Misia Butler is a British actor best known for playing Caeneus in the Netflix series KAOS. Before that, he appeared in Kiss Me First, the film The School for Good and Evil, and the Netflix fantasy series The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself. In 2026, he joined A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.
This guide covers his background, his screen credits, his role in KAOS, and what he has said about representation.
Who Is Misia Butler?
Misia Butler is an English actor who began working on screen as a teenager. Over a decade, he has moved from a single TV guest spot to a leading role in a big-budget Netflix series.
You may know him from several places. In KAOS, he plays Caeneus, a mortal who is already dead when the story begins. In The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself, he plays Niall O'Brien. More recently, viewers have seen him as Stanley Forbes in A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.
Misia Butler's Early Life and Background
Where Is Misia Butler From?
Butler says he is "London-born and bred." He has described himself as a child who loved make-believe. He played imaginary games with friends in parks and woods well into his teens, and he sees acting as an extension of that.
Misia Butler's Family
Very little about his family is public, and that is how it should stay. The one detail he has shared is that his dad went to school with people who later became actors, so theatre was around when he was young. He has also said he never imagined acting was something he could do, because he rarely saw himself in those roles.
Misia Butler's Education and Acting Career
Training Through Gendered Intelligence and Central
Butler's path did not run through a full drama school. He took a ten-week Saturday acting course run by the charity Gendered Intelligence with the Central School of Speech and Drama. He didn't get a place at first, but someone dropped out, and he was offered the spot. The course brought in industry guests and arranged auditions.
He has said he never did formal drama training after that. His agent told him he could train, but he could also take work as it came. He chose the work.
Misia Butler's First Acting Role
That course led to his first job. He was cast in Casualty at 15, filmed at 16, and the episode aired in 2016. Landing it also got him an agent. In his words, he realised he was "castable." (If you enjoy profiles of people on the rise, you can also read Snoopy Magazine's piece on Abubakr Ali.)
Misia Butler Movies and TV Shows
Butler's credits run from a British hospital drama to a fantasy film and two Netflix series. Here they are in order.
Casualty
This is where it started. Wikipedia lists his 2016 role as Robert. Many British actors have an early Casualty credit, and for Butler it also opened the door to representation.
Kiss Me First
In 2018, he appeared in Kiss Me First as Jocasta. It was his first screen role after Casualty.
The School for Good and Evil
In 2022, Butler appeared in Netflix's fantasy film The School for Good and Evil, playing Tarquin. The film is based on Soman Chainani's young adult novels, and it was his first role in a big fantasy production.
The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself
The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself is a British fantasy series on Netflix, released on 28 October 2022. It follows a teenager named Nathan who is the illegitimate son of the world's most dangerous witch. Butler plays Niall O'Brien. The role matters because it was his first major part in a Netflix series. Netflix did not renew the show for a second season.
KAOS
KAOS is Charlie Covell's dark comedy that reworks Greek myths in a modern setting. All eight episodes arrived on 29 August 2024. Butler plays Caeneus, a figure taken from the myths. Netflix cancelled the show after one season.
Misia Butler as Caeneus in KAOS
Who Does Misia Butler Play in KAOS?
He plays Caeneus, one of three mortals at the heart of the story. When the series opens, Caeneus has been dead for ten years. He does his daily tasks in the Underworld under a snake-haired boss, Medusa, played by Debi Mazar, and he has no idea he matters to the fate of the world.
The character comes from Greek mythology. In the old myths, Caeneus was born the daughter of Elatus and became a man. Butler has called him an underrepresented figure from the myths, and a very strong one.
Caeneus and Riddy's Relationship
Things change when a new arrival reaches the Underworld: Riddy, played by Aurora Perrineau. Their love story makes Caeneus the romantic lead of the show. Together they slowly learn the part each of them must play.
Butler has said the chemistry grew naturally on set. The director asked the two actors not to bond early, so that they would get to know each other as filming went on.
Misia Butler's Perspective on Playing Caeneus
Butler says he has loved this myth since childhood. He first read the audition pages in 2020, and he got the call that he had the part at the start of 2022. He says he cried.
He has also called Caeneus a role that felt natural and personal. In another interview, he said he worried that nothing could top it, and that his shy hope is that he did the character justice.
Misia Butler and LGBTQ+ Representation
Everything below comes from Butler's own interviews.
Transmasculine Representation on Screen
Butler has said that growing up, he rarely saw people like himself on screen. He has explained that this made it hard to imagine a romantic story for himself, and that he rarely asked anyone out as a result. He has said that seeing transmasculine characters usually meant watching dark stories, so he avoided them. In his view, seeing yourself on screen as a lover, a fighter, or a friend helps people feel part of a bigger whole. For more on how modern screen stars talk about identity and visibility, see Snoopy Magazine's profile of Joel Oulette.
Representation Through Caeneus in KAOS
He likes how the show handles Caeneus. He has said the character's transness is present without taking over the story. He also described Caeneus as an "understated hero" who is secure in who he is.
Butler also pointed out that the Greek myths already contain many queer stories. In his view, a show that works inclusion quietly feels like real strength.
Misia Butler's Influences and Role Models
Why Elliot Page Is an Important Influence
Butler calls Elliot Page his biggest queer role model. He grew up rewatching Juno and Whip It, then binged The Umbrella Academy. When Page came out as trans, he found it deeply moving, and he has said he has followed Page's journey ever since and felt happy watching Page grow.
He also credits films like Tomboy and shows like Orphan Black with shaping how he saw himself as a teenager.
Misia Butler's Career Highlights
- 2016: First screen job in Casualty.
- Early training: A short Gendered Intelligence course with Central, then an agent.
- 2018: Kiss Me First.
- 2022: The School for Good and Evil and The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself.
- 2024: Lead role in KAOS, released 29 August.
- 2026: Stanley Forbes in A Good Girl's Guide to Murder season two, which premiered on 27 May 2026.
- 2026: Credited in the film Virginia Woolf's Night & Day.
Fans of actor biographies may also enjoy Snoopy Magazine's profile of Ruari Spooner.
Frequently Asked Questions About Misia Butler
Who is Misia Butler?
He is a British actor from London who started on screen in 2016 and is best known for KAOS.
What is Misia Butler famous for?
He is famous for playing Caeneus in Netflix's KAOS.
Who does Misia Butler play in KAOS?
He plays Caeneus, a mortal in the Underworld who turns out to matter to Zeus's fate.
Who is Caeneus in KAOS?
Caeneus is a figure from Greek mythology, adapted for the series. In the show, he works in the Underworld and falls in love with Riddy.
What movies and TV shows has Misia Butler appeared in?
His credits include Casualty, Kiss Me First, The School for Good and Evil, The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself, KAOS, and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.
Who does Misia Butler play in The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself?
He plays Niall O'Brien.
Who does Misia Butler play in The School for Good and Evil?
He plays Tarquin.
What is Misia Butler's role in A Good Girl's Guide to Murder?
He plays Stanley Forbes in season two.
Who is Misia Butler's biggest influence?
By his own account, it's Elliot Page.
