When James Bobin took the director's chair from Tim Burton for the 2016 sequel, the stakes were weirdly high. People forget that the first film made over a billion dollars. Seriously. It was a juggernaut. So, when looking at the through the looking glass cast, you aren't just looking at a list of actors; you’re looking at a group of Oscar winners and heavy hitters trying to ground a story that is, by definition, completely insane.
It’s a strange movie.
Mia Wasikowska returns as Alice, but she isn't the wide-eyed girl from the 2010 film. She’s a sea captain now. It’s a bold choice. Honestly, Wasikowska’s understated performance is the only thing that keeps the movie from flying off the rails into pure CGI chaos. She plays it straight while everyone around her is wearing three pounds of prosthetic makeup and screaming about time travel.
The Core Players of the Through the Looking Glass Cast
Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter is the emotional center here, which was a gamble. In the first film, he was a side character who stole scenes. Here, he’s mourning his family. Depp plays Tarrant Hightopp with a sort of fragile, lisping melancholy that didn't always land with critics, but it gave the sequel a heartbeat. If you look closely at his performance, you can see he's doing a lot of heavy lifting with his eyes, even under those neon orange eyebrows.
Then there’s Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter. The sibling rivalry between the White Queen and the Red Queen is basically the whole plot of the movie. Hathaway plays Mirana with this sort of "good girl" affectation that feels almost sinister if you think about it too hard. She’s so airy and graceful it’s annoying. On the flip side, Bonham Carter as Iracebeth is pure vulnerability masked by rage. That "big head" CGI was iconic, but her performance actually made you feel sorry for a tyrant.
Sacha Baron Cohen as Time
The real MVP of the through the looking glass cast is Sacha Baron Cohen. He plays Time. Not a guy named Time, but the actual personification of it. He’s half-human, half-clockwork, and he lives in a void called the Castle of Eternity.
Cohen brings a weird, Vaudevillian energy to the role. He’s German-accented, slightly buffoonish, but genuinely menacing when he wants to be. His chemistry with Helena Bonham Carter is the funniest part of the film. They play off each other like a dysfunctional vaudeville act. It’s a bit of casting genius because you need someone who can handle the physical comedy of a heavy, metallic suit while delivering lines about the inevitability of death.
The Voices You Might Have Missed
It’s easy to forget the voice cast because the visuals are so distracting. This was actually Alan Rickman’s final film role. He returned as Absolem, the Blue Caterpillar (now a butterfly). Hearing that distinct, gravelly voice one last time gives the movie a layer of unintended sadness. He recorded his lines just before he passed away in early 2016.
The rest of the voice ensemble is a "who's who" of British talent:
- Stephen Fry as the Cheshire Cat.
- Michael Sheen as Nivens McTwisp (the White Rabbit).
- Timothy Spall as Bayard the Bloodhound.
- Matt Lucas pulling double duty as both Tweedledee and Tweedledum.
Matt Lucas is actually there in person, but the CGI on the Tweedles is so heavy it’s basically a voice-over with a reference plate. He’s great at playing two distinct versions of the same idiot.
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Why the Casting Matters for the Sequel's Legacy
Critics weren't kind to Alice Through the Looking Glass. It didn't make nearly as much money as the first one. But if you watch it now, the through the looking glass cast holds up incredibly well. They took a very thin script about "fixing the past" and turned it into a character study about regret.
Rhys Ifans joins the cast as Zanik Hightopp, the Mad Hatter’s father. Ifans is usually playing high-energy weirdos (like in Notting Hill or Spider-Man), but here he’s a stern, disappointed father. It adds a layer of realism to the Hatter's backstory that we didn't know we needed. You actually believe these two are related, which is an achievement considering one of them has purple eyes and a top hat.
The movie deals with Time as a villain, but also as a gift. It’s deep stuff for a Disney movie.
Real-World Impact and Behind the Scenes
The production was massive. Colleen Atwood, the costume designer, had to create outfits that matched the specific quirks of this specific cast. The Red Queen’s armor, Time’s heavy robes—these weren't just props. They informed how the actors moved. Sacha Baron Cohen apparently struggled with the weight of his costume, which helped define that stiff, clock-like walk he has.
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The film also features Andrew Scott (of Sherlock and Fleabag fame) in a very brief, very unsettling role as Dr. Addison Bennett. He’s the one trying to commit Alice to a mental asylum. It’s a tiny role, but it grounds the fantasy in the harsh reality of Victorian England. It reminds the audience that Alice isn't just a hero in Underland; she’s a rebel in her own world.
How to Appreciate the Cast Today
If you're going back to rewatch, don't just look at the colors. Watch the way the through the looking glass cast interacts with the "nothingness" around them. Most of this was filmed on green screens. To get that level of emotion—especially in the scenes between Alice and her mother (played by Lindsay Duncan)—is a testament to their skill.
Duncan is fantastic, by the way. She’s the anchor in the "real world" segments. She represents the choice Alice has to make: live in a fantasy or face the crumbling reality of her family's finances.
Actionable Insights for Movie Fans
To truly get the most out of the Alice Through the Looking Glass experience, try these specific steps:
- Watch the credits for the tribute: Pay attention to the dedication to Alan Rickman. Knowing it was his final performance changes how you hear Absolem’s final bits of advice to Alice.
- Contrast the two queens: Look at the body language of Anne Hathaway versus Helena Bonham Carter. Hathaway is intentionally over-acting "goodness" to highlight that her character is actually the one who caused the initial rift.
- Focus on Sacha Baron Cohen’s timing: Most of his dialogue was improvised or tweaked on set. Watch for the small physical gags with his "Seconds" (the little robot minions); his background in clowning is what makes Time a sympathetic character rather than a cardboard villain.
- Compare to the Lewis Carroll book: If you’re a fan of the cast, read the original 1871 novel. You’ll realize the movie is almost a total invention. The cast had to create these personalities from scratch because the book version of "Time" is just a brief mention in a conversation, not a character Alice actually meets.
The film serves as a masterclass in how a high-profile ensemble can elevate a chaotic production into something memorable, even if it didn't set the box office on fire the second time around.