What do pop megastar Kylie Minogue, Station 19 alum Brett Tucker, and SNL veteran Jane Curtin have in common? Why, they’re the latest stars to join the cast of The Residence, the new comedic murder mystery series coming from Shondaland!
Production on the eight-episode zany whodunit is in full swing, Netflix and Shondaland announced today, with the massive lineup of Hollywood greats knee-deep in table reads and prep for the series. Executive produced by Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers — who’ll soon debut the highly anticipated Bridgerton spin-off, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story — The Residence is inspired by Kate Andersen Brower’s 2015 bestseller The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House, which gives a detailed account of what really went on among service staff in the prez’s house from the Kennedys to the Obamas.
Created and written by Paul William Davies, who previously served as story editor on Scandal and later created and wrote For the People, The Residence already boasts a knockout cast who include Emmy-winning Uzo Aduba of Orange Is the New Black, Fresh Off the Boat’s Randall Park, prolific comedic actor Ken Marino, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Andre Braugher, among many others.
But the latest announcement reveals that even more beloved stars are joining the wild romp, ensuring that this depiction of the White House will change the way we look at the executive mansion forever. In addition to rounding out the cast, we’re also getting our first look at the making of The Residence!
But first, the new cast:
Kylie Minogue, the megastar Australian pop star who, really, needs no introduction is playing herself.
Jane Curtin, one of the original players on Saturday Night Live and a back-to-back Emmy winner for her work on the 1980s sitcom Kate & Allie, plays Nan Cox, the “First Mother-in-Law.”
James Babson is known for voice work and roles in Hellboy, The Shawshank Redemption, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. He plays Daryl Armogeda, an operations supervisor.
Eliza Coupe, whom you might remember from the hilarious Happy Endings on ABC, plays Senator Margery Bay Bix, a junior senator from Colorado.
Izzy Diaz, who starred in shows including Snowfall, New Girl, and The Shield, plays Eddie Gomez, a carpenter.
Paul Fitzgerald, whom you might recognize from Veep and Younger, plays President Perry Morgan.
Ros Gentle, an Australian actor who’s been on American Horror Story and Prisoner, plays media tycoon Rachel Middlekauff.
Chris Grace, previously known as Jerry on Superstore, plays Duane Ladage, an electrician.
Juliette Jeffers has appeared on Snowfall, Modern Family, and Bones; now she’s Angie Huggins, the White House painter.
Sumalee Montano is no stranger to fictional White Houses; she’s been on Veep and Scandal previously and joins The Residence as Dana Hammond, chief of staff to President Morgan.
Nathan Lovejoy, yet another Aussie on set, was once Principal Swift on the Disney Channel sci-fi teen sitcom Gabby Duran & the Unsittables; now he’s playing Alden Tamridge, an Australian ambassador.
Euriamis Losada, a Cuban-born singer and actor, is St. Pierre, an energy medium.
Julieth Restrepo, a Colombian actor who’s appeared in a number of Colombian films and shows, plays Elsyie Chayle, a White House housekeeper.
Mel Rodriguez knows his way around a comedy set: He’s been in HBO’s Getting On, Fox’s The Last Man on Earth, and NBC’s Community. In The Residence, he plays Bruce Geller, a White House engineer.See AlsoThe Residence: cast, everything we know about the new Netflix Shondaland seriesNetflix's The Residence: Plot, Cast, Release Date, and Everything Else We KnowEverything We Know About Shondaland’s New Netflix Series, ‘The Residence’The Residence: Nach Tod von Andre Braugher - Rolle neu besetzt
Brett Tucker, the hunky former Seattle Fire Chief Lucas Ripley on Station 19 — whose untimely demise we’re still mourning — plays David Rylance, the Australian foreign minister.
Rebecca Field has appeared in dozens of shows over the years, including Monk, Station 19, and Grey’s Anatomy. On The Residence, she’ll be playing Emily Mackil, the White House gardener.
BTS photos!
If you want to see the cast in action, enjoy these behind-the-scenes photos from the very first table read featuring cast and crew — and Shonda Rhimes herself! — as The Residence officially gets underway!
The cast and crew of The Residence gathers for the first table read!
From left to right, Edwina Findley, who plays Sheila Cannon, Betsy Beers, Shonda Rhimes, Paul William Davies, director Liza Johnson, and Uzo Aduba, who plays The Residence lead, Cordelia Cupp.
Aduba and Randall Park, who plays federal agent Edwin Park, along with Andre Braugher, who will play White House Chief Usher A.B. Wynter.
Ken Marino gets into character as Harry Hollinger, the President's closest friend and advisor.
Alongside Braugher, Susan Kelechi Watson will play yet another White House usher, Jasmine Haney.
The ever affable Park works the reading room.
Left to right: Molly Griggs (Lilly Schumacher), Mary Wiseman (Marvella), Brett Tucker (David Rylance), Nathan Lovejoy (Alden Tamridge), Ros Gentle (Rachel Middlekauf).
The Residence Casting Director, Meredith Tucker
Left to right: Sumalee Montano (Dana Hammond), Eliza Coupe (Senator Margery Bay Bix), and Paul Fitzgerald as President Perry Morgan.
Left to right: Izzy Diaz (Eddie Gomez), James Babson (Daryl Armogeda), Juliette Jeffers (Angie Huggins), and Sumalee Montano.
Left to right: Matt Oberg (Nick Simms), E.L. Losado (St. Piere), and Chris Grace (Duane Ladage).
There’s undoubtedly so much more to reveal about the mystery that surrounds what is sure to be another scandalous Shondaland series, so watch this space for more news and announcements about The Residence, coming soon to Netflix!
Malcolm Venable is a Senior Staff Writer at Shondaland. Follow him on Twitter @malcolmvenable.
Get Shondaland directly in your inbox: SUBSCRIBE TODAY