The Cage Cast & Character Guide

Netflix’s French-language MMA show The Cage has a distinctly varied cast of up-and-coming young actors, renowned actor-directors, and several real-life MMA fighters. The Cage follows 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, and The Cage feels very similar to underdog sports movies like Rocky. The Cage is also similar to some of Sylvester Stallone’s best action movies in 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 of The Cage is its character-driven story. The main thing that makes the show’s characters so compelling is their actors, and The Cage is not wanting for talent. It’s also not set on a specific type of actor, as The Cage features veterans of French cinema, young talent, and real-world fighters in equal measure. It’s that blend of specialties that makes The Cage so compelling, and the series’ cast had a big part in making it one of the best shows on Netflix.

The Cast of The Cage
Picture	Name	Character
	Melvin Boomer	Taylor Keita
	Boss	Franck Gastambide
	Ibrahim Ibara	Bosh
	Niko	Antoine Simony
	Yanisse Kebbab	Bilal
	Edwige Ahonto	Elena
	Georges St-Pierre	Himself
	Camille de Sablet	Isabelle
	Vini Vivarelli	Régis

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’s Reign Supreme. Since then, Boomer has appeared in another French-language television series, and he made his film debut in 2023 with Sage-homme. Interestingly, Boomer actually has a background with Mixed Martial Arts, as his father is an MMA fighter (via Schön!).

Character: In The 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 the ending of The Cage, Taylor is a completely different fighter and man.

Franck Gastambide As Boss

Date Of Birth: October 31, 1978

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 in Taxi 5, where he portrayed the main character, Sylvain Marot. Gastambide has also created more projects since 2009, including The Cage, which he co-created with Sylvain Caron.

Character: In The 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 alongside The Cage co-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 (via SNEP).

Character: In The Cage, Bosh plays Ibrahim, a former pupil of Boss. Ibrahim is the main antagonist of The 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 in Summer of 85, where he played Chris. Prior to that, Simony also had a role in Barbara. 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.

Character: In The 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 in The 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 movie The Innocent.

Edwige Ahonto as Elena: Edwige Ahonto plays Elena in The 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, and The Cage seems to be her first major acting role.

Georges St-Pierre as Himself: In The Cage, Georges St-Pierre plays himself. As in real life, St-Pierre is a world-renowned MMA fighter with three UFC welterweight championships. In The Cage, St-Pierre takes Taylor under his wing and trains him to fight Ibrahim. The Cage is not, however, St-Pierre’s first acting role, as he also appeared in films like Captain America: The Winter Solider, where he played Georges Batroc.

Camille de Sablet as Isabelle: Camille de Sablet plays Isabelle, Taylor’s mother, in The 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 like Mr & Mme Adelman and shows like Citoyens cladenstins.

Vini Vivarelli as Régis: Vini Vivarelli plays Régis in The Cage. Régis is Isabelle’s lover and a bad influence on her, due to his illegal income. Vivarelli is known for movies like Supremes and shows like Narvalo.

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.

Cast

Franck Gastambide , Melvin Boomer , Georges St-Pierre , Bosh , Adel Bencherif , Cyril Gane , Salahdine Parnasse , Abdoul Abdouraguimov , Ramzan Jembiev , Anissa Meksen , Souleymane Cissokho , Samy Sana , Antoine Simony , Gregory Defleur

Character(s)

Boss , Taylor , Uncredited , Ibrahim , Niko , Matchmaker

Release Date

November 8, 2024

Network

Netflix

Writers

Alain Moreau

Creator(s)

Franck Gastambide

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