Unfamiliar Cast & Characters Guide: Who Plays Simon, Meret, Jonas, and Josef?
Unfamiliar Cast & Characters: Who Plays Simon, Meret, Jonas, and Josef?
Netflix’s German spy thriller Unfamiliar drops you into Berlin’s shadow-world of safe houses, burned identities, and marriage-under-pressure espionage. If you’re here for the quick casting answer—who plays Simon, Meret, Jonas, and Josef—you’re in the right place.
-->Quick Cast Answer (Simon, Meret, Jonas, Josef)
| Character | Actor | What to remember |
|---|---|---|
| Simon Schäfer | Felix Kramer | Ex-BND agent; runs a Berlin safe house with Meret. |
| Meret Schäfer | Susanne Wolff | Ex-spy; Simon’s partner and wife; the “truth” problem is personal. |
| Jonas Auken | Andreas Pietschmann | A key supporting player connected to the series’ intelligence world. |
| Josef Koleev | Samuel Finzi | A dangerous GRU-linked threat resurfacing in Berlin. |
Official Trailer (YouTube)
-->What Is Unfamiliar About (Spoiler-Light Setup)
The series follows Simon and Meret, a married couple and former German intelligence operatives, now running a covert Berlin safe house. Their fragile “normal” life cracks when an injured man appears and old operational secrets start bleeding into the present—pulling in assassins, Russian agents, the BND, and personal baggage they never properly buried.
-->Who Plays Simon Schäfer in Unfamiliar?
Simon Schäfer is played by Felix Kramer. Simon is a former BND operative who—alongside Meret—runs the safe house operation while trying to keep their family intact. In the pilot setup, the couple is thrown back into danger when a wounded man arrives, and suspicion quickly turns into full-on survival mode.
-->If you recognize Felix Kramer, a lot of international viewers know him from other German TV projects; multiple outlets also point out his connection to Netflix’s German hit Dark.
-->Who Plays Meret Schäfer in Unfamiliar?
Meret Schäfer is played by Susanne Wolff. Meret is the razor-sharp half of the couple’s ex-spy partnership—and the show’s emotional engine often runs through what she does (and doesn’t) believe about Simon’s version of their shared past.
-->Netflix’s official series page lists Wolff among the starring cast, and press materials position Meret and Simon as the core duo running the Berlin safe house.
-->Twitter/X Buzz (from NetflixDE)
-->Es ist an der Zeit, Familiengeheimnisse auszupacken. Unfamiliar, jetzt ansehen.
— netflixde (@NetflixDE) February 2026
Who Plays Jonas Auken in Unfamiliar?
Jonas Auken is played by Andreas Pietschmann. Jonas is part of the show’s larger intelligence-and-operations puzzle—one of the faces you’ll want to keep track of as the story expands beyond the couple’s safe house and into agency politics and past missions.
-->Pietschmann is also widely recognized by Netflix audiences for his work in German-language series, including roles referenced by coverage around Dark and 1899.
-->Who Plays Josef Koleev in Unfamiliar?
Josef Koleev is played by Samuel Finzi. In the show’s setup, Josef is tied to a resurging threat and is described in coverage as a GRU-linked figure who reappears on the radar in Berlin—exactly the kind of problem that turns “we’re out” into “we’re hunted.”
-->Reddit Reactions: “Slow Horses” Vibes, “The Americans” Comparisons
A fun way to calibrate whether Unfamiliar is your kind of spy show is to look at what fans compare it to. Early Reddit chatter has thrown around Slow Horses energy and The Americans-style tension—especially around the couple-at-the-center dynamic.
-->Unfamiliar (Netflix) has that Slow Horses vibe.
Unfamiliar - Have not seen this series yet but the trailer looks promising-->
Why These Four Characters Are the “Must-Know” Names
- Simon is the “operations brain” of the household—practical, trained, and (crucially) not always fully transparent about the past.
- Meret is the emotional truth-detector and the person most likely to challenge the story everyone is living inside.
- Jonas represents the broader espionage network beyond the family unit—where loyalty and leverage constantly shift.
- Josef embodies the old-world spy consequence: if you survived a mission years ago, that doesn’t mean the mission is done with you.
More Cast You’ll See a Lot (Bonus)
While this post focuses on Simon, Meret, Jonas, and Josef, Netflix’s cast list highlights several other names viewers quickly latch onto—especially as the story expands beyond the safe house.
-->- Henry Hübchen as Gregor Klein
- Maja Bons as Nina Schäfer
- Seyneb Saleh as Julika Ritter
- Natalia Belitski as Katya Volkova
Related Content: Shows to Watch If You Like Unfamiliar
Multiple reviews and fan discussions frame Unfamiliar in the “marriage + tradecraft” lane—where relationship trust is as important as spy skills. If that’s your thing, these comparisons tend to come up often.
-->- The Americans (deep-cover marriage tension)
- Slow Horses (agency politics, flawed operatives)
- Mr. & Mrs. Smith (relationship + mission pressure, modern spy remix)
- The Night Manager (slick espionage thrills)
- The Night Agent (fast Netflix spy binge energy)
FAQ
How many episodes are in Unfamiliar?
Season 1 has 6 episodes.
-->Where can you watch Unfamiliar?
Unfamiliar is streaming on Netflix.
-->Who plays Simon in Unfamiliar?
Felix Kramer plays Simon Schäfer.
-->Who plays Meret in Unfamiliar?
Susanne Wolff plays Meret Schäfer.
-->Who plays Jonas in Unfamiliar?
Andreas Pietschmann plays Jonas Auken.
-->Who plays Josef in Unfamiliar?
Samuel Finzi plays Josef Koleev.