A Discovery of Witches Series: Cast, Book, Plot, Seasons - Netflix Tudum

  • Deep Dive

    Who’s in the Cast of A Discovery of Witches? What to Know About the Series

    The fantasy series follows a witch and a vampire who join forces to save the magical realm.

    By Ingrid Ostby
    Aug. 23, 2024

Diana Bishop got her philosophy doctorate at the University of Oxford, she’s one of the youngest ever to be tenured at Yale, and she’s a published author. She’s also a witch — but she’d prefer to ignore that part of her identity. She’s not well-versed in magic, and she’d like to keep it that way. In fact, she can barely control her powers. But when a research fellowship brings her back to Oxford, England, and she stumbles upon a centuries-old manuscript that every supernatural creature is salivating to get their hands on, it puts her in grave danger. Luckily, she finds protection from an unlikely source: an elusive vampire. The fantasy series A Discovery of Witches, based on the All Souls book series by Deborah Harkness, stars Teresa Palmer, Matthew Goode, and Edward Bluemel.

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When will A Discovery of Witches be released?

Stream it now.

How many seasons of A Discovery of Witches are there? 

There are three seasons of the fantasy series. 

Teresa Palmer as Diana Bishop wears a blue tank top and stands in a corridor with canoes in an image from the series ‘A Discovery of Witches.’

Teresa Palmer as Diana Bishop in A Discovery of Witches

Who’s in the cast of A Discovery of Witches?

The witches:

  • Teresa Palmer (The Clearing) as Diana Bishop, a visiting research fellow at Oxford
  • Louise Brealey (Such Brave Girls) as Gillian Chamberlain, a classical historian and a member of the coven at Oxford
  • Alex Kingston (Doctor Who) as Sarah Bishop, Diana’s aunt who lives in the US
  • Malin Buska (The Lawyer) as Satu Jarvinen, a powerful witch from Finland
  • Owen Teale (Game of Thrones) as Peter Knox, a member of the Congregation, the primary governing body for witches, demons, and vampires

The vampires: 

  • Matthew Goode (The Offer) as Matthew Clairmont, aka Matthew de Clermont, a biochemistry professor at Oxford
  • Edward Bluemel (Persuasion) as Marcus Whitmore, Matthew’s son
  • Aiysha Hart (We Are Lady Parts) as Miriam Shephard, Matthew’s colleague 
  • Lindsay Duncan (The Wheel of Time) as Ysabeau de Clermont, Matthew’s mother
  • Gregg Chillin (The Wheel of Time), aka Gregg Chilingirian, as Domenico Michele, a member of the Congregation
  • Elarica Johnson (P-Valley) as Juliette Durand, Gerbert’s daughter
  • Sorcha Cusack (Father Brown) as Marthe, Ysabeau’s maid
  • Trevor Eve (Waking the Dead) as Gerbert d’Aurillac, the most revered and dangerous vampire
  • Trystan Gravelle (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) as Baldwin Montclair, Matthew’s brother

The demons: 

  • Greg McHugh (Guilt) as Hamish Osborne, Matthew’s close friend
  • Daniel Ezra (All American) as Nathaniel Wilson, Agatha’s son 
  • Aisling Loftus (War & Peace) as Sophie Wilson, Nathaniel’s wife
  • Tanya Moodie (Empire of Light) as Agatha Wilson, a member of the Congregation
Matthew Goode as Matthew Clairmont stands holding an old book in the University of Oxford library in an image from ‘A Discovery of Witches.’

Matthew Goode in A Discovery of Witches

What happens in A Discovery of Witches?

Accomplished academic and reluctant witch Diana Bishop (Palmer) has her life turned upside down when, during her research fellowship at Oxford, she comes across Ashmole 782, an old and magical book that witches, vampires, and demons have been desperate to obtain for a long, long time. Ever since Diana’s discovery, all the supernatural creatures nearby sense that a powerful shift has happened. Immediately, Diana is thrown headlong into the ancient mystery that surrounds Ashmole 782, and is forced to embrace her hidden identity — something she’s been reluctant to do ever since her parents were killed for being witches. But that’s not the only thing putting Diana in danger: She’s also falling for Matthew Clairmont (Goode), an Oxford professor and a vampire. Romance between different types of creatures is strictly forbidden — but they’re determined to ensure nothing keeps them apart. 

Owen Teale as Peter Knox stands in profile in a dimly lit room in an image from the series ‘A Discovery of Witches.’

Is A Discovery of Witches based on a book?

Yes, it’s based on the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness. The first book in the series is A Discovery of Witches

Where does A Discovery of Witches take place?

A Discovery of Witches takes place in Oxford, England; London; and Venice, Italy. 

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