Every Cast Member in ‘The Boroughs’ and the Characters They Play in Netflix’s Most Star-Studded New Sci-Fi Series

Netflix does not do things quietly when it has something to shout about, and ‘The Boroughs’ is no exception. The eight-episode series was created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, the duo behind ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’, who also serve as showrunners. The series revolves around a ragtag crew of misfit retirees who stumble upon a terrifying dark secret lurking beneath a seemingly idyllic New Mexico retirement community.

What makes this particular Netflix sci-fi series genuinely exciting is who was recruited to bring it to life. The cast includes heavy hitters from film and television, with Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, Denis O’Hare, Clarke Peters, and Bill Pullman all leading the charge as retirees-turned-unlikely heroes. For anyone trying to keep track of who plays who, here is a full breakdown of the ensemble.

Alfred Molina Leads the ‘The Boroughs’ Netflix Cast as Its Emotional Core

Alfred Molina plays Sam Cooper, described as the newest resident of the Boroughs, a retired engineer who is grieving the death of his wife Lily. Sam is established as someone not prone to confusion, recently widowed, and used to acting as a grumpy counterpoint to his more gregarious and upbeat partner. He is, in every sense, the emotional anchor of the show.

Molina connected with the material because, as he put it, “the writing just felt so normal. It didn’t feel like writing. It felt like speech, like people talking.” That instinct for naturalism is exactly what the showrunners were counting on when they cast him. Co-showrunner Matthews recalled that everyone on set wanted to do a good job in front of Alfred, noting that “no one wants to let Alfred Molina down.”

According to Addiss and Matthews, their stars collectively bring something like 350 years of craft to ‘The Boroughs’, and the pair admitted they knew the cast would be great but did not expect them to be so fun, saying they can make you laugh or cry with just a look. That sentiment starts and ends with Molina’s performance as Sam.

The Supporting Heroes: Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, and Clarke Peters

Geena Davis takes on the role of Renee, the Boroughs’ charismatic art teacher, while Alfre Woodard plays Judy, a serious-minded former journalist, and Clarke Peters portrays Art, Judy’s New Age stoner husband. Together, the three form the beating social heart of the retirement community. Molina himself noted that working with his co-stars was amazing and that what was interesting between them was how almost everyone in the cast has crossed paths at some point in their careers.

Netflix plans to push the show for the Emmys in the drama categories, and considering the caliber of talent involved, including an Oscar winner in Davis, if ‘The Boroughs‘ lands with audiences, acting nominations are expected to follow. Davis, a two-time Oscar winner most associated with ‘Thelma and Louise’, has rarely been handed a genre lead of this weight in recent years, making Renee one of the more exciting casting choices in the series.

The TV Guide review pointed out that the show makes a not-so-subtle statement about ageism in genre television, noting that we typically see beloved actors like Molina and Davis in supporting roles these days, but ‘The Boroughs’ bucks that trend by placing them at center stage in a Spielbergian romp. It is a deliberate and pointed choice that gives the series an added layer of cultural weight.

Denis O’Hare, Bill Pullman, and the Duffer Brothers’ Fingerprints

Denis O’Hare, known widely for his work on ‘American Horror Story’, delivers a scene-stealing performance as Wally, a retired doctor living with terminal cancer. Bill Pullman, of ‘Independence Day’ fame, rounds out the core senior ensemble as Jack, appearing across all eight episodes. Both actors add considerable dramatic muscle to a show that is already almost embarrassingly well-stocked.

Seth Numrich plays Blaine Shaw, described as the charismatic and impeccably dressed CEO of the Boroughs who works hard to maintain the illusion of paradise for its residents. Numrich brings an unsettling smoothness to the role that functions as the community’s smiling, dangerous face. Jena Malone appears as Claire and Carlos Miranda plays Paz, both appearing across the full run of episodes alongside the core ensemble.

The Duffer Brothers, who serve as executive producers through their Upside Down Pictures banner, described the spirit of the show as very much aligned with ‘Stranger Things’, noting that while the characters ride golf carts instead of bikes, the story is still at its core about belonging and growing up no matter your age, filled with adventure, wonder, comedy, scares, and tears.

The Showrunners Behind the Duffer Brothers’ New Show

Creator Jeffrey Addiss described the central question of the show as, “What will you do with the time you have left?” adding that the stakes are higher for the heroes because they may have less time remaining, though as he put it, weird stuff is always happening in ‘The Boroughs’ so that is never entirely certain. That thematic richness is precisely what separates this from a standard supernatural romp.

Addiss was also direct about the decision to cast senior leads, saying that the fact that they are older is not a joke and is part of why they are the heroes of the story, because when we meet them their lives are already pretty full, and then they go on an adventure that changes them.

That ethos runs through every casting decision in the series. Addiss further explained that the show combines the things each creator loves most, with his love of monsters merging with Matthews’ sensibility, joking that his co-creator has been a seventy-year-old since he was ten.

For fans of ‘The X-Files’, ‘Stranger Things’, and ‘The Twilight Zone’, the show draws clear genre lineage while carving its own identity through the radical act of centering characters who have actually lived long enough to have something real at stake.

With a cast this formidable and a premise this sharply defined, ‘The Boroughs’ has every ingredient to become one of the most talked-about shows of the year. Now that you know who everyone is in this retirement community of reluctant heroes, which of these legends are you most excited to watch take on an otherworldly threat?