- Faye Dunaway as Diana Christensen
- William Holden as Max Schumacher
- Peter Finch as Howard Beale
- Robert Duvall as Frank Hackett
- Wesley Addy as Nelson Chaney
- Ned Beatty as Arthur Jensen
- Jordan Charney as Harry Hunter
- Conchata Ferrell as Barbara Schlesinger
- Darryl Hickman as Bill Herron
- Roy Poole as Sam Haywood
- William Prince as Edward George Ruddy
- Beatrice Straight as Louise Schumacher
- Marlene Warfield as Laureen Hobbs
- Arthur Burghardt as Great Ahmed Kahn
- Kathy Cronkite as Mary Ann Gifford
In addition, Lee Richardson provides various moments of narration advancing additional plot details.
