Relay (2025): Full list of cast and characters explored

The much-awaited thriller Relay is among the most highly talked-about films of 2025. Written by Justin Piasecki and directed by David Mackenzie, the film combines suspense, business politics, and complex human emotions. The film had its initial premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2024.

Now, ahead of its theatrical release on August 22, 2025, the fans wish to know about the entire cast of characters and the actors who portray them.

In Relay, Riz Ahmed stars as the lead character Tom, a mysterious fixer who makes backroom payoffs to dirty corporations. Lily James as Sarah Grant, a potential client whose life may be on the line in his hands, and Sam Worthington as Dawson, a man with ties to the seedy underworld of this high-stakes game.

The cast also features a solid supporting cast, which includes Willa Fitzgerald, Matthew Maher, Victor Garber, Eisa Davis, and Jared Abrahamson

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Who stars in Relay?

1) Riz Ahmed as Tom / Ash

Riz Ahmed at Range Rover Hosts Lunch At Wimbledon With Celebrity Guests (Image Via Getty)

Riz Ahmed plays the title role of Tom, aka Ash, a fixer who handles risky corporate cover-ups. He initially rose to prominence with movies such as Four Lions (2010) and Nightcrawler (2014), playing a keen-eyed young cameraman to Jake Gyllenhaal.

He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor for his role in HBO's The Night Of (2016), the first Muslim and first South Asian to do so in the category. Ahmed's career on film has varied from high-budget films like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) and Venom (2018) to very personal work such as Mogul Mowgli (2020), which he wrote and acted in.

His most highly-received performance was as a drummer losing his hearing in Sound of Metal (2019), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.

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2) Lily James as Sarah Grant

Lily James at Relay"Premiere - 2025 Tribeca Festival (Image Via Getty)

Portraying Sarah Grant, Lily James enters Relay's universe as a woman in distress from corporate harassment by Tom. James started her career in British television, earning international approval in Downton Abbey before broadening to wider Hollywood recognition in her portrayal of Cinderella in Disney's 2015 live-action movie.

Her filmography is diverse by genre, such as action (Baby Driver), period drama (Darkest Hour, The Dig), and musical (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again).

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3) Sam Worthington as Dawson

Sam Worthington at the 2024 GQ Australia Men Of The Year Awards (Image Via Getty)

Sam Worthington appears as Dawson in Relay, maintaining his long drama and action film career. Worthington is internationally renowned as Jake Sully in James Cameron's Avatar films, particularly the box office record-breaking sequel Avatar: The Way of Water (2022).

Before his Hollywood stardom, he received critical success in Australia in films such as Somersault (2004), for which he received Australia's highest cinematic award. In Hollywood, Worthington has starred in big-budget films like Terminator Salvation (2009), Clash of the Titans (2010), and Hacksaw Ridge (2016).

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4) Willa Fitzgerald as Rosetti

Willa Fitzgerald at SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations Presents "Strange Darling (Image Via Getty)

Willa Fitzgerald plays Rosetti, a supporting role in Relay. Fitzgerald initially became known for playing Emma Duval in MTV's Scream franchise. She has continued to develop a strong resume that includes series like Dare Me, in which she played a multifaceted cheer coach, and Reacher, in which she played Officer Roscoe Conklin.

A Yale graduate, Fitzgerald's theatrical background brings depth to her television performances.

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5) Matthew Maher as Hoffman

Matthew Maher at 'Matilda The Musical' UK Gala Screening (Image Via Getty)

Matthew Maher performs Hoffman in Relay. Maher is a decade-long veteran of both the stage and screen. His credits include appearances on Gone Baby Gone (2007), Captain Marvel (2019), and Air (2023).

He has worked long and hard on stage in New York, appearing in productions like Uncle Vanya and The Flick, which won a Pulitzer Prize..

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6) Victor Garber as McVie

Victor Garber at "Smash" Broadway Opening Night (Image Via Getty)

Victor Garber plays McVie in Relay, with years of stage and film experience. Six-time Emmy nominee and four-time Tony nominee, Garber has appeared in Hollywood blockbusters and Broadway icons.

Movie-goers will recognize him from Titanic (1997), Argo (2012), and Legally Blonde (2001). TV credits Garber most famously as Jack Bristow in Alias and subsequently Martin Stein/Firestorm in the Arrowverse.

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7) Eisa Davis as Wash

Eisa Davis at Relay Premiere - 2025 Tribeca Festival (Image Via Getty)

Eisa Davis plays Wash in Relay. Davis is not only an actress but also an Obie Award-winning playwright and extremely successful singer-songwriter. She has appeared in TV shows such as House of Cards, Mare of Easttown, and Kindred.

Aside from performing, her plays like Bulrusher and Angela's Mixtape have also garnered both critical and commercial success, and she has also worked as a television writer on the likes of Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It.

The other supporting cast includes,

• Jamil Haque as Tariq
• Jamie Ann Burke as Homeless Woman
• Madison Rae Lutz as Newsstand Attendant
• Grant Harrison as Andy (AA)
• Jason Nuzzo as Tony (AA)
• David Ryan Smith as Chair (AA)
• Victoria Stevens as Service Agent
• Lou Liberatore as Jim,
• Jared Abrahamson as Ryan

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For the unversed, the movie releases on August 22, 2025.