Network — Characters & Cast

Initially driven by a "divine" voice calling him to tell the truth, but ultimately seeking a way to articulate his despair in a world that no longer listens.

Beale shifts from a depressed, suicidal relic of the past into a national phenomenon. However, his "awakening" is ultimately hollow; once he stops being a profitable puppet, he is discarded and destroyed.

To achieve number-one ratings and corporate dominance, regardless of the human cost.

She remains largely static, representing the terrifying final form of the media executive. She is a woman who views her own affair and the murder of her lead talent with the same clinical, ratings-focused detachment.

To protect his old friend Howard and recapture his own sense of youth and relevance through his affair with Diana.

Max attempts to preserve his integrity while being seduced by Diana’s vitality. He eventually realizes he is obsolete in this new world and retreats back to his reality of "pain and love," leaving the network behind.

The preservation of the "global system of systems" and the protection of corporate investments.

Appearing in only one major scene, Jensen functions as the true power behind the curtain. He re-educates Beale, shifting the anchor's message from populism to corporate evangelism.