Big Sky cast and character guide: Who plays whom in the American crime drama thriller

Big Sky, a crime show created by David E. Kelley, premiered on ABC in late 2020. If you enjoy tense, edge-of-your-seat thrillers, this one is for you. It’s based on C.J. Box’s The Highway novels. The story takes place in Montana, featuring kidnappings, trafficking rings, conspiracies, and more.

The protagonists of the story are Jenny Hoyt (Katheryn Winnick), a former cop, and Cassie Dewell (Kylie Bunbury), a private investigator you’d want on your side. They team up, stir things up, and pursue some seriously disturbing cases.

The series continued for three seasons, with the third one titled Deadly Trails, which premiered in September 2022. After that, ABC decided to cancel it in May 2023.

Big Sky concluded by late 2023, but the name isn’t going anywhere. People out west hear Big Sky and instantly think: Montana, fresh powder, ski bums, and the whole vibe at Big Sky Resort.

For fans who binge-watch TV, it has established itself as a gritty crime thriller with an impressive cast. Below, you’ll find who played who, along with some tidbits about the ensemble that kept us guessing all season.

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Big Sky cast and character guide

Jenny Hoyt - Katheryn Winnick

Katheryn Winnick plays Jenny Hoyt, a determined former cop with a lot of baggage. She’s split from her husband, Cody, but she can’t completely let go of his detective gig, so she is always dipping back in for some freelance work. Then, Jenny is back in the badge game as a deputy detective for the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s office. She is the glue holding everything together, trying to stay true to her morals while everyone else starts to lose theirs. Winnick balances grit and heart perfectly, making Jenny easy to root for over three seasons.

Cassie Dewell - Kylie Bunbury

Kylie Bunbury plays Cassie Dewell in Big Sky. She is a private detective and co-leader at Dewell & Hoyt. She used to work with Cody Hoyt, Jenny’s ex. Cassie is smart, resourceful, and fierce, balancing Jenny’s police background with her own brand of sleuthing. Bunbury combines grit and heart; you can’t help but root for Cassie, even when she’s diving into Montana’s darkest messes. She’s at the heart of every twisted story, teaming up with Jenny to uncover the truth wherever it hides.

Cody Hoyt - Ryan Phillippe

Ryan Phillippe plays Cody Hoyt, a man with his fair share of baggage. He is a troubled ex-cop turned private investigator who teams up with Cassie when trouble arises. The guy has numerous issues, including legal problems, but he's crucial when the first major kidnapping case drops and sets off the whole show. His relationship with Jenny is complicated and emotional. Ryan is front and center for season one, but after that, he slides into the background.

Denise Brisbane - Dedee Pfeiffer

Dedee Pfeiffer portrays Denise Brisbane, the quirky receptionist at Dewell & Hoyt. She quietly holds everything together. Want dirt on someone? She'll dig it up, often with a witty remark. Denise keeps things from becoming too bleak by slipping in small moments of humor when everyone else is stressed and rushing around.

Ronald Pergman - Brian Geraghty

Brian Geraghty as Ronald Pergman is creepy. The guy is a trucker with a dark, twisted backstory, and he is at the center of the show’s most unsettling moments, especially in the first season. The writers really committed to revealing the layers behind the terror, making you uncomfortable with his dark past and his role in the crimes unfolding across Montana.

Sheriff Beau Arlen - Jensen Ackles

Jensen Ackles joins Big Sky season 3 as Sheriff Beau Arlen, the laid-back new boss after the previous one was shot. Suddenly, the police in Lewis and Clark County have a Texas-twang leader who shakes things up, and he is not a background character. Beau dives right into the action and somehow makes law enforcement seem almost fun.

Sunny Barnes - Reba McEntire

Then there’s Reba McEntire as Sunny Barnes, and the showrunners just give her a cameo; she owns Sunny Day Excursions and knows every inch of the Montana wilderness. Sunny is the kind who will hand you a map and a warning, and just when you think she's all smiles, she drops a local secret that blows the case wide open.

Other characters in Big Sky

Janina Gavankar steps into the shoes of Ren Bhullar, the boss's daughter, who is not afraid to get her hands dirty while running the family’s shady business in Montana.

Logan Marshall-Green plays Travis Stone, a sheriff’s deputy who is actually moonlighting as an undercover guy.

Omar Metwally plays Mark Lindor, rolling in as a Deputy U.S. Marshal with all the insider know-how. He always seems one step ahead.

John Carroll Lynch plays Rick Legarski, your friendly neighborhood corrupt cop, and his twin brother, Wolfgang Legarski.

And then there’s Jesse James Keitel as Jerrie Kennedy. Jerrie is a trailblazer: non-binary, former sex worker, now working at the Dewell & Hoyt agency.