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How to Find a Supporting Actor Who Isn't on the Cast List

Updated 2026-11-05

Finding the lead's name takes seconds. The hard ones are the guest star from one episode or the bit part with three lines. They're missing from the cast list — or they're on it with no photo, so you can't tell which name is theirs. Here's what works, easiest first.

1. Pin down the character name

Did anyone call them by name? Even "the landlord" or "Detective Ruiz" helps. Searching "[show] [character name]" is far faster than scrolling an entire cast list.

2. Remember which episode

Supporting actors often appear in just a few episodes. Knowing the episode lets you use episode-level credits:

• IMDb lists the cast for each individual episode — open the episode, not the series page.
• Fan wikis for popular shows often have episode pages with guest cast and character names.

3. Pause the end credits

End credits usually list everyone who appeared in that episode, often with character names alongside. Pause and read — it's tedious, but it's the most reliable source.

4. Ask with a screenshot

Communities like r/tipofmytongue are good at small roles. Include the show, season, episode and a rough timestamp. Expect to wait for an answer.

5. Search by face instead

All of the above means matching a face to a list of names. You can also go the other way — from the face to the name. Our app, who are you again?, shows the actor's name and roles when you snap the screen. We've been steadily adding supporting actors, not just stars.

To be honest, very new actors or people with almost no public credits may not be found yet — for those, the episode credits above are more reliable. A search that finds no one never uses up a free search.

Related: How to see the full cast on Netflix