Peacock's Laid Cast & Character Guide

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Laid!

Peacock’s dark comedy, Laid, includes a cast of comedians and actors featuring Oscar-nominee Stephanie Hsu. The show follows a 33-year-old woman named Ruby Yao, who discovers that her exes are starting to die. She works alongside her best friend, AJ, and her ex, Richie, to figure out why the characters she slept with are dropping dead in hilarious and absurd ways. At the same time, she tries to navigate her feelings for her new party-planning client, Isaac.

Laid thrives off the fact that the characters, especially Ruby, are deeply flawed and make reckless decisions. This debaucherous show includes a wild and unruly premise through which Ruby can process her past and grow. At the same time, the people around her also become better versions of themselves. Ultimately, the cast of predominantly established actors and comedians does an excellent job getting the audience to invest in and root for terrible people.

Stephanie Hsu As Ruby Yao

Date Of Birth: November 25, 1990

Actor: Stephanie Hsu was born in Los Angeles, California, and she gained attention as a Broadway actor, playing Karen the Computer in Spongebob the Musical and Christine Canigula in Be More Chill before becoming a household name in Hollywood. Hsu got her onscreen big break when playing Joy Wang and Jobu Tupaki in the 2022 movie Everything Everywhere All At Once, for which she gained an Oscar nomination. Since then, she’s continued to gain leading and supporting roles in movies.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: Throughout Laid, Stephanie Hsu plays Ruby Yao, a woman whose exes start dying in the order that she slept with them. Ruby’s past has a strong influence on her behavior and choices. Her mother died when she was 18 years old, and her father abandoned her. Because she refuses to cope with this past trauma, Ruby is selfish, cynical, and emotionally guarded.

Zosia Mamet As AJ

Date Of Birth: February 2, 1988

Actor: Zosia Mamet was born in Randolph, Vermont, and she got her big break playing Shoshanna Shapiro from 2012 to 2017 in the HBO original Girls. Since then, she’s established herself as a versatile actor who can blend into most shows seamlessly. In 2021, she gained a SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for acting in the cast of The Flight Attendant.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: In Laid, Zosia Mamet plays AJ, Ruby’s hilarious but overlooked best friend. She helps push the plot forward, creating Ruby’s sex timeline and tracking all the data about the deaths. AJ is obsessed with true crime and sees the deaths of Ruby’s exes as a puzzle to solve.

Michael Angarano As Richie

Date Of Birth: December 3, 1987

Actor: Michael Angarano was born in Brooklyn, New York City, NY, and he got his big break in 2000 as William Miller in the movie Almost Famous. Since then, he’s acted consistently in TV and films like Sky High. Additionally, Angarano branched into writing and directing in 2017 with his directorial/screenwriting debut, Avenues.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: Throughout Laid, Michael Angarano plays Richie, Joy’s sardonic ex-boyfriend, who learns that he’s supposed to die. Eventually, he and Joy figure out that he’s her “sex loophole,” allowing him to stay alive.

Tommy Martinez As Isaac

Date Of Birth: March 20, 1992

Actor: Tommy Martinez was born in Venezuela, and he got his big break playing Gael Martinez from 2019 to 2024 in the Freeform show Good Trouble. Though he’s less established in Hollywood, the up-and-comer has established himself as a talented actor.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Character: In Laid, Tommy Martinez plays Isaac, Ruby’s warmhearted client who’s throwing his parents’ 40th-anniversary party.

Laid Supporting Cast & Characters

Andre Hyland As Zack Bridgerton: Throughout Laid, Andre Hyland plays Zack, AJ’s gamer boyfriend. Hyland got his big break acting as Jamie in the 2016 TV movie The 4th. He’s best-known for acting in The Death of Dick Long, Barry, and Guilty Party.

Ryan Pinkston As Brad: Pinkston plays Ryan, Ruby’s coworker, in Laid. He got his big break playing Arnold in the 2003 movie Spy Kids 3: Game Over. He’s also had notable roles in Punk’d, Young Rock, and Will & Grace.

Olivia Holt As Merci: In Laid, Olivia Holt plays Merci, the pretentious marine biologist girlfriend of Isaac. Holt started out as a child actor and got her big break playing Kim Crawford in the Disney XD show Kickin’ It. Her other significant roles include Kate Wallis in Cruel Summer and Dagger in the cast of the underrated Marvel TV show Cloak & Dagger.

Elizabeth Bowen As Debra: Bowen plays Debra, Ruby’s therapist, in Laid. She got her big break playing Sue Lutz in 2015 in Fargo season 2. Since then, Bowen has gained attention for acting in Upload, Resident Alien, and Sonic the Hedgehog 2.

Finneas O’Connell As Jason: Throughout Laid, Finneas O’Connell plays Jason, a man with whom Ruby has really bad sex after a third date. O’Connell is primarily a musician and composer, working with his sister, Billie Eilish. He’s gained two Oscars for the songs “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie and “No Time to Die” from the titular 007 movie. As an actor, O’Connell is known for playing Spencer in Bad Teacher and Jesse (4*Town) in Turning Red.

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John Early As John Early: In one episode of Laid, comedian and actor John Early plays a fictionalized version of himself. Early started his career in 2011 and has built an extensive acting portfolio. In scripted shows, he’s best known for acting in Search Party, DC League of Superpets, and Other People. In 2023 and 2024, Early also gained Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Variety special.

Amanda Knox As Amanda Knox: Laid includes a cameo from the famous exoneree, activist, and podcaster Amanda Knox. Knox was falsely accused, convicted, and imprisoned for murdering her roommate Meredith Kercher while living in Italy in 2007. She produces, writes, and co-hosts the podcast Labyrinths. She also voices the narrator in the show Ministry of Evil: The Twisted Cult of Tony Alamo.

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Release Date

December 19, 2024

Cast

Stephanie Hsu
, Zosia Mamet
, Michael Angarano
, Tommy Martinez

Character(s)

Ruby Yao
, AJ
, Richie
, Isaac

Seasons

1

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