The Apple TV Plus series "Before" plunges viewers into a complex tapestry of grief, mystery, and the unsettling echoes of the past. While critical reception might have been mixed regarding the overall narrative cohesion and some of its more fantastical elements, one aspect consistently shone through: the compelling Character Deep Dives: Actors' Portrayals in "Before". From the seasoned gravitas of Billy Crystal to the haunting innocence of Jacobi Jupe, the cast delivers performances that elevate the material, drawing you into the emotional core of this genre-bending drama.
These character studies aren't just about bringing lines to life; they’re about excavating the psychological wounds, the hidden connections, and the raw humanity beneath the surface of a story that actively challenges your perceptions of reality and time. It’s in these nuanced portrayals that "Before" finds its most potent magic, inviting you to reflect on what it truly means to confront your past.
At a Glance: The Power of Performance in "Before"
- Elevating the Narrative: Despite mixed critical reception for the plot, the cast's performances are a consistent highlight.
- Billy Crystal's Return: A masterful dramatic turn showcases Crystal's range as Dr. Eli Adler, anchoring the series.
- Jacobi Jupe's Impact: Jupe delivers a profoundly unsettling and emotionally resonant portrayal of Noah, the mysterious child.
- Supporting Strengths: The ensemble cast, including Judith Light and Miriam Shor, provide vital depth and texture.
- The Human Connection: The actors effectively convey the series' core themes of grief, memory, and interconnectedness.
- Beyond the Script: The performances compensate for narrative gaps, making characters feel real and their struggles palpable.
The Heart of the Matter: Why These Portrayals Resonate
When a series ventures into the realms of drama, fantasy, horror, and mystery as "Before" does, the actors carry an immense burden. They must ground the fantastical in believable human emotion, making the extraordinary feel internally consistent. "Before," created by Sarah Thorp, presented this challenge head-on, particularly with its less-than-stellar critical reception for the overall storyline. Yet, almost universally, the cast—especially Billy Crystal—was singled out for praise.
Why did these performances cut through the noise? Because the actors didn't just play characters; they embodied the show's central questions. They brought a palpable sense of loss, confusion, and desperate hope to the screen, allowing viewers to connect on a deeply human level even when the plot took bewildering turns. It’s a testament to their craft that they managed to paint vivid, memorable portraits against a backdrop that some found incoherent.
Billy Crystal's Masterclass: Eli Adler's Burden of Grief
At the core of "Before" stands Eli Adler, played with profound depth and vulnerability by Billy Crystal. For many, Crystal is synonymous with comedic genius, a quick wit, and an infectious laugh. His turn as Eli, a child psychiatrist grappling with the traumatic suicide of his wife, Lynn, is a revelation. It's a performance that doesn't just ask you to sympathize with his pain; it demands you feel it alongside him.
Crystal portrays Eli as a man adrift, anchored only by his professional obligations, which ironically lead him to Noah, a boy who will dismantle his carefully constructed emotional walls. His weekly therapy sessions, where he pointedly avoids discussing Lynn, are a masterclass in suppressed grief. You see the weight of his unspoken sorrow in his eyes, the slight tremble in his voice, the way he carries himself. This isn't grand, theatrical mourning; it's the quiet, persistent ache of a man trying desperately to keep his head above water.
The introduction of Noah, Eli's 423rd case, forces Eli to confront difficult truths about his own life and Lynn's tragic death. Crystal masterfully navigates Eli’s skepticism, his intellectual curiosity, and his growing, terrifying realization that Noah’s strange knowledge of his past isn't a delusion. He brings a gravitas and a subtle desperation to Eli that makes his journey compelling, even when understanding the series' overarching plot feels elusive. His interactions with Gail, his boss, Jackson, his friend, and his estranged daughter Barbara, reveal layers of a man whose lifelong focus on work has cost him dearly, but whose innate empathy still drives him. This role is a powerful reminder of Crystal's dramatic range, proving his ability to anchor a serious, complex narrative with quiet intensity.
Jacobi Jupe's Haunting Portrayal: The Enigma of Noah
Equally pivotal is Jacobi Jupe’s performance as Noah, the 8-year-old boy whose unusual connections to Eli's past propel the series forward. Jupe is tasked with an incredibly challenging role: playing a child who is at once vulnerable, prone to violent outbursts against unseen figures, and possesses an unsettling, almost supernatural, awareness of events long past.
Noah has been through five foster families in two years, a detail that immediately elicits sympathy. But it's Jupe's ability to switch between childlike innocence and an ancient, knowing gaze that makes his character truly chilling. When Noah describes attacking "shadowy figures," Jupe sells the terror and conviction of a child genuinely battling something beyond adult comprehension. His pronouncements about Eli's past, and his own connection to historical events, are delivered with a calm certainty that makes them all the more disquieting.
Jupe's performance grounds the fantastical elements of "Before." Without his believable portrayal of a child experiencing these inexplicable phenomena, the show's genre-bending could easily crumble into absurdity. Instead, you're left questioning alongside Eli, compelled by the raw, often heartbreaking vulnerability Jupe brings to Noah. His character becomes the catalyst, the living embodiment of the mysteries Eli must solve, and Jupe handles this immense responsibility with remarkable maturity and skill for his age. This is a performance that resonates long after the credits roll, making Jacobi Jupe's challenging role a standout.
The Echo of Loss: Judith Light as Lynn
Though Lynn, Eli’s wife, commits suicide early in the series (S1/E3), her presence looms large, a constant source of Eli’s grief and the central mystery fueling Noah’s cryptic statements. Judith Light, as Lynn, appears in flashbacks and as a ghost of memory, her brief but impactful scenes painting a picture of an artist and children's book author whose internal struggles led to a tragic end.
Light imbues Lynn with a quiet melancholy and a hidden depth, making her suicide not just a plot point but a profound emotional wound for Eli and the audience. Her character, quoted by Jackson as saying, "Your blinders are both your main strength and your main weakness," hints at a wisdom and self-awareness that makes her fate all the more tragic. Light’s portrayal ensures that Lynn is more than just a memory; she is a driving force, a puzzle Eli desperately needs to solve. Her performance, even in its limited screen time, is crucial for understanding Eli's emotional landscape and the show's thematic exploration of grief and regret, highlighting the enigma of Lynn's character.
The Supporting Ensemble: Anchoring the Narrative
While Crystal and Jupe carry much of the show's emotional weight, the strength of "Before" also lies in its meticulously cast ensemble, each actor contributing to the rich texture of Eli's fractured world.
- Eli's Support System (and Obstacles):
- Julia Chan as Eli's Therapist: Chan plays a crucial, understated role. Her steady presence provides a sounding board for Eli, even as he consciously withholds information about Lynn. Her subtle reactions and probing questions guide Eli's internal journey without ever stealing focus.
- Sakina Jaffrey as Gail: Eli's boss and a lawyer, Gail represents the practical, logical world Eli inhabits. Jaffrey portrays Gail with a no-nonsense efficiency that contrasts sharply with Eli's emotional turmoil, yet her underlying concern for Eli is palpable. She grounds the show in the procedural aspects of Eli's work.
- Itzhak Perlman as Drake: As Eli's friend and a linguistics professor, Perlman brings a delightful, scholarly charm to Drake. His character offers Eli intellectual solace and a logical pathway to decipher Noah's cryptic statements, providing moments of cerebral calm amidst the chaos.
- Robert Townsend as Jackson: Eli’s closest college friend, Jackson offers a much-needed connection to Eli’s past and provides emotional support. Townsend brings warmth and familiarity, making their shared history feel genuine, offering Eli a confidant he desperately needs.
- The World Around Eli:
- Rosie Perez as Denise: Noah's foster mom, Denise, is portrayed by Perez with her characteristic warmth and street-smart sensibility. She represents the immediate, difficult reality of Noah's life, highlighting the challenges of caring for a child with such unusual symptoms.
- Miriam Shor as Sue Ann: Shor injects a touch of dark humor and professional tenacity as the persistent realtor. Her complicated relationship with Eli offers brief respites from the heavy emotional themes, showcasing Shor's versatility.
- Maria Dizzia as Barbara: Eli's daughter, Barbara, embodies the consequences of Eli's lifelong work focus. Dizzia portrays her strained relationship with Eli with a blend of resentment and longing, adding another layer to Eli's personal redemption arc.
- Hope Davis as Dr. Jane Wilkinson: Introduced later in the season at St. Benedict, Davis brings a quiet authority and medical pragmatism to Dr. Wilkinson. She represents the conventional medical approach to Noah's worrisome symptoms, creating a professional tension with Eli's burgeoning, unconventional understanding.
- Barbara Bain as Ruth: Lynn’s mother, suffering from dementia, Ruth provides a poignant link to Lynn and a stark reminder of the fragile nature of memory. Bain's portrayal is heartbreaking, adding another dimension to Eli's grief and the show's exploration of memory and the past.
- Will Hochman as Benjamin Walker: As Lynn’s ex-partner from 1978, Benjamin’s character is vital to uncovering the deeper connections. Hochman's portrayal in flashbacks needs to convey the mysterious symptoms that mirrored Noah's, making his story a crucial piece of the puzzle connecting Eli, Benjamin, Noah, and Lynn.
- Lenny Venito as Lawrence: Benjamin's younger brother, Lawrence, played by Venito, helps Eli reconstruct Benjamin's past. Venito’s performance provides a relatable, grounded perspective on the enigmatic Benjamin, aiding Eli in his quest for answers.
Each of these actors, regardless of screen time, contributes significantly to the authenticity of Eli's world, making the fantastical elements of "Before" feel more tangible by surrounding them with deeply human interactions. If you’re curious to Meet the cast of Before, each actor truly brings something unique to the table.
Unraveling the Past: The Dutch Incarnations
Episode 10 introduces a fascinating, albeit confusing, element: past life incarnations of Eli, Lynn, and Noah set in a Dutch historical context. These roles, though brief, are critical to understanding delving into the show's complex themes of interconnectedness and karmic loops.
- Delaney Bike (or Danika Bike) as Dutch Girl in Brown (Lynn): Her portrayal needed to subtly echo Lynn's essence, drawing Eli in while hinting at a deeper connection between the three characters.
- Emma Fagerstrom as Dutch Girl in Red (Noah): This is where the core tragedy of the past life lies. Fagerstrom's performance had to convey a closeness to Eli that, when betrayed, leads to a devastating accident. Her death by Eli's accidental push into a frozen lake creates a karmic debt that reverberates into the present.
- Walter Mulroony as Dutch Boy (Eli): Mulroony's performance needed to show the youthful exuberance and eventual distraction that led him to focus more on Lynn, inadvertently neglecting Noah and contributing to his tragic death.
These brief but powerful portrayals in the final episode tie together the show's central mystery, illustrating how the actors breathe life into abstract concepts like past lives and unresolved trauma.
The Actors' Challenge: Grounding the Fantastical
"Before" is a series that asks a lot from its audience, and even more from its performers. The blend of drama, fantasy, horror, and mystery creates a unique tonal tightrope. The over-the-top fantastical elements, which critics cited as a weakness, could easily have overwhelmed the narrative. However, the actors' commitment to their characters' emotional realities is what keeps the show from becoming purely absurd.
Consider the scenes involving Noah’s "attacks" on shadowy figures, or his uncanny knowledge of Benjamin Walker's death in 1978 at St. Benedict. Without Jacobi Jupe’s absolute conviction, these moments could feel forced. Similarly, Billy Crystal’s quiet agony over Lynn’s suicide and his hesitant acceptance of Noah’s supernatural insights provide the necessary emotional anchor for viewers to suspend their disbelief. It’s Billy Crystal's nuanced performance that allows us to journey with Eli through his disbelief to his dawning, terrifying understanding.
The actors become the emotional compass in a story that otherwise might have felt rudderless. They make the bizarre feel personal, the impossible feel plausible within the show's own logic, and the central mystery deeply felt.
Beyond the Script: What the Actors Added
Sometimes, an actor’s performance transcends the script, imbuing a character with subtext and depth that might not have been explicitly written. In "Before," this is particularly evident.
For instance, the moments of silence in Eli Adler's therapy sessions, where Billy Crystal simply is, convey more about his grief than any dialogue could. You see the internal struggle, the choice to avoid the pain, the raw edges of his wound. This is performance as excavation, digging into the unspoken.
Similarly, Jacobi Jupe’s ability to shift from an angry, lashing-out child to a quiet, almost ancient observer adds layers of intrigue to Noah. It’s not just what he says, but how he says it—the timing, the gaze, the subtle shift in demeanor—that makes his character so compelling and central to the show's mystery.
The ensemble, too, adds crucial human elements. From Denise's exasperated but loving care for Noah to Barbara's simmering resentment towards her father, these performances create a lived-in world that makes the extraordinary events feel like they're happening to real people with real feelings.
Your Next Deep Dive into "Before"
The journey through "Before" might be a challenging one, with its labyrinthine plot and blend of genres, but the compelling character deep dives delivered by its talented cast are a consistent reward. They serve as the emotional bedrock of the series, transforming potential narrative weaknesses into opportunities for profound human connection.
As you reflect on the series, pay close attention to the small choices the actors make—the hesitations, the glances, the subtle shifts in tone. These are the threads that weave together the rich tapestry of grief, memory, and interconnectedness that "Before" so bravely attempts to explore. It's in these meticulously crafted portrayals that the show truly shines, inviting you to not just watch a story, but to feel it.