Anthony Hopkins as James Stevens

Emma Thompson as Miss Kenton

James Fox as Lord Darlington

Christopher Reeve as Jack Lewis

Hugh Grant as Reginald Cardinal

Peter Vaughan as William Stevens

Ben Chaplin as Charlie, Head Footman

Paula Jacobs as Mrs. Mortimer, the cook

Patrick Godfrey as Spencer

Michael Lonsdale as Dupont D'Ivry

Rupert Vansittart as Sir Geoffrey Wren

Tim Pigott-Smith as Thomas Benn

Lena Headey as Lizzie

Paul Copley as Harry Smith

Peter Cellier as Sir Leonard Bax

Brigitte Kahn as Baroness

John Savident as Doctor Meredith

Pip Torrens as Doctor Richard Carlisle

Peter Eyre as Lord Halifax

Wolf Kahler as German ambassador

Abigail Hopkins as Housemaid

John Haycraft as Auctioneer

Caroline Hunt as Landlady

Steve Dibben as George, Second Footman

Terence Bayler as Trimmer

Peter Halliday as Canon Tufnell

Jeffry Wickham as Viscount Bigge

Tony Aitken as Postmaster

Christopher Brown as Irma

Ian Redford as Publican

Jo Kendall as Publican's wife

Steven Beard as Andrews

Miles Richardson as Craddock (uncredited)