Netflix’s The Residence brings together an unusually large cast for a murder mystery. With a detective investigating a death inside the White House, the series introduces everyone from FBI agents and senior officials to chefs, butlers, housekeepers and visiting celebrities.
The Residence cast is led by Uzo Aduba as Cordelia Cupp, Giancarlo Esposito as A.B. Wynter, and Randall Park as FBI agent Edwin Park. But those three are only the beginning of an ensemble filled with recognizable faces.
If you’re trying to remember who plays a particular character, or where you’ve seen an actor before, this guide covers the principal cast, their roles and the relationships that matter to the story.
Spoiler note: This guide identifies the victim and describes the show’s starting premise, but does not reveal the murderer or the finale’s solution.
The Residence Cast at a Glance
Here’s a quick reference to the actors and characters in the Netflix series.
| Actor | Character | Role in the series |
|---|---|---|
| Uzo Aduba | Cordelia Cupp | Consulting detective |
| Giancarlo Esposito | A.B. Wynter | White House chief usher |
| Randall Park | Edwin Park | FBI special agent |
| Susan Kelechi Watson | Jasmine Haney | Assistant usher |
| Molly Griggs | Lilly Schumacher | White House social secretary |
| Ken Marino | Harry Hollinger | Presidential adviser |
| Jason Lee | Tripp Morgan | President’s brother |
| Paul Fitzgerald | Perry Morgan | President of the United States |
| Barrett Foa | Elliot Morgan | First gentleman |
| Jane Curtin | Nan Cox | Elliot’s mother |
| Mel Rodriguez | Bruce Geller | White House engineer |
| Julieth Restrepo | Elsyie Chayle | White House housekeeper |
| Edwina Findley | Sheila Cannon | White House butler |
| Bronson Pinchot | Didier Gotthard | Pastry chef |
| Mary Wiseman | Marvella | Executive chef |
| Al Mitchell | Rollie Bridgewater | Head butler |
| Kylie Minogue | Herself | State dinner performer |
The size of the cast reflects the structure of the mystery. Cordelia isn’t investigating a small group of strangers gathered in one room. She’s examining an entire workplace, where nearly everyone has relationships and responsibilities that existed before the crime.
Who Plays Cordelia Cupp in The Residence?
Uzo Aduba plays Cordelia Cupp, the eccentric investigator called in after a body is discovered during a White House state dinner.
Cordelia is a consulting detective whose reputation comes from her extraordinary powers of observation. She notices details others dismiss, asks questions that seem unrelated to the case and remains remarkably comfortable making powerful people uncomfortable.
Her passion for birdwatching is more than a quirky personality detail. Watching birds requires patience and an ability to recognize subtle differences, qualities that also shape her investigative approach.
Aduba is best known for playing Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren in Orange Is the New Black. She also appeared in Mrs. America and Painkiller.
For viewers familiar with her more dramatic performances, Cordelia offers a different kind of lead character: confident, funny and deliberately unconventional.
Who Plays A.B. Wynter?
Giancarlo Esposito plays A.B. Wynter, the White House chief usher whose death begins the investigation.
As chief usher, A.B. oversees the operation of the presidential residence. His responsibilities connect him to the staff, the building’s traditions and the daily needs of the first family.
That position makes him particularly important to the mystery. Different employees know different sides of him, and their accounts reveal tensions within the household.
Esposito is familiar to audiences as Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. He also portrayed Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian.
A.B. is a different sort of character from those intimidating antagonists. His commitment to the residence and his complicated relationships with its staff are central to understanding the investigation.
To find out what happened to his character, including the evidence behind the final solution, read our The Residence ending explained. That article contains major spoilers.
Who Plays FBI Agent Edwin Park?
Randall Park plays Edwin Park, the FBI special agent working alongside Cordelia Cupp.
Edwin initially struggles to understand Cordelia’s methods. He expects a more conventional investigation, while she follows unusual observations and conversations wherever they lead.
Their partnership gives the audience two different ways of examining the same evidence. Edwin often responds to situations the way an ordinary investigator might, which makes Cordelia’s unexpected reasoning easier to follow.
Park previously starred in Fresh Off the Boat and Always Be My Maybe. Marvel viewers may also recognize him as Jimmy Woo from Ant-Man and the Wasp and WandaVision.
His comedic background makes him a particularly suitable partner for Aduba’s distinctive detective.
The White House Staff: Who Plays Whom?
Much of The Residence takes place behind the public-facing ceremonies of the White House. The employees responsible for keeping it running form an important part of the cast.
Susan Kelechi Watson as Jasmine Haney
Jasmine Haney is an ambitious assistant usher who hopes to advance within the White House household.
Her professional relationship with A.B. places her close to the tensions surrounding his death. She understands the institution but also has ambitions of her own.
Susan Kelechi Watson is widely recognized for playing Beth Pearson in This Is Us.
Molly Griggs as Lilly Schumacher
Lilly Schumacher is the White House social secretary, responsible for planning official events, including the disastrous state dinner.
She has a strong personality and her own ideas about how the White House should operate. Her approach frequently clashes with A.B.’s respect for established traditions.
Molly Griggs previously appeared in Succession, Prodigal Son and Dr. Death.
Mel Rodriguez as Bruce Geller
Bruce Geller is an engineer responsible for maintaining the White House.
His knowledge of the building and its internal workings gives him a different perspective from the political officials and household managers.
Mel Rodriguez is known for The Last Man on Earth and has also appeared in Better Call Saul.
Julieth Restrepo as Elsyie Chayle
Elsyie Chayle works as a White House housekeeper.
Her position places her within the residence’s everyday routines, while her personal circumstances become relevant during Cordelia’s investigation.
Julieth Restrepo previously appeared in the Netflix series Griselda.
Edwina Findley as Sheila Cannon
Sheila Cannon is an expressive, enthusiastic White House butler whose approach to hospitality doesn’t always align with A.B.’s standards.
Edwina Findley is known for If Loving You Is Wrong and the film Middle of Nowhere.
Al Mitchell as Rollie Bridgewater
Rollie Bridgewater is the head butler and maître d’ of the White House.
His experienced, professional approach contrasts with some of the more disorderly personalities working around him.
Al Mitchell has appeared in Stranger Things, Ozark and Outer Banks.
Who Plays the White House Chefs?
The kitchen adds another group of characters to the investigation.
Bronson Pinchot plays Didier Gotthard, an exacting pastry chef who values discipline and precision. Pinchot is best known for Perfect Strangers and also appeared in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.
Mary Wiseman plays Marvella, the talented executive chef whose creative, unconventional approach clashes with Didier’s formal standards. Wiseman previously played Sylvia Tilly in Star Trek: Discovery.
Their professional rivalry is one example of how the show uses ordinary workplace conflicts to generate possible lines of suspicion.
Who Plays the President and His Family?
The show’s fictional first family introduces a political dimension to a mystery that largely unfolds inside a household.
Paul Fitzgerald as President Perry Morgan
Perry Morgan is the fictional US president. Although the investigation concerns a death inside his residence, he must also deal with the political consequences of the incident.
Paul Fitzgerald has appeared in Veep, Younger and Dare Me.
Barrett Foa as Elliot Morgan
Elliot Morgan is the first gentleman and Perry’s husband.
He is still adjusting to life inside the White House and its demanding customs, creating opportunities for disagreements with staff members.
Barrett Foa is best known for playing Eric Beale in NCIS: Los Angeles.
Jason Lee as Tripp Morgan
Tripp Morgan is the president’s younger brother.
Unlike the officials who try to maintain the dignity of the presidency, Tripp behaves casually and unpredictably around the residence.
Jason Lee is widely known for the comedy series My Name Is Earl. He has also appeared in Almost Famous and Mallrats.
Jane Curtin as Nan Cox
Nan Cox is Elliot’s mother and the president’s mother-in-law.
She lives in the White House and brings her own opinions and frustrations to family life there.
Jane Curtin was part of the original Saturday Night Live cast and later starred in Kate & Allie and 3rd Rock from the Sun.
Ken Marino as Harry Hollinger
Harry Hollinger is President Morgan’s longtime friend and trusted adviser.
He is deeply involved in the administration’s internal affairs, and his sometimes confrontational behavior makes his interactions with the household particularly tense.
Ken Marino has appeared in Party Down, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Never Have I Ever.
Is Kylie Minogue in The Residence?
Yes. Kylie Minogue appears as herself in The Residence.
The Australian singer performs during the White House state dinner, the event around which the mystery begins.
Unlike the actors portraying fictional government officials and employees, Minogue plays a celebrity guest.
Her presence helps establish the scale of the dinner: this isn’t an ordinary evening at the presidential residence, but a major international occasion involving important visitors, performers and an extensive staff.
Other Notable Actors in The Residence
Beyond the principal household characters, the supporting cast includes people involved in politics, security and the investigation.
- Brett Tucker as David Rylance: The Australian foreign minister visiting for the state dinner.
- Eliza Coupe as Senator Margery Bay Bix: A senator determined to investigate the circumstances surrounding A.B.’s death.
- Al Franken as Senator Aaron Filkins: A senior senator involved in the political inquiry.
- Dan Perrault as Colin Trask: The head of the Secret Service’s presidential detail.
- Spencer Garrett as Wally Glick: The FBI director.
- Timothy Hornor as Patrick Doumbe: A character whose involvement becomes important to the investigation.
- Andrew Friedman as Irv Samuelson: The director of the National Park Police.
The supporting characters also show how a crime inside the White House can become a matter of institutional and political concern.
For the full official actor-by-actor breakdown, Netflix has published a detailed The Residence cast guide.
Why Does The Residence Have So Many Characters?
The large ensemble isn’t simply there to provide familiar faces.
The Residence uses the White House as both an official institution and a working home. The people who run it have different levels of authority, conflicting priorities and different degrees of access to its rooms.
That creates three groups viewers need to distinguish:
- The investigators, led by Cordelia and Edwin, who are attempting to understand the crime.
- The household staff, whose everyday relationships help establish where tensions existed before the murder.
- The family, officials and guests, whose political or personal concerns complicate what should be a straightforward investigation.
The central viewing challenge is remembering not only names, but relationships.
A character may have argued with A.B., worked closely with him or possessed information about the building. None of those details automatically establishes guilt.
This is why the cast table is useful to keep nearby while watching: understanding each person’s job often makes their behavior easier to interpret.
Watch The Residence Official Trailer
Want to see The Residence cast in action? Watch Netflix’s official trailer, featuring Uzo Aduba as detective Cordelia Cupp, Randall Park as FBI agent Edwin Park, and Giancarlo Esposito as A.B. Wynter.
The trailer introduces the White House murder mystery, its eccentric characters, and the mix of comedy and suspense that drives the series. It’s a useful preview of the cast’s performances without revealing the killer’s identity.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Residence Cast
Who is the main actress in The Residence?
Uzo Aduba is the lead actress. She portrays detective Cordelia Cupp, the investigator responsible for solving the murder inside the White House.
Who plays the dead man in The Residence?
Giancarlo Esposito plays A.B. Wynter, the chief usher whose death sets the story in motion.
Who plays the FBI agent in The Residence?
Randall Park plays Edwin Park, the FBI special agent assigned to work with Cordelia Cupp.
Who plays Lilly in The Residence?
Molly Griggs plays Lilly Schumacher, the White House social secretary who manages official events.
Who plays the president in The Residence?
Paul Fitzgerald plays fictional US President Perry Morgan.
Who plays Tripp in The Residence?
Jason Lee plays Tripp Morgan, the president’s younger brother.
Is The Residence based on a true story?
No. The murder investigation and main characters are fictional. However, the series draws inspiration from Kate Andersen Brower’s nonfiction book The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House, which explores the lives of White House residence staff.
How many episodes are in The Residence?
The Netflix series consists of eight episodes, all part of its first season.
You can check the episode list and watch the official trailer on Netflix’s The Residence page.
Final Thoughts: A Cast That Makes the Mystery Work
What makes The Residence distinctive isn’t only the number of recognizable actors. It’s the way their characters occupy different parts of the same institution.
Cordelia sees the White House as a puzzle. A.B. understands it as a workplace that requires order. Staff members see it through their responsibilities, while the presidential family experiences it as a complicated home.
Those conflicting perspectives give viewers plenty to follow as the investigation unfolds.
If you’re deciding whether its mix of mystery and comedy is for you, read our The Residence review for a spoiler-light assessment of the series.
