Get to know the stars of 'Red, White & Royal Blue' before they're everywhere

The cast of "Red, White & Royal Blue" is here to bring one of #BookTok's favorite books to life.

In the adaptation of Casey McQuiston’s 2019 novel of the same name, the son of the U.S. President and a British prince fall in love. Alex Claremont-Diaz and Prince Henry hate each other, at first – but a cake-related disaster and some time spent in close quarters changes that.

Out Aug. 11, the R-rated movie is expected to be as steamy, and big-hearted, as the book.

Tony Award-winning playwright Matthew López ("The Inheritance") co-wrote the film with Ted Malawer ("Halston") and also makes his directorial debut with the movie.

“I never imagined I’d read a book with a queer Latine character at the center — a character who is smart and passionate and flawed and hopeful,” López told Glamour. “I think having this book in my life when I was younger might have made it a little easier. I knew immediately that I wanted to bring it to the screen.”

Here's your guide to the cast of 'Red, White & Royal Blue'

The casting announcement for the two main leads, Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine, came out in June of last year. The movie also stars actors Uma Thurman, Stephen Fry, Sarah Shahi, Rachel Hilson, and Ellie Bamber.

Taylor Zakhar Perez as Alex Claremont-Diaz

Taylor Zakhar Perez, 31, plays Alex Claremont-Diaz, the 21-year-old son of the first woman president of the United States, Ellen Claremont, and Senator Oscar Diaz.

In the book, Zakhar Perez’s character Alex is an outspoken undergraduate student at Georgetown University who aspires to be one of the youngest members elected to Congress.

Zakhar Perez is known for his role as Marco in summer romcoms "The Kissing Booth 2" and "The Kissing Booth 3", both novel adaptations on Netflix. He also featured in the HBO Max comedy "Minx".

In an interview with Newsweek, Zakhar Perez shared that he hadn't heard of the book before he auditioned. It wasn't until a friend of his who was also auditioned showed him the book.

"So I started to read it, and it was an incredible book. I really didn’t have any idea that it was so popular until I started telling people that I might be going to England for a project, and everybody was freaking out," Perez told Newsweek.

"Even my publicist was like, 'Oh, my God, I read that during COVID. It’s an amazing book.' I really didn't know the magnitude of it," Perez said.

He told GQ that he drew inspiration from "The West Wing", focusing on Rob Lowe's Sam Seaborn, the White House deputy communications director. “I think he’s probably who Alex would want to be,” says Zakhar Perez.

According to Glamour, Zakhar Perez says he knew the movie "could be something special" as he read the book.

“The core of Alex (from the book) is still in the film,” he says. “He's just so ambitious, loyal, charismatic, and smart. That intelligence was one of my fears about playing Alex — he's not playing at it or trying to be smart. That's just how he was raised, how he was educated. I'm not saying I'm not smart, but whew. His brain never stops.”

Nicholas Galitzine as Prince Henry

Nicholas Galitzine, 28, plays Prince Henry, a 22-year-old (he turns 23 later in the book) shy and sheltered royal.

But this isn't Galitzine's first time playing a prince. He starred alongside Camilla Cabello in Prime Video's adaptation of "Cinderella," acting as Prince Robert.

He was also in Netflix's "Purple Hearts," a movie about a marriage of convenience between an aspiring musician and soon-to-be-deployed Marine who lose sight of what's real and pretend in their fake relationship.

In an interview with TODAY, Galitzine described his role as Prince Henry as "extremely gratifying" and also a step outside of his comfort zone.

"You're a lot closer to the script than you are on a comedy, where it’s so loose and improvised," Galitzine said.

He told GQ that his character is a blend of Prince William and Harry.

“One of my great fears is being misunderstood,” shares Galitzine. “Henry has to live with that every day ... It just felt like a beautiful story: someone who’s largely pretended to be someone else their whole life, and then this other person completely obliterates their worldview," he said.

Galitzine also shared with Glamour that the film is a "really heartwarming story".

"I hope it resonates with everyone," Galitzine said. "I've been really touched to hear how widespread the book became and affected many people from many different backgrounds. I hope our movie can do the same because a lot of love went into it.”

Uma Thurman

President Ellen Claremont is played actress Uma Thurman. Thurman has performed in a variety of movies, but is widely known for her role in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" and two of the "Kill Bill" movies.

In the book, Ellen Claremont, Alex's mother, is a Texan who speaks with a Southern drawl. She's known for creating PowerPoints that break down complex topics using creative titles.

Director López shared in an interview with Deadline his joy of having Thurman in the movie.

“I am overjoyed that Uma will be joining us to play President Claremont,” said López. “Her intelligence, warmth, and humor are a perfect match for Casey’s iconic character. I cannot wait to be on our Oval Office set with her.”

Stephen Fry as King James III

In the novel, the character that argues that the world will never accept Alex and Prince Henry is the queen. Departing from the original storyline, Stephen Fry plays a disapproving king.

Stephen Fry is an English actor, comedian and audiobook narrator, known for portraying Oscar Wilde in the 1997 movie "Wilde." He also starred in Season One of Netflix’s "Sandman" and voiced the role of the principal at Truham Boys Grammar in "Heartstopper".

In an interview with Logo, Fry shared that he enjoyed filming with the cast and crew.

"I had a marvelous day working with them, and I think it’ll be something rather special. It’s funny and charming, but also truthful and touching," he said.

He went on to give his thoughts on the journey of queer television.

"I don’t know if you agree with me, but queer stories have kind of come of age, in a way," Fry said. "We’re still proud to tell them. We’re still anxious to see them and hungry for different aspects of gay experience and gay life, but there’s a confidence and a swagger about it that I find divine."

Sarah Shahi as Zahra Bankston

Sarah Shahi will be playing the role of Zahra Bankston, President Claremont's right-hand woman as Deputy Chief of Staff.

Fans of Shahi will remember her for her portrayal as Billie Connolly in "Sex/Life," which she told TODAY.com shocked her, too.

Rachel Hilson as Nora Holleran

In "Red, White & Royal Blue," Rachel Hilson will be portraying Nora Holleran, Alex's best friend. You may remember Hilson as Mia Brookes in the Hulu original “Love, Victor."

Ellie Bamber as Princess Beatrice.

Ellie Bamber will also be in the movie, acting as Princess Beatrice, Prince Henry's older sister. In the book, Princess Beatrice is the patron of the Beatrice Fund, a royal charity that supports addiction recovery programs across the U.K.

Ellie Bamber is a British actress known for her role as Elora Danan on the currently streaming Disney + series "Willow," which premiered last year, and her work in "The Serpent." She was also been cast to play Kate Moss in the biopic "Moss & Freud" a biopic about the supermodel's relationship with British artist Lucian Freud.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com