Road To Perdition - Cast

Cast

• Tom Hanks as Michael Sullivan, Sr., a top-notch hitman who works for John Rooney. Hanks was sent a copy of the graphic novel Road to Perdition by Steven Spielberg while he was filming Cast Away (2000). Initially too busy to make sense of the story, he later received David Self's adapted screenplay, to which he became attached. Hanks, a father to four children, described Michael Sullivan's role, "I just got this guy. If you're a man, and you've got offspring ... emotionally, it's devastating."
• Tyler Hoechlin as Michael Sullivan, Jr., Hoechlin was chosen from over 2,000 candidates to portray Michael Sullivan's son. The actor was 14 years old at the time of filming. For scenes in which Hoechlin's character assisted his father as a getaway driver, Hoechlin was trained by a driving instructor.
• Paul Newman as John Rooney, a crime boss who treats Sullivan as a surrogate son. Newman was unanimously the first choice for the role. The actor prepared by requesting Frank McCourt, the Irish-American author of Angela's Ashes, to record a tape of his voice.
• Jude Law as Harlen Maguire, a crime-scene photographer who moonlights as an assassin. Self, who created this character (who did not exist in the graphic novel), explained, "He gets so jaded from exposure to this world, he steps over the line from being the storyteller to being the story maker." To capture the "seedy countenance" of the character, Law was given a sallow skin tone that reflected the wear from working in a darkroom. Law's teeth also received a lower gumline and had a rotted look. He was also given a weak, thinning hairline. Law's character carried a camera that served as dual symbolism to his acts of murder. The character's apartment also displayed a collection of favorite photographs, some of which were actual police stills from the 1930s.
• Daniel Craig as Connor Rooney, the unstable, violent son of John Rooney. He is jealous of the surrogate relationship between his father and Sullivan.
• Stanley Tucci as Frank Nitti, the Under-Boss for the Al Capone Outfit. Tucci had previously avoided roles in gangster films, believing that Hollywood stereotyped all Italian-Americans as gangsters. The actor, attracted to the prospect of working with Mendes and his crew, accepted the role of Nitti, a real-life Mob boss from Chicago.
• Jennifer Jason Leigh as Annie Sullivan, the wife of Michael Sullivan, Sr., the actress was a friend of Sam Mendes and portrayed the role as a favor to him. Leigh had more scenes as Annie than the film showed, but due to time constraints, some were cut. Scenes were subsequently included on the film's DVD.
• Liam Aiken as Peter Sullivan, the doomed younger son of Michael Sullivan, Sr..
• Dylan Baker as Alexander Rance, an accountant who holds the ledgers for the Rooney crime syndicate.
• Ciarán Hinds as Finn McGovern, the man whose murder by Connor Rooney is witnessed by Sullivan's son.
• Anthony LaPaglia as Al Capone, the notorious crime boss. This character was filmed for a single scene, which was omitted from the final cut, and can be found in the DVD's deleted scenes. Mendes believed that Capone was more menacing as an unseen presence. Actor Alfred Molina was approached to portray Capone, but Molina was forced to turn the role down due to scheduling conflicts with Frida (2002). Instead, LaPaglia was cast as Capone.