The Empress arrived out of nowhere and landed itself in Netflix's Top 10, and I'm gonna go ahead and assume that—after watching it in one sitting—you're now fully obsessed with the talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular cast.
But in case you're new here, The Empress focuses on the life of Empress Elisabeth, who marries Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and moves from a relatively simple life in the country to a palace that's oppressive (to say the least). While there, Elisabeth contends with Franz's overbearing mother, a fleet of ladies-in-waiting who refuse to leave her side (one of whom is a secret revolutionary, awk), and the total loss of her independence. Meanwhile, Elisabeth remains infatuated with Franz, who is grappling with problems of his own. You know, like war and a burgeoning revolution. The usual.
Anyway, one of the best parts of The Empress is its gorgeous costumes—and if you're wondering what the cast looks like out of the all those floofy ball gowns, the answer is completely different. Like, the lack of an aggressive hair coif can really change the way someone looks, that's all I'm saying!
Check out the cast IRL compared to their on-screen counterparts while you patiently wait for Netflix to green-light a second season. And speaking of, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, NETFLIX?
Devrim Lingnau as Empress Elisabeth
Devrim Lingnau plays Empress Elisabeth, who falls in love with Emperor Franz despite the fact that he's meant to marry her sister. Psst: while their romance on the show is breathtaking, the real story of how Elisabeth and Franz met is kinda different.
Devrim Lingnau IRL
Wow! She couldn't look more stunning—or more different than Elisabeth (who was known for her miles-long hair).
Philip Froissant as Emperor Franz
Here's Philip Froissant as Emperor Franz Joseph, who falls in love amid the stress of war and revolution.
Philip Froissant irl
Yes! <3
Melika Foroutan as Princess Sophie
Melika Foroutan plays Emperor Franz's domineering mother, who definitely is not thrilled by Elisabeth's wild ways.
Melika Foroutan IRL
Need to know where this dress is from, thanks.
Johannes Nussbaum as Maximilian
Maximilian is Emperor Franz's "bad boy" brother, and he's played impeccably by Johannes Nussbaum.
Johannes Nussbaum IRL
If your Tinder photo doesn't involve a jaunty scarf, don't swipe on me.
Almila Bagriacik as Leontine Von Apafi
Can we all agree that Almila Bagriacik's Leontine is one of the best characters on this show? She joins Elisabeth's fleet of ladies-in-waiting but is a secret revolutionary who is part of a plot to assassinate the monarchy.
Almila Bagriacik IRL
Cast her in everything immediately!
Elisa Schlott as Helene
Elisa Schlott plays Elisabeth's older sister Helene, who was supposed to marry Franz before he fell for Sisi. Naturally, she got a dramatic haircut to express her feels. We've all been there.
Elisa Schlott IRL
Her real-life short hair? Much cuter.
Jördis Triebel as Princess Ludovika
Jördis Triebel plays Elisabeth's mother, who is shocked and horrified when Franz picks Sisi as a bride over Helene.
Jördis Triebel IRL
She showed up to The Empress's Berlin premiere looking stunning.
Svenja Jung as Louise
Meet Louise, Franz's former mistress who is very much not over her former man.
Svenja Jung IRL
Believe it's called main character energy.
Hanna Hilsdorf as Amalia
Hanna Hilsdorf plays Amalia, one of Elisabeth's ladies-in-waiting who becomes increasingly suspicious of Leontine.
Hanna Hilsdorf IRL
The lack of hair coif changes everything.
Wiebke Puls as Sofia Esterházy-Liechtenstein
Sofia Esterházy-Liechtenstein is pretty much Elisabeth's babysitter once she becomes Empress, and Wiebke Puls does an amazing (and slightly scary) job playing her.
Wiebke Puls IRL
And she seems so nice IRL!
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This article originally appeared on Cosmopolitan.com. Minor edits have been made by the Cosmo.ph editors.
