Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess

Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters

Gabrielle Union as Geneva Wade

Columbus Short as Little Walter

Cedric the Entertainer as Willie Dixon

Emmanuelle Chriqui as Revetta Chess

Eamonn Walker as Howlin' Wolf

Tammy Blanchard as Isabelle Allen

Eric Bogosian as Alan Freed

Norman Reedus as Chess Engineer

Yasiin Bey as Chuck Berry

Beyoncé as Etta James

Josh Alscher as Mick Jagger

Tim Bellow as Man in the Caddy

Tony Bentley as Lomax

Marc Bonan as Keith Richards

Douglas Crosby as Policeman (Little Walter beating)

Dexter Darden as Geneva's Teenage Son

Veronika Dash as Blonde Girl

Sean Shyboy Davis as Toothless Hillbilly Little Walter

Eshaya Draper as Charles Waters

Christopher Durham as Policeman (with Chuck Berry)

Shiloh Fernandez as Phil Chess

Jill Flint as Shelly Feder

Erik Frandsen as Engineer - Present Day

Gano Grills as Slick Pimp

Suzette Gunn as Minnie Ripperton

Jordan Haynes as Pot Strong

William Hill as Policeman (with the Stones)

Mike Hodge as Bartender

Tyler Humphrey as Muddy - Age 6

Osas Ighodaro as Maid

Kevin Jackson as Mysterious Black Man

Albert Jones as Hubert Sumlin

Rayan Lawrence as Harmonica Player

Chyna Layne as Pot's Girlfriend Juanita

Kevin Mambo as Jimmy Rogers

Aaron Munoz as Manager

Wade Mylius as Bouncer

Rebecca Pappa as Another Blonde

Jonathan Earl Peck as Man Who Rolled 7

Q-Tip as Hip Hop Artist

Ginnie Randall as Muddy's Grandmother

Ashlee Ray as Muddy's Floozy #1

Jake Robards as Producer - Present Day

Jay O. Sanders as Mr. Feder

Samuel Smith as Guitarist

Valence Thomas as James Cotton

Carmen Ziina Vasquez as Muddy's Floozy #2

Isiah Whitlock, Jr. as Mississippi DJ

Kade Alexie as Guitar Player (uncredited)

Kandé Amadou as Little Walter's Girlfriend (uncredited)

Angelina Aucello as Teenybopper (uncredited)

Lawrence P. Beron as Overseer (uncredited)

Ryan Curtis as Picnic Boyfriend (uncredited)

Vincent D'Onofrio as Mississippi DJ (uncredited)

Seth Donavan as Chuck Berry Concertgoer (uncredited)

John Farrer as Etta's Violinist (uncredited)

Doug W. Goldman as Etta's Trumpet Player (uncredited)

Evan Hart as Young Lover (uncredited)

Tiffany M. Johnson as Girlfriend (uncredited)

Vianca Johnson as Field Worker (uncredited)

Andrew Kaempfer as Chicago Cop (uncredited)

Tony Lawson as Vendor (uncredited)

Rege Lewis as Bystander (uncredited)

Malikha Mallette as Little Walter's Girlfriend (uncredited)

Cerrone May as Muddy's Band Member (uncredited)

Adaku Ononogbo as Muddy Waters' Girlfriend (uncredited)

Catherine Pierce as Shocked Bystander (uncredited)

Stephen Seidel as Officer Brown (uncredited)

Derrick Simmons as Dice Player (uncredited)