama. Although it would be delving into uncharted territory for Washington, her impact on Scandal proves she could carry in a season of True Detective.
Sam Rockwell
Similar works include Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Sam Rockwell won an Oscar for his performance as a small-town cop in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, making him somewhat of a no-brainer for a True Detective season 5 star role. Rockwell recently starred in the action spy comedy Argylle in which he played a secret agent with a likable soft side. Even if True Detective season 5 returns to Ennis, Alaska, or takes place in another small American town, Rockwell would make for an outstanding and natural lead detective in the series.
Rebecca Ferguson
Similar works include Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
Rebecca Ferguson has emerged as a top-tier female lead in sci-fi and action franchises such as Dune and Mission: Impossible and would likely be one of the best True Detective characters of the entire series. Ferguson demonstrated her ability to shine on television with the acclaimed Apple series Silo, which is expected to return sometime in the near future. Ferguson could be a major reach for True Detective considering how sought after she is in the industry, but it’s plausible that HBO and the True Detective name could attract the star actor.
Michael Shannon
Similar works include Waco: The Aftermath
Michael Shannon was exceptional as FBI negotiator Gary Noesner in the Showtime miniseries Waco: The Aftermath, hinting at his potential as a lead in True Detective season 5. Shannon has a unique ability to play both antagonists and antagonists convincingly, making him a prime candidate for the typically morally ambiguous leads seen in past seasons of True Detective. He already played a corrupt cop in the 2012 thriller Premium Rush, making him one of the best candidates for True Detective season 5.
