The Hand That Rocks the Cradle cast and character guide: Who plays whom in the Hulu thriller?

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is the latest thriller offering from Hulu, where it premiered on October 22, 2025. The plot of this film is inspired by the eponymous 1992 film, helmed by Curtis Hanson. This one is the directorial work of Michelle Garza Cervera, while Micah Bloomberg has penned the screenplay.

Here's the official synopsis of the film as per IMDb:

"An upscale suburban mom brings a new nanny, Polly Murphy, into her home, only to discover she is not the person she claims to be."

Let's look into the film's cast and character guide, and find out who has played which character.

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle cast and character guide

Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Caitlyn Morales

Mary Elizabeth Winstead | Image via Hulu

Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Caitlyn Morales, who works as an attorney for marriage. The character has a busy work life and hence hires a nanny to take care of her newborn second daughter. Winstead has acted in several films, including 10 Cloverfield Lane and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, among others.

Maika Monroe as Polly Murphy

Maika Monroe is seen as Polly Murphy in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. She is a queer woman employed by Caitlyn as a Nanny. While she is nice on the surface, Polly is secretly planning something for the family members. Monroe has acted in films like It Follows, Watcher, and The Guest, among others.

Raúl Castillo as Miguel Morales

Raúl Castillo portrays Caitlyn's husband, Miguel Morales, in the story. For most of the runtime, Miguel remains a dedicated husband who thinks about his wife. But he secretly starts developing an affair with Polly, and it leads to consequences. Castillo has done films like Unsane, Smile 2, and Night Teeth.

Additional cast of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

Mileiah Vega as Emma Morales
Shannon Cochran as Rosanna
Riki Lindhome as Bethany
Nora and Lola Contreras as Josie Morales
Martin Starr as Stewart

More info on The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle has been backed by individuals like Ted Field, Mike Larocca, and Michael Schaefer under their production banners of Department M and Radar Pictures. Jo Willems is the director of photography, while Julie Monroe has edited the film.

In a Decider interview, Mary Elizabeth Winstead spoke about a particular scene that establishes the intimacy between her character, Caitlyn, and Polly. She said:

"It really lays the groundwork for this intimacy that they start forging, that Caitlyn starts to open up to, and lean on, in a way. She’s hopeful that there’s something brewing between them. She doesn’t really know what it is, if there’s some feelings there, or if it’s a friendship. Whatever it is, it’s a connection to somebody that she hasn’t felt in a really long time, because she’s somebody who isn’t fully authentic with most people. Something about Polly makes her feel, it’s the first time, she sits up and take notice of that."

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle is currently streaming on Hulu.