Edward Bloom
Edward is the main character in the film and somewhat of a Baron Munchausen figure. Like the character from that German story, Bloom tells grandiose stories about his life in order to make his biography more compelling and exciting. As per the film's title, Edward is a big fish in a small pond, bravely defying the odds and dreaming big. While the validity of his biography is often contested, what we can surmise is that Edward was a high school football star, war hero, entrepreneur, and devoted husband. Edward is madly in love with his wife and has been so from the moment he saw her. His relationship with his son, Will, is distant and difficult because Will perceives his father's tall tales as a distancing technique and a kind of desperate attention seeking. At the end, he proves to be a beloved figure in many people's stories about him, and all of the people from his past show up for his funeral to mourn the loss of such an ambitious and vital man.
Will Bloom
Will is nothing like his father. While his father lives for fantasy and tall tales, Will likes to deal in facts and reality. While the viewer sympathizes with Will's feelings of alienation and differentiation from his father, we also see the ways that Will misses out on what makes his father special. Instead of appreciating the man, he has been too focused on what his father is not. Happily married to Josephine and expecting his first child, Will now wants to reconcile with his father and to finally understand him. By the end, Will learns the value of his father's quirkier attributes and hyperbolic tendencies, and sees that storytelling and fantasy are a way of connecting with the spiritual and the eternal.
Sandra Bloom
Sandra is Edward's devoted and understanding wife. She appreciates his fervor and passion. A well-bred and kindhearted woman, Sandra is fond of Edward's stories and goes along with them rather than resenting his loose grasp of reality. At the end of the film, she is sad to lose her husband, but she also appreciates the big role he has played in so many people's lives.
Josephine Bloom
Josephine is Will's wife, and is pregnant with their first child. When they return to Alabama, Josephine has a far more instantaneous connection with Edward than Will does, and seems to enjoy his flamboyant tales. She also serves to remind Will to focus on what matters and try and find connection with his father.
Amos Callaway
Amos Calloway is the ringleader of the circus and at night, a werewolf. He is corrupt and crooked as a businessman, but when Edward doesn't judge him for his transformation into a werewolf, Amos provides him with pivotal information about Sandra.
Dr. Bennett
Dr. Bennett is the Bloom family doctor, who delivered Will and is caring for Edward in his final days. A calm and understanding man, he reminds Will that his father's tendency to exaggerate came from a desire to give other people pleasure.
Jenny
Jenny is the daughter of Beaman, the mayor of Spectre. When she first meets Edward, she is 8, while he is 18. She begs him to come back to Spectre when he is older, but by the time he gets back, Spectre has fallen on hard times. As an adult, Jenny becomes a piano teacher and a spinster, and experiences an unrequited longing for Edward, who is devoted to Sandra.
Norther
Norther Winslow is a famous poet who Edward meets in Spectre. In the idyllic town of Spectre, Norther is a bit low on inspiration, and writes bland and amateur poems, in spite of his great gifts. Later in Edward's life, he encounters Norther robbing a bank in Texas. When Norther has no success in his robbery, Edward encourages him to go to Wall Street to try his luck there. When Norther does, he experiences a great deal of success as a corrupt trader.
