"Break the story. Break the silence."
Spotlight - Characters & Cast
Character Analysis
Walter 'Robby' Robinson
Michael Keaton
Motivation
Initially motivated by professional duty, he becomes driven by a need for moral atonement and the preservation of the Globe's integrity.
Character Arc
He moves from a position of comfortable seniority to a state of humble self-reflection, eventually admitting his own past failures as an editor who previously overlooked the same story.
Michael Rezendes
Mark Ruffalo
Motivation
Pure journalistic tenacity and a visceral reaction to the suffering of the victims.
Character Arc
A 'lapsed' Catholic who initially believes he might one day return to the Church, but is permanently alienated from the institution as the horrors of the cover-up are revealed.
Sacha Pfeiffer
Rachel McAdams
Motivation
A desire to give voice to the survivors and provide them with the validation they were long denied.
Character Arc
She balances her professional rigor with the personal pain of knowing how her investigation will shatter the faith of her devout grandmother.
Marty Baron
Liev Schreiber
Motivation
Ensuring the newspaper is 'essential' to its readers by tackling the most difficult institutional targets.
Character Arc
As an outsider (Jewish and from Florida), he remains a steady, objective force who doesn't change but rather causes the world around him to shift by demanding accountability.