2022 is the year of AppleTV+. The streaming service has climbed to the top by releasing original after original, investing in quality instead of quantity. On April 29, the platform will release yet another exciting original, Shining Girls.
Focusing on Kirby Mazrachi, the story follows the archivist after she’s a victim of an attack and starts experiencing multiple realities. The sci-fi promises to be another television hit and includes a cast filled with familiar faces that cinema and TV fans will recognize.
Wagner Moura – Narcos (2015-2017)
Stream On Netflix.
Wagner Moura is no stranger to TV fans worldwide. After an acclaimed career in his country, the Brazilian actor played Pablo Escobar in one of Netflix’s most successful shows, Narcos.
In Shining Girls, the actor will play Dan Velazquez, a crime reporter who teams up with Elisabeth Moss’ character to solve a murder case. This will give the actor the opportunity to leave the world of drug cartels of Narcos and explore the investigation aspect of the new series.
Phillipa Soo – Hamilton (2020)
Stream On Disney+.
Phillipa Soo had her breakthrough in the popular musical Hamilton, and after that, the actress was part of projects such as tick, tick…BOOM! and Over The Moon. In Shining Girls, she’ll play Jin-Sook, one of the characters from the book on which the show is based, Lauren Beukes’ novel Shining Girls. While there isn’t much to know about her character yet, it’s likely she’ll be sharing the screen with Elisabeth Moss’ character. This will be Soo’s opportunity to explore a new genre, outside the musical world.
Jamie Bell – Rocketman (2019)
Rent On AppleTV Or Youtube.
Jamie Bell has been on the big screen since his childhood, but many won’t recognize him from then. As a child, the actor played Billy Elliot in the drama movie of the same name. Since then, Bell has had several roles like The Thing in Fantastic Four and Griffin in the video game Jumper.
More recently, he filled in the shoes of Bernie Taupin in the glamorous biopic Rocketman, side by side with Taron Egerton. Bell will have a prominent role in Shining Girls, a mysterious man who has a connection with Kirby (Elisabeth Moss), though it isn’t clear what that connection is yet. Whatever that is, it’ll be compelling to see the two actors sharing the screen for the first time.
Chris Chalk – When They See Us (Two Episodes)
Stream On Netflix.
Soon after he played Lucius Fox in the TV show Gotham, Chris Chalk was part of Ava DuVernay’s miniseries When They See Us. Based on a true story, the Netflix miniseries follows five Black boys from Harlem as they are accused of a crime they didn’t commit. Recently, Chalk was also part of the HBO show Perry Mason, and now he’ll join the cast of Shining Girls as Marcus, according to IMDb. This shows Chalk has experimented with different genres and will now enter the world of sci-fi.
Amy Brenneman – The Leftovers (2014-2017)
Stream On HBO Max.
Shining Girls isn’t the first sci-fi show for Amy Brenneman. Before being cast as Kirby’s mother, Rachel, in the new AppleTV+ series, Brenneman was part of The Leftovers, one of the most popular HBO projects of the last decade. Like Shining Girls, The Leftovers was a sci-fi show that focused on the relationships and dynamics of several strangers that lost loved ones after a mysterious event. Based on that, Brenneman makes a suitable addition to the cast of the new AppleTV+ show.
Deanna Reed-Foster – 61st Street (2022)
Stream On AMC+.
Director and actor Deanna Reed-Foster has appeared in several episodes of Chicago Fire and Chicago PD. Recently, she played Gloria Hendrix in the AMC series 61st Street, a story about an athlete who finds himself involved with corruption in Chicago. In the AppleTV+ show, Reed-Foster will play Sheila. This will be another minor role of the actress, and there isn’t information about her character’s influence in the show’s narrative yet.
Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men (2007-2015)
Stream On AMC+.
To Mad Men fans, Elisabeth Moss will always represent Peggy Olson. Starting the show as the timid secretary at Sterling Cooper and season by season advancing her career, both Peggy and Moss finished the series on a high note.
The AMC show was crucial to Moss’ career, putting her in the spotlight alongside her co-star Jon Hamm. While she has played several roles, TV fans will still remember Moss and Hamm in the iconic episode “The Suitcase”, which says all about Peggy’s impact on television.
Marc Grapey – Chicago Med (2015-)
Stream On Peacock.
According to IMDb, Marc Grapey will play Howard in Shining Girls. While he’s not so well-known as the other cast members, viewers might recognize the Chicago actor from minor roles in projects such as Chicago Med, West Wing, Sex & The City, and Arrested Development. Like Sheila, Howard will probably be a side character involved in the intriguing plot of the series.
Christopher Denham – Argo (2012)
Stream On Netflix.
TV and cinema fans might not know Christopher Denham by name, but they have seen him in movies like Argo and Shutter Island. On TV, Denham has been in series such as Showtime’s Billions and Prodigal Son. In the AppleTV+ series, the actor will feature in four episodes as Leo Jenkins. Given that he’s comfortable with different genres, this will be another opportunity for Denham to show his talent, even if he isn’t one of the main characters in Shining Girls.
Elisabeth Moss – The Invisible Man (2020)
Stream On Max Go.
After her success on television as Peggy in Mad Men and June in The Handmaid’s Tale, Elisabeth Moss went to the big screen, featuring in movies like Us and the thriller The Invisible Man. As Cecilia Kass in the chilling film, Moss is hunted (and haunted) by a man no one else can see.
In Shining Girls, Moss is at the center of the plot as her character Kirby tries to unravel the mystery of her brutal attack. With Apple’s streaming platform investing heavily in its originals, the new sci-fi will be a compelling addition to the catalog. Shining Girls will premiere globally on April 29 on AppleTV+
