| Kevin Kline | Donald Woods |
| Penelope Wilton | Wendy Woods |
| Denzel Washington | Stephen Biko |
| Kevin McNally | Ken |
| Timothy West | Capt. de Wet |
| Juanita Waterman | Juanita/Ntsiki Biko |
| John Hargreaves | Bruce |
| Alec McCowen | Acting High Commissioner |
| Zakes Mokae | Father Kani |
| Ian Richardson | State Prosecutor |
| Josette Simon | Dr. Ramphele |
| Miles Anderson | Lemick |
| Tommy Buson | Tami |
| Jim Findley | Peter Jones |
| Kate Hardie | Jane Woods |
| Alton Kumalo | Speaker |
| Louis Mahoney | Lesotho Government Official |
| Mawa Makondo | Jason |
| Joseph Marcell | Moses |
| Sophie Mgcina | Evalina |
| John Paul | Wendy's Stepfather |
| Wabei Slyolwe | Tenjy |
| Gwen Watford | Wendy's Mother |
| Andrew McCulloch | Policeman Nel |
| Graham Fletcher-Cook | Nel's Partner |
| Tony Vogel | Roadblock Policeman |
| James Aubrey | Passport Control Officer |
| Judy Cornwell | Receptionist |
| Nick Tate | Ritchie |
| James Young von Coine | Actor |
| David Guwaza | Prisoner |
| Russell Keith Hurst | Security Guard |
| Robert McNamara | Security Policeman |
| Nocebo Miambo | Aunt |
| Lawrence Simnbrashe | Informer |
| Buddy Uzzaman | Mortician's Assistant |
| Walter Matemavi | Nephew |
| John Matshikiza | Mapetla |
| Xoliswa Sithole | Nurse at Clinic |
| Albert Ndinda | Alec |
| Andrew Whaley | Sub-Editor |
| Shelley Borkum | Woods's Receptionist |
| Graeme Taylor | Dillon Woods |
| Adam Stuart Walker | Duncan Woods |
| Hamish Stuart Walker | Gavin Woods |
| Spring Stuart Walker | Mary Woods |
| Patricia Gumede | Shebeen Queen |
| Angela Gavaza | Shebeen Queen's Niece |
| Clement Muchachi | Father |
| Ruth Chinamando | Mother |
| Basil Chidyamathamba | Brother-in-Law |
| Marcy Mushore | Niece |
| Carl Chase | Policeman |
| Tichatonga Mazhindu | Dilima |
| Neil McPherson | Lemick's Assistant |
| Hepburn Graham | Soga |
| Claude Maredza | Rugby Player |
| Carlton Chance | Rugby Player |
| Glen Murphy | Security Guard |
| Munyaradzi Kanaventi | Samora Biko |
| George Lovell | Nkosinathi Biko |
| Karen Drury | Young Secretary |
| Niven Boyd | Roadblock Policeman |
| Christopher Hurst | Roadblock Policeman |
| Gerald Sim | Police Doctor |
| Peter Cartwright | Senior Police Officer |
| Gary Whelan | Police Sergeant |
| Dudley Dickin | Nationalist Party Delegate |
| David Trevena | Mortician |
| Robert Phillips | Speaker at Funeral |
| Fishoo Tembo | Biko's Brother |
| Peggy Marsh | "Helen Suzman" |
| Julian Glover | Don Card |
| Philip Bretherton | Maj. Boshoff |
| Paul Hertzberg | Beukes |
| Hans Sittig | Security Policeman |
| Kimpton Mativenga | Black Security Policeman |
| David Henry | Afrikaner Farmer |
| Michael Turner | Judge Boshoff |
| Kalie Hanekom | Magistrate Prins |
| Paul Jerricho | Sgt. Louw |
| Star Ncube | Prisoner |
| Hilary Minster | Passport Control Officer |
| Peter Cary | White Frontier Policeman |
| Dominic Kanaventi | Black Frontier Policeman |
| Sam Mathambo | Lesotho Passport Officer |
| Walter Muparutsa | Lesotho Businessman |
| Michael Graham Cox | Passport Control Officer |
| John Hartley | Passport Control Officer |
| Simon Shumba | Young Lesotho Official |
| Garick Hagon | McElrea |
| Marilyn Poole | Acting High Commissioner's Wife |
| William Marlowe | Police Captain at Soweto |
| Gwyneth Strong | Girl at Funeral |
| John Thaw | Kruger |
Technical Credits
| Richard Attenborough | Director,Producer |
| Jonathan Bates | Sound/Sound Designer |
| Peter Brace | Stunts |
| John Briley | Co-producer,Screenwriter |
| Terence A. Clegg | Executive Producer |
| Stuart Craig | Production Designer |
| Norman Dorme | Art Director |
| George Fenton | Score Composer,Musical Direction/Supervision |
| Susie Figgis | Casting |
| Jonas Gwangwa | Score Composer |
| David Harris | Special Effects |
| Allan James | Production Manager |
| Simon Kaye | Sound/Sound Designer |
| John King | Art Director |
| Gary Levy | Production Manager |
| John Mollo | Costumes/Costume Designer |
| George Richardson | Art Director |
| Wally Schneiderman | Makeup |
| Michael Seirton | Set Decoration/Design |
| Norman Spencer | Co-producer |
| Ronnie Taylor | Cinematographer |
| David Tomblin | Asst. Director |
| Lesley Walker | Editor |
| Andrew Whaley | Casting |
| Wendy Woods | Consultant/advisor |
| Donald Woods | Consultant/advisor |
