Me Before You - Characters & Cast

Initially, Lou's motivation is purely financial; she needs the job to support her struggling family. This quickly evolves into a deep, genuine desire to make Will happy and, upon learning of his plan, to convince him that his life is still worth living. Ultimately, her motivation becomes love and the desire to honor his final wish for her to 'live boldly'.

Lou begins as an unassuming, quirky young woman with few ambitions, content with her small-town life and stuck in a stagnant relationship. Taking the job as Will's caregiver forces her out of her comfort zone. Through Will's influence, she discovers her own potential and a desire for a bigger life. She evolves from a caregiver into an adventurer, learning to challenge herself. By the end, shaped by her love for and loss of Will, she is a more confident, independent woman ready to embrace the world.

Will's primary motivation is to regain control and autonomy over his life, which he feels his disability has stolen from him. This manifests in his steadfast decision to pursue assisted suicide. After meeting Lou, a secondary motivation emerges: to enrich her life and push her to realize her full potential, which becomes his final act of love and purpose.

Will starts as a deeply bitter and cynical man, trapped by his quadriplegia and grieving the loss of his adventurous, successful life. He is sarcastic and closed-off, pushing everyone away. Lou's persistence and vibrant personality gradually break through his defenses, reawakening his ability to feel joy and love. While he falls in love with Lou, his core conviction about not wanting to live a disabled life remains unchanged. His arc is not about changing his mind, but about opening his heart one last time and finding a new purpose in pushing Lou to live the life he no longer can.

Her motivation is entirely driven by her son. Initially, she wants to find a way to make Will want to live again. When she realizes that is not possible, her motivation shifts to honoring the six-month agreement she made with him, while still holding onto a sliver of hope that he might change his mind.

Camilla is a formal and somewhat stern woman who is struggling with the immense pain of her son's condition and his decision to end his life. She hires Lou out of a desperate hope that she can change Will's mind. Throughout the film, her composure cracks, revealing her deep love and anguish. Her arc is one of reluctant acceptance, torn between her maternal desire for her son to live and the painful understanding that she must respect his final wish.

Patrick is motivated by his personal fitness goals and maintaining the comfortable, predictable routine of his relationship with Lou. He is resistant to change and feels threatened by Will's intellectual and emotional connection with Lou, which he cannot compete with.

Patrick is Lou's long-term boyfriend, a personal trainer obsessed with fitness. He serves as a foil to Will. While Patrick is physically active, he is emotionally distant and fails to understand or support Lou's personal growth. His arc is a flat one; he remains self-absorbed, and his jealousy over Lou's bond with Will leads to their inevitable breakup, highlighting their fundamental incompatibility.