After many months of anticipation, Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington are finally making their Hulu debut this week with Little Fires Everywhere. Based on the best-selling 2017 novel of the same name, the eight-part limited series is set in the town of Shaker Heights, and follows a picture-perfect Suburban family and a mysterious mother and daughter as their lives become increasingly more intertwined.
Here’s a rundown of the show’s impressive cast, along with the roles they’re playing:
Reese Witherspoon has been a household name since the 1990s, thanks to films like Fear, Pleasantville, Cruel Intentions, and Election. She won an Oscar for her work in 2005’s Walk the Line and was nominated for another for her performance in 2014’s Wild, which she also produced. She’s become one of the busiest actresses and producers on television in recent years as well, thanks to her work in HBO’s Big Little Lies and Apple TV+’s The Morning Show. In Little Fires Everywhere, she plays Elena Richardson, the matriarch of a wealthy and powerful family in Shaker Heights.
Kerry Washington has starred in films like Save the Last Dance, The United States of Leland, Ray, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, The Last King of Scotland, and Miracle at St. Anna, in addition to her memorable turn as Broomhilda von Shaft in Quentin Tarantino’s 2012 film, Django Unchained. She is best known, however, for her lead role as Olivia Pope on ABC’s Scandal. She plays Mia Warren in Little Fires Everywhere, a photographer and single mother who begins renting out part of a house owned by the Richardsons.
You may not know Dewitt’s name as well as you do some of her other Little Fires Everywhere costars, but odds are you’ve seen DeWitt in something. She’s had notable roles in films like La La Land, Your Sister's Sister, The Company Men, Rachel Getting Married, and Cinderella Man. TV viewers will recognize her for her performance as Midge Daniels in Mad Men, along with roles in shows like Black Mirror, The Last Tycoon, United States of Tara, and Standoff. In Little Fires Everywhere, she plays Linda McCullough, another resident of Shaker Heights and Elena's lifelong friend.
In the role of Elena’s husband, Bill, is Joshua Jackson, an actor with more than a few iconic roles already attached to his name. He first burst on the scene as Charlie Conway in 1992’s The Mighty Ducks, reprising his role in the two subsequent Mighty Ducks sequels. He's since had a series of television iconic roles as Pacey Witter in Dawson’s Creek, Peter Bishop in Fringe, and Cole Lockhart in The Affair.
A relative newcomer to the industry, Underwood has only a handful of credits to her name at this point. She’s appeared in guest roles on shows like Criminal Minds, No Good Nick, The Good Doctor, Family Reunion, Raven’s Home, and Henry Danger, but Little Fires Everywhere sees Underwood in her biggest role to date. She’ll be playing Pearl Warren, the daughter of Washington’s Mia.
At only 19 years old, Jade Pettyjohn has already amassed an extensive filmography, having appeared in films like Trial by Fire, Destroyer, Seberg, and HBO’s Deadwood film. On the TV side, she’s had recurring roles in The Righteous Gemstones, The Last Ship, and School of Rock. In Little Fires Everywhere, she plays Lexie, the oldest of the Richardson children.
Recently cast as of one of Clark Kent and Lois Lane’s children in the upcoming CW series, Superman and Lois, Jordan Elsass plays Trip Richardson in Little Fires Everywhere, a high school jock and the second-oldest of the Richardon children. The role is by far his biggest project to date.
Little Fires Everywhere marks the mainstream debut of Megan Stott. She plays Izzy Richardson, the black sheep of her family who grows to have a close bond with Washington's Mia.
Another one of Little Fires Everywhere’s younger stars, Lewis has appeared in guest roles on a handful of TV shows, including OMG!, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Kicks, Roswell, New Mexico, and No Good Nick. He also stars as one of the co-leads of the Netflix family series, Prince of Peoria. In Little Fires Everywhere, he plays another of the Richardson children, Moody Richardson, who quickly develops a secret crush on Pearl.
Chinese film star Huang Lu plays Bebe Chow in Little Fires Everywhere. The character is a co-worker of Mia’s, who also has an unexpected connection to one of the show’s prominent families.
The first three episodes of Little Fires Everywhere drop Wednesday, March 18th on Hulu. New episodes will be released Wednesdays through late April.
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Alex Welch has written about television and film for TV by the Numbers, IGN, The Berrics, Paste Magazine, Screen Rant and GeekNation. Follow him on Twitter @alexrwelch.
TOPICS: Little Fires Everywhere, Hulu, Joshua Jackson, Kerry Washington, Reese Witherspoon, Rosemarie DeWitt