Netflix’s French-language MMA showThe Cagehas a distinctly varied cast of up-and-coming young actors, renowned actor-directors, and several real-life MMA fighters.The Cagefollows Taylor Keita (Melvin Boomer) as he rockets from being an unknown entity to the newest sensation in the French UFC. Along the way, he’s both supported and discouraged by people in his professional and personal lives, andThe Cagefeels very similar tounderdog sports movies likeRocky.The Cageis also similar to some ofSylvester Stallone’s best action moviesin that it focuses just as much on its characters as it does its fight scenes.
Though it boasts some impressive fights and choreography, the main draw ofThe Cageis its character-driven story. The main thing that makes the show’s characters so compelling is their actors, andThe Cageis not wanting for talent. It’s also not set on a specific type of actor, asThe Cagefeatures veterans of French cinema, young talent, and real-world fighters in equal measure. It’s that blend of specialties that makesThe Cageso compelling, and the series' cast had a big part in making it one of thebest shows on Netflix.
Melvin Boomer As Taylor Keita
Date Of Birth: c. 2000
Actor: Melvin Boomer is a 24-year-old actor and former dancer who was born in France.Boomer’s breakthrough role was also his first role: he played Didier Morville in Netflix’sReign Supreme. Since then, Boomer has appeared in another French-language television series, and he made his film debut in 2023 withSage-homme. Interestingly, Boomer actually has a background with Mixed Martial Arts, as his father is an MMA fighter (viaSchön!).
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Reign Supreme
Didier Morville
Character: InThe Cage, Melvin Boomer plays Taylor Keita, the series' protagonist. Taylor is an up-and-coming MMA fighter with more determination and work ethic than talent, and he lets nothing get in his way of winning an MMA belt. By theending ofThe Cage, Taylor is a completely different fighter and man.
Franck Gastambide As Boss
Date Of Birth: August 07, 2025
Actor: Franck Gastambide was born in Melun, Seine-et-Marne, France.Gastambide’s breakthrough role was in Kaïra Shopping, a 2009 webseries that he created and starred in. Since then, Kaïra Shopping was adapted into a film, and Gastambide has gone on to have a prolific acting career. Perhaps his biggest role was inTaxi 5, where he portrayed the main character, Sylvain Marot. Gastambide has also created more projects since 2009, includingThe Cage, which he co-created with Sylvain Caron.
Medellin
Stan
Character: InThe Cage, Franck Gastambide plays Boss, the owner and operator of Taylor’s gym. Boss initially seems dismissive of anyone at his gym who isn’t a professional, but he had been watching Taylor for some time. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any words of encouragment for the young fighter, and he was one of Taylor’s earliest hurdles to success.
Bosh As Ibrahim Ibara
Date Of Birth: c. 1992
Actor: Bosh was born in Plaisir, Yvelines, France, a suburb of Paris.Bosh’s breakthrough role was in Validé, where he played Karnage alongsideThe Cageco-star Franck Gastambide. While Bosh’s acting career only has a few credits, he’s much more well-known for his musical career. Bosh is a French rapper who has found quite a bit of success. His best-performing song, “Djomb,” reached the number one spot on France’s music chart, and his album “Synkinisi” reached the top 10 list (viaSNEP).
Blazing Neon
Sumaï
Character: InThe Cage, Bosh plays Ibrahim, a former pupil of Boss. Ibrahim is the main antagonist ofThe Cage, and he was known for challenging less talented fighters to brutal sparring matches where he would continue to beat them long after they had surrendered. After his first fight with Taylor, Ibrahim had it out for him.
Antoine Simony As Niko
Date Of Birth: Unknown
Actor: Antoine Simony was born in France.Simony had his breakthrough role inSummer of 85, where he played Chris. Prior to that, Simony also had a role inBarbara. Aside from acting, Simony is known for his musical career. Like Bosh, Simony is also a French rapper, and his most popular song, “RSA Gris Nardo,” has helped him gain over 40,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
Summer of 85
Chris
Character: InThe Cage, Antoine Simony plays Niko, Taylor’s best friend. Niko is also a fighter at Boss' gym, though he’s not nearly as skilled as Chris. Instead, he offers his friendship and moral support to Taylor’s fights.
The Cage Supporting Cast & Characters
Yanisse Kebbab as Bilal: Yanisse Kebbab plays Bilal inThe Cage. Bilal is one of Boss' employees, and though he doesn’t fight himself, he offers comedic relief and support to Taylor. Bilal is known for his role in the movieThe Innocent.
Edwige Ahonto as Elena: Edwige Ahonto plays Elena inThe Cage. Elena was one of Boss' professional fighters, and she showed kindness to Taylor earlier than most people recognized his talent. Ahonto is mainly a Nike trainer, andThe Cageseems to be her first major acting role.
Georges St-Pierre as Himself: InThe Cage, Georges St-Pierre plays himself. As in real life, St-Pierre is a world-renowned MMA fighter with three UFC welterweight championships. InThe Cage, St-Pierre takes Taylor under his wing and trains him to fight Ibrahim.The Cageis not, however, St-Pierre’s first acting role, as he also appeared in films likeCaptain America: The Winter Solider, where he played Georges Batroc.
Camille de Sablet as Isabelle: Camille de Sablet plays Isabelle, Taylor’s mother, inThe Cage. Isabelle isn’t very supportive of Taylor’s dreams, and she doesn’t offer much in the way of encouragement. De Sablet is known for movies likeMr & Mme Adelmanand shows likeCitoyens cladenstins.
Vini Vivarelli as Régis: Vini Vivarelli plays Régis inThe Cage. Régis is Isabelle’s lover and a bad influence on her, due to his illegal income. Vivarelli is known for movies likeSupremesand shows likeNarvalo.
The Cage
Cast
The Cage follows a young fighter aiming for professional success, who faces challenges in gaining recognition until a chance opportunity pits him against a fierce rival in the competitive arena. Released in 2024, the film explores themes of ambition and rivalry in the world of combat sports.
