Mythology is having a moment, and Netflix's new must-watch TV series Kaos brings the Greek gods and heroes to the modern day. Created by The End of the F***ing World's Charlie Covell, the dark dramedy, which premiered on August 29, 2024, takes place in a world where the characters of Greek mythology roam the skies and the earth in a contemporary eat-the-rich allegory. Kaos starts with Zeus in charge as the king of the gods, but a looming prophecy threatens to take him and the rest of the Olympians down.
To fill the cast of the larger-than-life (literally) ensemble, the streaming giant gathered several esteemed actors and rising stars, led by one of Hollywood's most beloved actors. Read on to learn about the cast of Kaos below.
The Gods
Jeff Goldblum as Zeus
Kaos' Zeus is a modern reimagining of the head honcho of Greek mythology. Mount Olympus may be a mega-mansion, but he's still the chaotic, philandering, megalomaniac tyrant that mythology fans know and low-key fear. He's also deeply insecure and will do whatever he can to keep his place as the ultimate power.
Jeff Goldblum needs no introduction; the 71-year-old actor is one of the most well-known faces in Hollywood. His most famous films include the original Jurassic Park, Independence Day, The Fly, and Thor: Ragnarok. In an interview with Tudum, Goldblum said of his take on the god of thunder: "Our Zeus is the three c’s—complicated, charismatic, [and] cruel. As well as several other letters."
Janet McTeer as Hera
Hera, the Queen of the Gods, is Zeus' wife and sister (the Greek gods were giving Targaryen centuries before Game of Thrones). She's the goddess of marriage and family, which makes Zeus's constant wandering eye even more awkward. Still, the pair are tied together, and as Tudum teases, "As Zeus becomes more deranged, Hera is placed in real jeopardy—not to mention, she’s carrying an explosive secret that could threaten her very existence if Zeus discovers it."
Dame Janet McTeer plays Hera. She is a British stage and screen actress with numerous accolades, including a Tony, a Golden Globe, and two Academy Award nominations. Her best-known works include 1999's Tumbleweeds, 2011's Albert Nobbs, 2016's Me Before You, 2022's The Menu, and the Netflix series Ozark.
Nabhaan Rizwan as Dionysus
In Kaos, Dionysus—the god of wine, pleasure, and madness—is Zeus's favorite son (though to be fair, the rest of his kids don't visit). Born of a mortal mother who was turned into a bee by Hera, Dionysus was made into a full god, but after several centuries he's now bored and tired of being coddled like a child. Seeking some real responsibility, he takes a liking to a mortal singer named Orpheus.
Nabhaan Rizwan, 27, is a British actor who has appeared in several acclaimed shows and films, including HBO's Industry, Max's Station Eleven, and the Sam Mendes film 1917.
David Thewlis as Hades
Hades, god of death, is portrayed by David Thewlis, in the British actor/writer/director's second Netflix fantasy series since season 1 of The Sandman. While he's best known for playing Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter film series, Thewlis has appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows, including 2008's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, 2011's War Horse, 2014's The Theory of Everything, 2017's Wonder Woman, FX's Fargo, and HBO's Landscapers.
Rakie Ayola as Persephone
Persephone, the wife of Hades and queen of the Underworld, is one of the Kaos gods who has been remixed from the original. While the traditional character was tricked into marrying Hades and spending half the year underground—the source of the cycle from summer to winter and back—Kaos's Persephone truly loves Hades. She still can't stand his family, though.
Welsh actress and producer Rakie Ayola has acted in British films, TV series, and video games since her debut in 1993. Stateside, she's best known for starring in the first-ever episode of Black Mirror, the Netflix musical Been So Long, and Freevee's Alex Rider. In 2023, she won BAFTA's Siân Phillips Award, which is "presented to a Welsh individual who has made significant contributions to film and/or television."
Cliff Curtis as Poseidon
Kaos' Poseidon—a pleasure-seeker all about that yacht life in this interpretation—is played by Cliff Curtis. The New Zealand actor will be booked and busy in the next few years, thanks to his role as Tonowari in the Avatar film series. His prior credits include AMC's Fear the Walking Dead, 2001's Training Day, 2010's The Last Airbender, and 2019's Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.
Stephen Dillane as Prometheus
Prometheus is Kaos's narrator, and the secret architect behind the plot to take down Zeus, which makes sense. After all, his longtime frenemy did punish him for stealing fire from the gods and giving it to humanity. Though Prometheus is kept chained to a cliff—where his liver is pecked out daily by an eagle and regrows each night—he still does what he can to ensure the prophecy comes true.
Stephen Dillane is another familiar face for fans of fantasy television; he's best known for playing would-be king Stannis Baratheon in Game of Thrones. The British actor's other works include 2002's The Hours, 2012's Zero Dark Thirty, HBO's John Adams, Freevee's Alex Rider, and a small role in The Crown season 1.
Suzy Eddie Izzard as Lachy (a.k.a. Lachesis)
Lachy is one of the Fates: a trio of immortals beyond Zeus's control, who shape the destiny of each and every human. She's played by Suzy Eddie Izzard, a gender-fluid actor and comedian who first rose to fame in the British standup world in the early 1990s. She's best known in the states for movies and shows including 1998's Velvet Goldmine, 2004's Ocean's Twelve, 2007's Across the Universe, Showtime's United States of Tara, NBC's Hannibal, and Netflix's Stay Close.
The Humans
Aurora Perrineau as Riddy (a.k.a. Eurydice)
At the start of Kaos, Riddy (the nickname Eurydice prefers to go by) appears to have a luxurious life as Orpheus's wife, but she's deeply unhappy and knows that something has to change. The inciting incident of Riddy's journey is similar to her mythological counterpart's, but it's also, unbeknownst to her, the first step in Zeus's fall from power.
Aurora Perrineau, 29, is an American actress and model who made her acting debut in 2011, on a season 2 episode of Pretty Little Liars. Since then, she's been in shows and films including 2016's Passengers, Netflix's When They See Us, Fox's Prodigal Son, and HBO's Westworld. Fun fact: Her father's Harold Perrineau of The Best Man, Romeo + Juliet, Lost, and From.
Killian Scott as Orpheus
Kaos' modern-day Orpheus is a rock star who's madly in love with his wife Eurydice ... and a bit clueless about the realities of the world. As Tudum explains, "When his life is ripped out from underneath him, Orpheus has a choice: to accept the cards he has been dealt, or attempt to defy death itself."
Killian Scott, 39, is an Irish actor who has starred in several projects across the pond, including the shows Love/Hate, Ripper Street, Damnation, and Dublin Murders. Before Kaos, he played the stand-out role of Pagon in Marvel's Secret Invasion.
Billie Piper as Cassandra
The mysterious Cassandra has a twisted "gift" of prophecy: Everything she sees comes true, but no one ever believes a word she says. She's also a Trojan refugee in Krete, highlighting the Netflix series' take on the fate of the ancient city following the Trojan War.
British star Billie Piper started her career as a teen pop star before fully transitioning to acting and landing the iconic role of Rose Tyler in the modern Doctor Who series. Her other notable works include ITV2's Secret Diary of a Call Girl, Showtime's Penny Dreadful, Netflix's Collateral, and Max's I Hate Suzie. She's also set to return to Netflix next year, with a role in Wednesday season 2.
Misia Butler as Caeneus
When we meet Caeneus in Kaos, he's already been dead for 10 years, eking out an unremarkable existence working in the Underworld with his adorable three-headed pup. Then, one day, he’s unexpectedly promoted and meets a stranger who will change everything.
Misia Butler is a trans actor who started his career on British soaps like EastEnders and Casualty. Before Kaos, he made his Netflix debut in the 2022 film The School for Good and Evil.
Leila Farzad as Ari (a.k.a. Ariadne)
Ari is Minos’ daughter, right hand, and heir to his throne in Krete. She has a contentious relationship with her mother, who "holds Ari responsible for the accidental death of her twin brother, Glaucus, when they both were children," per Netflix. Ari lives a sheltered life consumed by guilt, but she's drawn out of the palace when she finds herself in the crosshairs of the Furies.
Kaos is Leila Farzad's second Netflix dark comedy released this summer; she also played Stratilia in the medieval romp The Decameron. The Iranian-British stage and screen actress received a BAFTA nomination for her first main TV role, as Naomi Jones in Max's I Hate Suzie. She has also appeared in HBO's Landscapers and Avenue 5, BBC's Better, the "Joan is Awful" episode of Black Mirror, and 2023's The Marvels. Fun fact: Her first acting credit was a voice role on Peppa Pig.
Stanley Townsend as Minos
Minos is the king ... er, president of Krete, and a devoted father to Ari. He tries to be a just ruler, though his attempts to acquiesce to the gods' wishes can put him at odds with his daughter. Like many of the faces of Kaos, he's hiding a major secret that could bring his life crumbling down.
Stanley Townsend is an Irish actor with over 150 credits on IMDb, ranging from television and film appearances to voice-acting roles in animated films and games. His most notable works include 2017's The Witcher video game, 2011's Cars 2, Fox's 24: Live Another Day, 2016's Florence Foster Jenkins, and HBO's The Regime.
Debi Mazar as Medusa
Medusa, the legendary monster/misunderstood figure, is already dead when we meet her in Kaos. (Thankfully her head has been reattached to her body.) She works in the Underworld as a bureaucrat, in charge of Riverbank Management at the Lethe, helping mortal souls enter the Frame and find renewal (a.k.a. be reincarnated). With so many undead years under her belt, the gorgon is likely hiding some big secrets under her headwrap (along with those snakes).
Debi Mazar is a prolific film and TV actress who got her start in entertainment as a dancer, B-girl, and makeup artist in 1980s N.Y.C. Some of her first credits include several Madonna music videos, and supporting roles in the films Goodfellas, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, and Empire Records. Her best-known TV projects include L.A. Law, That's Life, Entourage, and Younger.
Ramon Tikaram as Charon
Kaos's Charon is also a jaded soul guiding the deceased through the Underworld. Instead of ferrying each soul across the River Styx, he manages the crew that ensures each newly-arrived soul has their coin to pay for passage through River Lethe to the Frame. He also has his part to play in Zeus' prophecy, thanks to his surprising connection to Prometheus.
Ramon Tikaram is a British actor who works across film, television, and video game voice-acting. He's best known stateside for appearing in HBO's Game of Thrones, 2015's Jupiter Ascending, Hulu's The Great, Max's Pennyworth, and the video games League of Legends, Elden Ring, and Overwatch 2.
