Maggie is a beautiful, determined woman who grew up in poverty and now fights to maintain her social standing. Nicknamed "Maggie the Cat," she feels anxious and lonely in her increasingly strained, sexless marriage to Brick. She uses her sensuality and sharp wit to navigate her in-laws' hostility and secure her husband's inheritance.

Brick is a former star athlete and the youngest son of the wealthy Pollitt family. He spends his days drinking heavily, waiting for a peaceful "click" in his head to numb his disgust with the world. Mourning the recent death of his close friend Skipper, Brick maintains a cool detachment that masks profound internal turmoil and guilt.

Big Daddy is the wealthy patriarch of the Pollitt family who built his massive Mississippi cotton plantation from nothing. Believing he has just received a clean bill of health regarding a cancer scare, he prepares to cast off the polite hypocrisies he has tolerated for decades. He strongly favors his younger son, Brick, while showing little patience for his wife and eldest son.

Big Mama is the loud, unrefined, and fiercely devoted wife of Big Daddy. Despite her husband's frequent mockery and cruelty, she maintains a genuine, unconditional love for him. She strongly prefers Brick over her eldest son, Gooper, and clings desperately to the illusion of a happy, unified family.

Mae is Gooper's wife and the mother of five rowdy children, with a sixth expected soon. She uses her large family to demonstrate her and Gooper's suitability as heirs to the Pollitt estate, frequently drawing attention to Maggie's childlessness. She spies on other family members to gain an advantage in the ongoing inheritance dispute.

Gooper is the eldest Pollitt son and a successful corporate lawyer residing in Memphis. Resentful of his parents' obvious favoritism toward Brick, Gooper approaches the family gathering with legalistic calculation. He feels entitled to inherit the plantation and diligently documents his responsible lifestyle as proof of his worth.

Skipper is Brick's deceased college best friend and former professional football teammate. Though dead before the play begins, his memory hangs heavily over the Pollitt household and serves as the central catalyst for Brick's descent into severe alcoholism.

Reverend Tooker is a local clergyman attending Big Daddy's birthday celebration. He frequently brings up memorial donations and church improvements, displaying an opportunistic interest in the wealthy family's finances.

Doc Baugh is the Pollitt family's medical physician. He attends the birthday party carrying the heavy burden of Big Daddy's true medical test results, trying to manage the family's complex dynamics and his patient's care.

Jack Straw is one of the two deceased bachelors who previously owned the sprawling cotton plantation before Big Daddy. His legacy lingers over the estate, particularly in the bedroom now occupied by Brick and Maggie.

Peter Ochello is the former co-owner of the plantation who grieved intensely after his partner Jack Straw died. His past presence on the estate provides historical context for the conversations between Big Daddy and Brick.