The Brooklyn-born actor took an interest in Kalfař’s heritage as he prepared to play a Czech astronaut. Kalfař said of their collaboration: “During the quarantine, we had all these late nights, two-hour conversations about the character and about the book. And he was so curious about what it is to be Czech and the Czech history.” 

That would prove to be one of the easier parts of making Spaceman; to simulate the zero gravity environment of Jakub’s spacecraft, Sandler spent much of his time on set dangling from wires. “It’s tremendously uncomfortable with all these harnesses and hanging in your own body weight,” Renck said. “[Adam] just pushed through that in an incredible way.” All in a day’s work for the Sandman. 

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Voiced by Dano, Hanuš is a spider-like creature from the dawn of time who shelters on Jakub’s spaceship — and may just help him find peace out in the stars. 

In portraying the giant spider, Dano faced a unique challenge: making a creature that may evoke aversion as endearing as possible. “I hope that Hanuš is a little bit scary at first, because he would be. I mean, he is a giant spider,” Dano told Netflix. “Spiders, especially hairy spiders, they’re not for everybody. But he’s a kind soul and a wise man. He’s a traveler of space and time. It was easy for me to love him, and I hope the audience does, too.”

Renck, for his part, was convinced. “I don’t think I have it anymore, but I have throughout my life had severe arachnophobia,” he admitted. “Obviously the task was to make a character that’s unpleasant at first, but then you start spending time with him and you start liking him — maybe even loving him.” 

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Jakub’s estranged, earthbound wife, Lenka, is played by three-time Oscar nominee Carey Mulligan, most recently seen as Felicia Montealegre in Bradley Cooper’s Maestro. 

The relationship between Jakub and Lenka is the heart of Spaceman. “Lenka is a free spirit,” Mulligan told Netflix. “It’s a real kind of yin-and-yang thing with her and Jakub because he has such a scientific, intellectual mind and she’s so artistic and creative, and their impulses come from completely opposite places.”

The film also marked Mulligan’s first collaboration with Sandler. “I’m such an enormous fan,” she said. “I didn’t meet him until I got to Prague to shoot the film. Everyone said he was the best, but he really was. I loved every day I got to spend with him as well as every day I got to act with him.”

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Technician Peter is Jakub’s point of contact on Earth, and one of the only human voices he has access to out in the vacuum of space. He’s played by The Big Bang Theory’s Kunal Nayyar. 

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Jakub’s commanding officer, Commissioner Tuma, is played by legendary screen presence Isabella Rossellini — a fitting leader for a voyage beyond the stars.

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