A Small Light cast: who's who in the World War Two drama

A Small Light on Disney Plus follows many wartime heroics.
A Small Light on Disney Plus follows many wartime heroics. (Image credit: Disney Plus)

A Small Light is a Disney Plus limited series centering on the inspiring true story of Miep Gies, a woman who helped play a critical role in hiding Anne Frank and her family from the Nazis during the occupation of Amsterdam, and went on to preserve Anne Frank's diary for the world to see at a later date. 

Told with what Disney has described as "a modern sensibility", A Small Light recounts how Miep and her husband and a group of everyday people kept a close watch over the Frank, van Pels and Pfeffer families hiding in a secret annex.

Here's who you will see as part of the A Small Light cast. 

A Small Light cast: Bel Powley as Miep Gies

Bel Powley as Miep Gies.

Bel Powley as Miep Gies. (Image credit: Disney Plus)

Bel Powley stars as the leading lady, Mipe Gies. Miep was a secretary, a young and carefree woman who was transformed into a hero after her boss asked if she would help hide his family during World War Two. Without hesitation, she agreed, and the series explores how her life changed from the moment she said she would help.

Where else have you seen Bel Powley? Powley has also starred in Everything I Know About Love, The King of Staten Island, Informer, Mary Shelley, M.I. High, A Royal Night Out, The Morning Show, and Benidorm.

Joe Cole as Jan Gies

Joe Cole as bookish Jan.

Joe Cole as Jan Gies. (Image credit: Disney Plus)

Joe Cole stars as Jan Gies, Miep's bookish but daring and devoted husband who, along with his wife, became an everyday hero once they started hiding Jewish people from occupying forces.

Where else have you seen Joe Cole? Cole is likely best known for playing John Shelby in Peaky Blinders or as Gangs of London's main man, Sean Wallace. He's also appeared in The Ipcress File, Against the Ice, Pure, Black Mirror, A Prayer Before Dawn and Skins, among other roles.

Liev Schreiber as Otto Frank

Liev Shrieber is playing Otto Frank.

Otto and Miep. (Image credit: Disney Plus)

Liev Schreiber is playing Otto Frank, Anne Frank's father. Otto sought Miep's help to hide his family.

Where else have you seen Liev Schreiber? Schreiber might be best recognized as the title character in Ray Donovan, though he's also featured in Golda, The Omen, Spotlight, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the 2004 remake of The Manchurian Candidate. He also lent his voice to Wilson Fisk in Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse.

Billie Boullet as Anne Frank

Billie Boullet as Ann Frank.

Billie Boullet as Ann Frank. (Image credit: Disney Plus)

Billie Boullet plays the famous Dutch teenager, Anne Frank, who documented the period she spent in hiding with her family, the van Pels and Dr. Pfeffer in her now-famous diary. 

Where else have you seen Billie Boullet? Boullet previously starred as Fenella Feverfew in The Worst Witch.

Who else stars in A Small Light?

A Small Light features a large ensemble cast. Here's who else you can expect to crop up throughout the series: 

  • Ashley Brooke as Margot Frank, Anne's sister
  • Amira Casar as Edith Frank, Anne and Margot's mother
  • Andy Nyman as Hermann van Pels
  • Caroline Catz as Auguste van Pels
  • Rudi Goodman as Peter van Pels
  • Noah Taylor as Dr. Fritz Pfeffer
  • Sally Messham as Bep Boskuijl
  • Ian McElhinney as Johannes Kleiman
  • Nicholas Burns as Victor Kugler
  • Sebastian Armesto as Max Stoppelman
  • Liza Sadovy as Mrs. Stoppelman
  • Laurie Kynaston as Casmir

New episodes of A Small Light air on Nat Geo in pairs on a weekly basis from Monday, May 1 at 9 pm ET, with both episodes hitting Hulu and Disney Plus one day later. UK viewers can stream the show on Tuesdays on Disney Plus.

Martin Shore
Staff Writer at WhatToWatch.com

Martin was a Staff Writer with WhatToWatch.com, where he produced a variety of articles focused on the latest and greatest films and TV shows. Now he works for our sister site Tom's Guide in the same role.

Some of his favorite shows are What We Do In The Shadows, Bridgerton, Gangs of London, The Witcher, Doctor Who, and Ghosts. When he’s not watching TV or at the movies, Martin’s probably still in front of a screen playing the latest video games, reading, or watching the NFL.