The Invite keeps its dinner-party pressure focused on four principal characters: Seth Rogen’s Joe, Olivia Wilde’s Angela, Penélope Cruz’s Piña and Edward Norton’s Hawk. The 2026 comedy drama gives each performer a distinct place in its compact, relationship-centred set-up, which is why the cast works best as an ensemble rather than as a parade of cameos.
Directed by Wilde from a screenplay by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, The Invite is adapted from Cesc Gay’s film Sentimental. Its premise centres on Joe and Angela, whose marriage is under strain when they invite their upstairs neighbours over for dinner. The night gives the four leads room to play discomfort, attraction, resentment and uneasy humour without taking the story far from the table.
The Invite cast and characters at a glance
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Seth Rogen | Joe |
| Olivia Wilde | Angela |
| Penélope Cruz | Piña |
| Edward Norton | Hawk |
Seth Rogen as Joe
Rogen plays Joe, one half of the married couple at the heart of the film. The set-up puts Joe in a room where ordinary social rules start to feel less dependable by the minute. Rogen’s presence matters because the movie needs the awkwardness to stay funny without making the tension feel weightless. Joe is not simply there to react. He is one of the four people whose changing comfort level keeps the evening moving.
Olivia Wilde as Angela
Wilde plays Angela and also directs The Invite. Angela is Joe’s wife, so the character sits directly inside the marriage that frames the film’s central dinner. That dual role gives Wilde a clear view of the movie’s shifting tone: the conversation can be funny, exposed and emotionally uncomfortable in the same beat. The film’s four-person design keeps Angela’s responses as important as any one-liner or confrontation.
Penélope Cruz as Piña
Cruz plays Piña, one of the two guests who turns a small gathering into something more charged. The film does not need a large supporting ensemble to create friction. Instead, Piña is part of the central quartet, with every pause and change of subject carrying extra weight. Cruz’s casting also gives the movie a useful contrast of poise and unpredictability against the hosts’ increasingly unsettled evening.
Edward Norton as Hawk
Norton plays Hawk, Piña’s fellow guest at the dinner. Like Cruz, he is essential to the film’s small-scale architecture rather than an outside interruption. Hawk’s place in the conversation helps make the movie feel like a four-way negotiation, with each character trying to hold on to a version of the night that suits them. That contained format is the point: the changing balance between Joe, Angela, Piña and Hawk is where the comedy gets its bite.
Other credited performers in The Invite
The four leads carry the story, but the full credits also list Skip Howland as a Doorman, Mel Powell as a Bartender, and Rachel Thurow and Mario Valdez as Subway Goers. These are uncredited parts, so they should not be mistaken for a larger second ensemble. For viewers searching the movie’s principal cast, Rogen, Wilde, Cruz and Norton are the names to know.
What is The Invite about?
The Invite follows Joe and Angela as their marriage is already under pressure and a dinner with their upstairs neighbours pushes the evening into unfamiliar territory. It is a contained adult comedy drama built around four performers, rather than a plot driven by a large world of side characters. For the full watch-or-skip verdict, read our The Invite review.
FAQ
Who plays Joe in The Invite?
Seth Rogen plays Joe, one half of the married couple at the centre of The Invite.
Who plays Angela in The Invite?
Olivia Wilde plays Angela. She also directs the film.
Who do Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton play in The Invite?
Penélope Cruz plays Piña and Edward Norton plays Hawk.
Is The Invite based on another film?
Yes. The 2026 film is adapted from Cesc Gay’s Sentimental, with a screenplay by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones.