What the Demon-Hunting Cast of ‘Shadowhunters’ Has Been up to Since the Show Ended Five Years Ago
In the world of demon hunting, no one does it better than the long line of human-angel hybrids known as Shadowhunters. Created by best-selling author Cassandra Clare in 2007 under the umbrella title The Shadowhunter Chronicles, it so far consists of novels, short-story collections, graphic novels and the 2016 to 2019 television series Shadowhunters.
In the latter, Clary Fray discovers that she belongs to that special line of hybrids who might be the only people who can help her find her missing mother. Now she must leave her friend Simon behind and go on a continuing battle to hunt demons, vampires and werewolves that Clary never even knew existed outside the pages of storybooks.
As noted, the book was adapted into a 2016 TV show of the same name and ran for three seasons. Now that the demon hunting is over, we thought it was the perfect time to catch up with the Shadowhunters cast.
Katherine McNamara: 'Shadowhunters' cast
CHARACTER PLAYED: Clary Fray
BEST KNOWN FOR: Last Will (2011), Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn (2014), The Fosters (2015), Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure (2015 and 2018), Arrow (2018 to 2020), Walker: Independence (2022 to 2023) and Jade (2024).
PERSONAL: McNamara is from Kansas City, Missouri.
THOUGHTS ON SHADOWHUNTERS: “ I think the most fun I've had rewatching things is Shadowhunters fans during quarantine doing different rewatches and tweet-alongs. So I've gone online and kind of seen what people are saying, and going back and rewatching a show like that is fun, because there are so many memories.”
FUN FACT: After season 1, the entire cast — including McNamara, who took on the show's leading role — got tattoos of the angelic rune.
Dominic Sherwood
CHARACTER PLAYED: Jace Wayland
BEST KNOWN FOR: The Cut (2010), Vampire Academy (2014), Taylor Swift’s “Style” music video (2015), Don't Sleep (2017), Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (202) and Partner Track (2022).
PERSONAL: Sherwood was born in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, UK.
THOUGHTS ON SHADOWHUNTERS: “Jace, to me, is kind of the living epitome of what a Yin and Yang is. He's the epitome of the good and bad and the good in the bad and the bad in the good. He's kind of in his world; a very talented soldier doing what he thinks is right, very often without the approval of his superiors.”
FUN FACT: Sherwood was the first person announced as a cast member.
Matthew Daddario: 'Shadowhunters' cast
CHARACTER PLAYED: Alec Lightwood
BEST KNOWN FOR: Breathe In (2013), When The Game Stands Tall (2014), Why Women Kill (2021), Dance Dads (2022) and Sister Wife Murder (2024).
PERSONAL: Daddario has been married to Ester Kim since 2017.
THOUGHTS ON SHADOWHUNTERS: “I find Alec to be very vulnerable while in a position of power. He's hiding how he really feels from himself and obviously is a very flawed character - which is always interesting. He's young, but he gets to go through a kind of growth where he becomes an adult and a happy one at that. That struggle is very endearing and I relate to it.”
FUN FACT: Daddario originally auditioned for the role of Jace.
Emeraude Toubia
CHARACTER PLAYED: Isabelle Lightwood
BEST KNOWN FOR: 11-11 en MI Cuadra Nada Cuadra (2013), Costia Linda (2014), Love in the Sun (2019), With Love (2021 to 2023) and The Ballad of a Hustler (2023).
PERSONAL: Toubia was married to Prince Royce from 2018 to 2022.
THOUGHTS ON SHADOWHUNTERS: “Something that I love about Isabelle is that she embraces her sexuality, and I feel that’s something that a lot of girls have issues with. Isabelle makes it her mission to feel comfortable and free in her own skin. Being Latina and being able to portray a very powerful female character on TV is really nice.”
FUN FACT: Despite the fact Isabelle and Alec are supposed to be two years apart, Toubia is only one year younger than Daddario.
Alberto Rosende: 'Shadowhunters' cast
CHARACTER PLAYED: Simon Lewis
BEST KNOWN FOR: Jahar (2016), Story Game (2020) and Chicago Fire (2019 to 2024).
PERSONAL: Rosnede is from Miami, Florida.
THOUGHTS ON SHADOWHUNTERS: “Simon’s deep understanding and his ability to connect with people, I think, is something that’s really cool, and that is interesting about him.”
FUN FACT: Rosende and Toubia’s casting was announced on the same day.
Harry Shum Jr.
CHARACTER PLAYED: Magnus Bane
BEST KNOWN FOR: Glee (2009 to 2015), Crazy Rich Asians (2018), Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), Grey’s Anatomy (2022 to 2024) and Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024).
PERSONAL: Shum Jr. has been married to Shelby Rabara since 2015 and they have one child together.
THOUGHTS ON SHADOWHUNTERS: “Magnus Bane, he’s such a special character, and when I signed on to do it I gravitated towards him; something about him spoke to me. I think the fact that this guy is unapologetically who he is: he’s a bisexual character, he’s of Asian descent and also he’s a warlock. I mean, there are so many things that you can’t pin him down.”
FUN FACT: Shum Jr. auditioned for the 2013 film City of Bones, which was the first adaption of the book.
David Castro: 'Shadowhunters' cast
CHARACTER PLAYED: Raquel Santiago
BEST KNOWN FOR: A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006), Where God Left His Shoes (2007), Estranged (2007), 27 Dresses (2008) and Power Book III: Raising Kanan (2022).
PERSONAL: Castro is from Long Island, New York.
THOUGHTS ON SHADOWHUNTERS: “There is a little bit of pressure because of the books, but I'm relieved because my character wasn't in the Mortal Instruments movies, so I didn't have shoes to fill. I'm the first Raphael Santiago, which is kind of cool because I can make it my own.”
FUN FACT: Castro also auditioned for the role of Jace.
For more 2000's TV, keep scrolling!
'The Vampire Diaries' Cast: Catch Up with the Supernatural Drama's Stars