Recurring Characters

(In order of number of episodes)

Tory Ellis

Played by: Maya Stojan

An intelligent and attractive NYPD Tech officer. She appears in:

Sidney Perlmutter

Played by: Arye Gross

A curmudgeonly Medical Examiner who makes no secret of the fact that he does not like Castle.

He appears in the following episodes:

Hayley Shipton

Played by: Toks Olagundoye
An independent security specialist who runs into Ryan and Esposito while they're on Beckett's trail in XY. Hayley is from London; her mother is reportedly serving time in prison there, and Hayley was kicked off the Metropolitan Police Force for "cutting legal corners". She appears in:

Pi

Played by: Myko Olivier

Alexis' New Age, fruitarian boyfriend whom she met while on a summer trip to South America and with whom she gets an apartment, much to Castle's dismay. He appears in the season 6 episodes:

Vikram Singh

Played by: Sunkrish Bala
An intelligence analyst, new to the job, who sends a heavily redacted electronic copy of a memo on to Rachel McCord and her AG team, unknowingly setting events in motion that result in their deaths and his teaming up with Beckett on the run. Since Beckett's old database search turned up the memo, she and Vikram work together to identify whoever's behind it and the killings. Vikram appears in:

Dr. Carter Burke

Played by: Michael Dorn

An NYPD psychologist whom Beckett sees for counseling after being shot. After Castle is troubled by dreams relating to his disappearance in season 7, he agrees to see Castle too. He appears in 4 episodes in S4, one in S5 and one in S7:

Jenny Ryan

Played by: Juliana Dever

Detective Kevin Ryan's sweet girlfriend, fiancee, and finally wife. She appears in:

Mr Smith

Played by: Geoff Pierson

A mysterious lawyer with powerful connections who ensures Beckett's safety by holding the secret evidence about Bracken after Montgomery is killed. He appears in

Senator William Bracken

Played by: Jack Coleman

Aka 'The Dragon', aka 'Lazarus': Powerful, apparently untouchable figure eventually revealed to be the man who ordered Johanna Beckett's murder. Former corrupt New York prosecutor whose rise to the top of politics was facilitated and financed by crime. Finally exposed and arrested by Beckett at the start of his run for president. He appears in:

Jim Beckett

Played by: Scott Paulin

Kate Beckett's father. He appears in:

He also appears in a photo in A Chill Goes Through Her Veins, on a voicemail recording in Still, and was in a deleted scene in Knockdown, and in archive footage from previous episodes in "Still".

Triple Killer

Played by: Michael Mosley

A sadistic serial killer of women who eludes Castle and Beckett for years. He typically goes underground for months at time then resurfaces to taunt Castle and Beckett. When he makes a bold attempt to kidnap and kill Beckett, the team corners him and Esposito shoots him. He appears in:

He does not appear, but is referenced, in Kick the Ballistics and Disciple.

Josh Davidson

Played by: Victor Webster

A motorcycle-riding cardiac surgeon whom Beckett dates for about a year. He appears in:

Tom Demming

Played by: Michael Trucco A handsome robbery detective whom Beckett dates briefly in season 2. He appears in:

Dr. Kelly Nieman

Played by: Annie Wersching

Respected plastic surgeon who turns out to be the lover and partner in crime of Jerry Tyson, the Triple Killer. She appears in:

Vulcan Simmons

Played by: Jonathan Adams

Brutal Manhattan drug lord whom Beckett arrests and releases in connection with her mother's murder and, three years later, re-encounters with frightening consequences. He is killed with Beckett's gun in an elaborate attempt to frame her. He appears in:

Gina Cowell

Played by: Monet Mazur

Castle's publisher and second ex-wife. She appears in:

She also appears in a picture on Castle's phone in Poof, You're Dead in season 3.

Ashley

Played by: Ken Baumann

Alexis's first serious boyfriend and first love. He appears in:

Robert Weldon, NYC Mayor

Played by: Joseph C. Phillips & Derek Webster

A friend and fan of Castle's books who allows him to shadow Beckett. Castle has nicknamed him "Big Cheese" and he occasionally joins him for poker at his apartment. Joseph Phillips plays him in 2 episodes, and Derek Webster in 1. He appears in:

Rachel McCord

Played by: Lisa Edelstein

Beckett's tough, but empathetic partner during her short tenure with the U.S. Attorney General's office in Washington, DC. She appears in:

Dr. Holloway

Played by: Phil LaMarr

A psychologist with the NYPD. He appears in season 2 in:

and reappears in season 6 in:

Room 147

'Henry Jenkins'

Played by: Matt Letscher

Mysterious impostor involved in Castle's disappearance/abduction, first encountered near the site where Castle camped during his disappearance, then at the warehouse in Montreal where he was kept. Eventually he reveals that the CIA was involved in the kidnapping. He appears in

Evelyn Montgomery

Played by: Judith Scott

Wife of Captain Roy Montgomery, who first appears in season 3. In Always, she shoots and injures a burglar breaking in to the family home to steal Montgomery's files. She appears in:

Marcus Gates

Played by: Lee Tergesen

Criminal who fell under the spell of Jerry Tyson in prison and committed two of the Triple Killer murders for him. He is captured and jailed for life; Castle visits him in Reckoning to gain more insight into Tyson's history. He appears in:

Meredith

Played by: Darby Stanchfield

Castle's first ex-wife and Alexis' mother who Castle calls the "Deep Fried Twinkie" because of her crazy, over-dramatic ways. She appears in

Will Sorenson

Played by: Bailey Chase

An attractive FBI Agent and ex-boyfriend of Beckett's who she dated before she met Castle. He appears in season 1 episodes:

Mike Royce

Played by: Jason Beghe

Detective Kate Beckett's former training officer, and an early love. He appears in:

Cole Maddox

Played by: Tahmoh Penikett

Hitman working for Senator Bracken who is identified as the man who shot and almost killed Beckett in Knockout. After she tracks him down and confronts him, he throws her off the side of a roof and leaves her to die. He is killed by a booby-trap in an attempt to seize the evidence against Bracken held by Mr Smith. He appears in:

Hal Lockwood

Played by: Max Martini

A trained assassin who worked under the same man who ordered the hit on Johanna Beckett and also kills Detective Raglan, who originally investigated her murder. He then kills, and is killed by, Captain Montgomery, who is protecting Beckett. He appears in the season 3 episodes:

Gilbert Mazzarra

Played by: Danny Nucci

A detective friend and former colleague of Esposito's. He appears in season 2 in:

Detective Roselyn Karpowski

Played by: Diana-Maria Riva

A colleague of Beckett's at the precinct. She appears in season 2 in:

Dr. Clark Murray

Played by: Robert Picardo

A forensic pathologist known as "Dr. Death" and friend of Castle's. He appears in:

Judge Markway

Played by: Dan Castellaneta

A golfing friend of Castle's who periodically joins him for poker games at his apartment. He appears in season 1 episodes:

Grant "Sully" Sullivan

Played by: Joshua Bitton

The rookie NYPD homicide detective who takes Beckett's desk at the 12th when she takes a job in Washington, DC. He appears in:

Beau Randolph

Played by: Jordan Belfi

The sleazy producer of a series of college girl videos, who in season 5 ends up being murdered by his business partner. He appears in:

West Side Wally

Played by: Loren McCraley

A homeless man who helps Beckett and her team with cases. (He prefers to be called "West Side".) He appears in:

Vinnie 'The Scar' Cardano

Played by: Don Stark

Mafioso and neighbour of Castle's in the Hamptons. Castle and Beckett have an argument with him while trying to surreptitiously interrogate him about the murder of Randall Franklin over dinner. Later, he agrees to a mysterious request – which Castle cannot remember – to have the car in which Castle was kidnapped discreetly crushed. He appears in:

'Jackson Hunt' (aka 'Anderson Cross')

Played by: James Brolin

Castle's mysterious long-lost father, a CIA agent under deep cover whose real name is still unknown. He is finally drawn out of hiding when a Russian agent kidnaps his granddaughter, Alexis. He appears in:

Detective Ethan Slaughter

Played by: Adam Baldwin

Wild and rule-bending gang squad detective whom Castle shadows for a few days while unhappy with Beckett in season 4. Subsequently demoted and chastened, he reappears in season 8 to ask Castle for help with a case. He appears in:

Rita

Played by: Ann Cusack

Wife of Jackson Hunt and therefore Castle's stepmother, she rescues Beckett from Loksat's initial assault and counsels her not to tell Castle anything about the danger she faces. Later, Beckett introduces her to Castle, and she tells him his dad is still very proud of him. She appears in:

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Dead Red

Caleb Brown

Played by: Kristoffer Polaha

Idealistic public defender who is identified as secretly being part of the LokSat conspiracy. He also puts Castle under pressure in court when Castle is testifying as a witness to a murder. He appears in:

Chet Palaburn

Martha's unseen boyfriend who dies early in season 3. He was her high school sweetheart; they reconnected when Martha found him on "MyFace". He asked her to marry him but died before she gave him her answer, and he left her enough money in his will for her to establish an acting school.

Real life writers

Stephen J. Cannell, Michael Connelly, James Patterson, and Dennis Lehane all appear as themselves and friends of Castle's. Over periodic games of poker at Castle's apartment, they help Castle figure out murder cases that have he and Beckett stumped. Cannell appears in the series premiere and the first and final episodes of season 2. Patterson appears in the series premiere and final episode of season 2. Connelly appears in the first and final episodes of season 2, as well as the season 7 finale, and he and Lehane appear (with up-and-coming mystery writer "Alex Conrad") in The Dead Pool (season 3, episode 21).

In Scared to Death, Castle calls writer-director Wes Craven for advice on how to deal with a cursed object, claiming that he's writing a screenplay in emulation of Craven's masterpieces of horror, such as Nightmare on Elm Street.