As a proud, self-described technophobe, I am always down to watch something that depicts artificial intelligence as the enemy. However, the new Peacock original TV series Mrs. Davis appears to be something especially unique to the concept.
Created by The Big Bang Theory writer Tara Hernandez and HBO’s Watchmen showrunner Damon Lindelof, the quirky, satirical, dystopian dramedy follows a nun who teams up with her former boyfriend to take down the titular A.I., as its influence over the human race spreads dangerously far. If I did not already have a Peacock subscription available to me, I would have been coerced into getting one just from that sentence alone. Before you check out this fun, inventive new series for yourself (if you have not watched the first four episodes available already), take a look at who is appearing in the Mrs. Davis cast, along with a refresher on where else you may recognize them from.
Betty Gilpin (Simone)
Leading the Mrs. Davis cast as Simone (according to the series’ official page on Peacock) is Betty Gilpin, who last worked with Damon Lindelof on the 2020 action-horror flick, The Hunt, as Crystal — one of the many badass women she has portrayed (such as Debbie Eagan on Netflix’s GLOW), which made her less-active role in The Tomorrow War cast a bit surprising.
Last year, she joined the Roar cast to lead her own episode of the Apple TV+ anthology series, played Maureen Kane Dean (wife of Watergate attorney John Dean) on Starz’s Gaslit, and, later this year, will star opposite Shailene Woodley and DeWanda Wise in Showtime’s upcoming series, Three Women.
Jake McDorman (Wiley)
As Wiley, Simone’s ex-boyfriend and member of the resistance fighting against Mrs. Davis, we have Jake McDorman, who last worked with Lindelof on an episode of Watchmen and, before then, starred in films like the fourth of the Die Hard movies, Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-nominated 2014 war biopic, American Sniper, and Greta Gerwig’s 2017 coming-of-age dramedy, Lady Bird. He was also a main character on Greek, played the lead of Limitless (the series spin-off of the Bradley Cooper movie), played Murphy Brown’s son, Avery, on the sitcom’s 2018 revival, and portrayed Alan Shepard one of the best Disney+ shows, The Right Stuff.
Andy McQueen (Jay)
Jay on Mrs. Davis is only Andy McQueen’s latest role in a dystopian drama, having previously appeared in HBO’s 2018 Fahrenheit 451 adaptation, an episode of The Handmaid’s Tale, HBO Max’s Station Eleven, and a couple of shorts inspired by the topic. He is also known for the Hulu horror movie, Books of Blood, from 2020 and his role on the third season of Outer Banks, but is, perhaps, best known for the Canadian crime procedural, Coroner.
Ben Chaplin (Arthur Schrodinger)
Ben Chaplin is also no stranger to stories about the dark side of technology (Netflix’s 2018 miniseries, Kiss Me First) and the shady nature of modern society (Oliver Stone’s 2016 Edward Snowden biopic). After making his breakthrough with roles in the 1996 rom-com, The Truth About Cats & Dogs, and Terrence Malick’s 1998 war movie classic, The Thin Red Line, the English actor went on to star in films like 2008’s Me and Orson Welles, Disney’s live-action Cinderella remake as the title character’s father, 2016’s The Legend of Tarzan and, more recently, was seen in The Nevers cast on HBO.
Margo Martindale (Mother Superior)
Starring as Simone’s Mother Superior in her second dark comedy this year (after the hilarious and gory movie, Cocaine Bear) is three-time Emmy winner (one for her recurring role in the Justified cast and two for The Americans) Margo Martindale. The versatile and always engaging actor is also know for acclaimed films like her 1990 debut feature, Days of Thunder, and the Oscar-winning drama, The Hours, as well as other notable TV shows like Bojack Horseman (in which she voices herself), Netflix’s recent true crime hit, The Watcher, and plenty more.
David Arquette (Monty)
Playing a magician named Monty is one of the most famous faces of the dark comedy genre (which I would say the Scream movies mostly count as), David Arquette, whose many other credits under that category also include the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Eight Legged Freaks, Spree, and The Tripper — the latter of which he also co-wrote and directed. He is also known for the Drew Barrymore-led rom-com, Never Been Kissed, lending his voice to Disney Channel’s Captain Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and starring in the popular horror video game, The Quarry.
Elizabeth Marvel (Celeste)
As Simone’s mother, Celeste, we have Elizabeth Marvel making her dystopian drama debut following an impressively diverse career that includes two Coen Brothers movies (Burn After Reading and True Grit), action thrillers (The Bourne Legacy), historical biopics (Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln), and another western (News of the World), to name a few. As for her most notable small screen credits, she had a recurring role on House of Cards, was in the Homeland cast as the president, played a possessed woman in the Marvel-inspired horror series, Helstrom, and was Elizabeth Holmes’ mother on The Dropout.
Katja Herbers (Mathilde)
Playing the role of Mathile is Katja Herbers, who last worked with Lindelof on a dystopian fantasy series for three episodes of The Leftovers and stars on a series about a religious leader taking on dangerous forces with CBS’s Evil (which is now exclusive to those with a Paramount+ subscription). Born in the Netherlands, the actor made her English-language debut with three episodes of FX’s The Americans, went on to star in WGN’s historical drama series, Manhattan, and had a recurring role on HBO’s Westworld.
Chris Diamantopoulos (JQ)
As resistance leader JQ, we have Chris Diamantopoulos, whose last dark comedy about global conspiracies was Netflix’s animated series, Inside Job, which is also just one of the many notable voice acting roles of his — including various characters on various DC TV shows, Donald Ferguson in the Invincible cast, and, most honorably, Mickey Mouse. You have also seen the multi-talented character actor’s face as Moe in 2012’s The Three Stooges movie, in a recurring role in the Silicon Valley cast, with his small but memorable appearance in Netflix’s Red Notice cast, and in his recent turn on Daisy Jones and the Six.
Ashley Romans (Joy)
Starring as Joy is Ashley Romans, whose previous dystopian sci-fi credits include 2014’s Slave Girls on the Moon (her acting debut) and FX’s short-lived series based on the hit comic book, Y: The Last Man. Speaking of literary adaptations, she is also known for the Joe Hill novel-inspired horror TV show, NOS4A2, and played the title role of a Harry Potter-inspired web series called Hermione Granger and the Quarter Life Crisis.
Tom Wlaschiha (Father Ziegler)
As a priest named Father Ziegler, we have Andy McQueen’s Jack Ryan co-star, Tom Wlaschiha, who made his English-language debut in 2001’s Enemy at the Gates before appearing in further period dramas like 2005’s Munich and 2013’s Rush, and war movies like 2008’s Valkyrie. More recently, the German-born former Game of Thrones cast member scored a major role in the Stranger Things Season 4 cast, was in Starz’s series adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons, and voiced the title role of Lightyear for the German-dubbed version of the Pixar movie.
Mathilde Ollivier (Clara)
As Clara, we have Mathilde Ollivier, who is best known for starring in the World War II-era horror movie, Overlord, from 2018 and in Netflix’s 1899 cast in 2022. She also appeared in the 2020 comedy Sister of the Groom, landed a role opposite Frank Grillo and Mel Gibson in Hulu’s funny time-loop thriller, Boss Level, the following year, and — also in 2020 — served as a producer for the documentary, The Uptight Woman.
Stream Mrs. Davis on Peacock to see if Betty Gilpin and the cast will manage to “defy the A.I.”
