Quills - Cast

Cast

• Geoffrey Rush as the Marquis de Sade, the flamboyantly outrageous Marquis refuses to conform to the moral standards of the day, making an enemy of Napoleon with his scandalous pornography and political commentary. Director Philip Kaufman encouraged Rush to portray the Marquis as something of a dissolute rock star holed up in the Ritz Carlton. Rush used Francine du Plessix Gray's 1998 biography At Home with the Marquis de Sade: A Life as a reference and had previously acted in a production of Marat/Sade.
• Kate Winslet as Madeleine “Maddy” LeClerc, the feisty laundress and romantic interest for both the Abbé and the Marquis. In love with the Abbé, who is extremely in love with her but feels restricted, she is fascinated by the Marquis and his intelligence and experience. Screenwriter Doug Wright called Winslet the “patron saint” of the movie for being the first big name to back it, expressing interest as early as April 1999.
• Joaquin Phoenix as the Abbé du Coulmier, the well-loved administrator at Charenton asylum. A profoundly religious man, he treats his wards with kindness and allows them to express themselves artistically. He is intensely in love with Maddy though he does not entirely admit it to her or himself, he becomes devastated by her death and eventually this led to his madness. Before settling on Joaquin Phoenix, casting directors considered Jude Law, Guy Pearce, and Billy Crudup for the role.
• Michael Caine as Dr. Royer-Collard, the traditionalist foil for the Abbé who was sent by Napoleon to silence the Marquis, though he proves as sadistic as the Marquis himself. Kaufman drew comparisons between Royer-Collard and Kenneth Starr, particularly the publication of de Sade's works at the Charenton Printing Press and the release of Starr's report online.
• Billie Whitelaw as Madame LeClerc, Madeleine's blind mother, a long-time employee of the asylum, whose blindness resulted from long-time exposure to the lye of the laundry vats.
• Stephen Marcus as Bouchon, the inmate who attempts to rape Madeleine backstage during “The Crimes of Love” and ultimately kills her during the climax of the film.
• Amelia Warner as Simone, Royer-Collard's child bride who elopes with architect Prioux.
• Stephen Moyer as Prioux,a promising architect sent by Napoleon to renovate the Royer-Collard chateau, Prioux falls in love with Simone and runs away with her.
• Jane Menelaus (Rush's real-life spouse) as Renee Pelagie, the Marquis de Sade's long-suffering wife.
• Ron Cook as Napoleon Bonaparte, the Emperor of the French, who ordered the anonymous author of Justine (the Marquis) arrested in 1801. This was Cook's second appearance as Napoleon, the first being in the Sharpe series in 1994.
• Patrick Malahide as Delbené, Napoleon's most trusted advisor; is responsible for sending Dr. Royer-Collard to Charenton.
• Elizabeth Berrington as Charlotte, a meddlesome chambermaid who betrays Madeleine to Royer-Collard and eventually becomes his lover and assistant at the Charenton Printing Press.
• Tony Pritchard as Valcour, Charenton's prefect, Valcour performs much of the physical work necessary at the asylum.
• Michael Jenn as Cleante, a madman who thinks he is a bird. He stars in "The Crimes of Love" in the Royer-Collard-inspired role of The Libertine and helps pass the Marquis' story to Madeleine later in the film.