Black Mirror season 6: Here’s where you’ve seen the incredible cast of the new season of Black Mirror before

Writer and creator of the show Charlie Brooker said, "All five episodes have some of the strongest endings we have ever done. If you go in blind, you’ll be surprised. And lastly, more than ever in this series, I feel we have a greater variety of stories because each episode is so radically different in terms of setting and tone.”

When the trailer was released in late April, it gave fans a taste of what to expect and a look at some of the actors on the bill. Before the binge session begins, here’s a look at why many of those familiar faces look so, well, familiar.

Aaron Paul

Jesse Pinkman is about to witness science that even he isn’t used to. Aaron Paul, one half of the powerful Breaking Bad duo, is back on our screens in the new season.

Paul stars as Cliff in the episode Beyond the Sea where he can be seen in an orange spacesuit on a perilous high-tech mission dealing with the consequences of an unimaginable tragedy.

"Cliff is a married man and has a beautiful baby boy. He is now spending six years away from his family on a mission in deep space. He is joined on the mission by David, played by Josh (Hartnett). They are both part of a replica programme. This cutting-edge tech allows them to beam their consciousness back to Earth and live out their day-to-day existence with their families,” explained Paul about his character.

The actor has previously starred in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, Westworld and lent his voice to BoJack Horseman.

Annie Murphy

Most known for playing the glamorous Alexis Rose in Schitt’s Creek, the Canadian actress looks set to have a prime role in the new Black Mirror series. She appears in Joan is Awful, the first episode of the season. Murphy has swapped her blonde beach bebe waves for a dark, choppy cut, and her character seems far more viscous than the lovably ditzy Alexis.

"Annie Murphy plays an average woman called Joan; we see her go to work, fire someone, go to her therapist, and meet up with her ex. Then when she gets home, she sits down with her fiancé and starts watching a new show on a familiar-looking streaming platform, Streamberry. The twist is that the show is about her life. And once the show airs, her life begins to implode. The episode is a bizarre postmodern romp. It’s the first time we have done an out-and-out comic episode,” said Brooker.

Her previous roles have seen her appear in Russian Doll, Kevin Can F***k Himself, and Blue Mountain State.

Salma Hayek

Mexican-American Salma Hayek portrays a Hollywood A-lister in Joan is Awful. Hayek has been an actress since 1988, appearing in everything from telenovelas and series to blockbuster films. Her most recent credits include the latest Magic Mike film, Marvel’s Eternals, as well as voicework for Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

But she has long been a feature on the silver screen having starred in the likes of From Dusk Till Dawn, Wild Wild West and House of Gucci. She is most well-known for her titular role in 2002’s Frida, for which she was nominated for an Oscar.

Zazie Beetz

The breakout star of Donald Glover’s series Atlanta, Zazie Beetz, also appears in the trailer. The actor, who starred in Bullet Train, Deadpool 2 and The Joker, will also appear in Todd Phillips’ 2024 sequel Joker: Folie A Deux.

In Black Mirror, she stars in Mazey Day as a troubled starlet. When asked about it, Beetz told Radio Times: “I think there’s a really great tongue-in-cheek dark element to it, a premonition kind of element. The mirror reflecting back on us.”

Executive Producer Jessica Rhoades shared that Mazey Day is about the carnivorous nature of the paparazzi: “it's set in the time right before every single person had a high-end camera in their phone and became a paparazzi themselves, around the mid-2000s. We managed to get Zazie Beetz to play Bo, and she really captures the character.”

Michael Cera

If not for anything else, this year will be remembered for all the times fans were surprised to spot Michael Cera in much anticipated movies or TV shows.

The actor who popped up as Allan in the trailer for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, also starred in comedies like Arrested Development, Juno, Superbad and Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. Cera also appears in Joan is Awful alongside Murphy and Hayek.

Kate Mara

Kate Mara who played the role of troubled journalist Zoe Barnes in Netflix’s political drama House Of Cards, appears in Beyond the Sea. If the name rings a bell, it’s because she’s not the only one with the acting genes in the family – her sister Rooney Mara is an Oscar-winning actor.

Previously, Mara has appeared in series like American Horror Story, Pose and 24. After appearing in supporting roles in critically acclaimed films like Brokeback Mountain and 127 Hours, she also played The Invisible Woman in the 2015 reboot of Fantastic Four.

In Black Mirror Mara stars in an episode entitled Beyond The Sea, an episode set in an alternative 1969, where two men on a perilous high-tech mission wrestle with the consequences of an unimaginable tragedy. It also stars Aaron Paul, Auden Thornton, Josh Hartnett and Rory Culkin (brother of Macaulay Culkin and Sucession’s Kieran Culkin).

Anjana Vasan

Singaporean singer and actor Anjana Vasan has been impossible to miss ever since she played lead guitarist Amina in the Channel 4 sitcom We Are Lady Parts. In the show, she appears in Demon 79, the last episode of Season 6.

The Bafta-nominated actor also played Stella alongside Paul Mescal and Patsy Ferran in the London revival of A Streetcar Named Desire.

About the episode, Brooker said, “The episode is almost unclassifiable. The story takes place in a Northern English town in 1979. A mild-mannered shop assistant called Nida, played by Anjana Vasan finds a talisman with a symbol on it, which fans of the show might recognise. It’s a medley - part horror, but also a fantasy, with elements of romance.”

Rory Culkin

Though Kieran is having a moment in the spotlight in Succession, and Macaulay will forever be known for his childhood role in Home Alone, the youngest Culkin brother is no stranger to the screen. Culkin joins Aaron Paul and Kate Mara in Beyond the Sea.

Rory appeared in M Night Shyamalan’s Signs as a child, and has since had roles in Under the Banner of Heaven, Intruders, and Scream 4.

Ben Barnes

The British actor, who broke teenage hearts as Prince Caspian in The Chronicles of Narnia, is no stranger to the Netflix series realm, as he played the villainous Darkling in Shadow and Bone – season two of which was released earlier this year. You may also recognise him from Westworld, Dorian Gray or Marvel’s The Punisher. Barnes also stars in the first episode of the new season.

Josh Hartnett

It’s been a busy time for Josh Hartnett, who will not only appear in Black Mirror but in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer later this summer.

The American actor is yet another star involved in the tragedy of Beyond the Sea. active since 1997, Harnett is best known for roles in Black Hawk Down and Pearl Harbor, but you may also remember him for his appearances in Penny Dreadful, 30 Days of Night, or The Virgin Suicides.

Season 6 of Black Mirror is available to stream on Netflix