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.
Laidthrives off the fact that the characters, especially Ruby, are deeply flawed and make reckless decisions. This debaucherous show includes awild and unruly premisethrough 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: Jun 28, 2025
Actor:Stephanie Hsu was born in Los Angeles, California, and she gained attention as a Broadway actor, playing Karen the Computer inSpongebob the Musicaland Christine Canigula inBe More Chillbefore becoming a household name in Hollywood.Hsu got her onscreen big break when playing Joy Wang andJobu Tupaki in the 2022 movieEverything Everywhere All At Once, for which she gained an Oscar nomination. Since then, she’s continued to gain leading and supporting roles in movies.
2013-2015
2016-2018
2019-2024
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
2021
2022
Kat
2023
Character:ThroughoutLaid, 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: July 26, 2025
Actor:Zosia Mamet was born in Randolph, Vermont, andshe got her big break playing Shoshanna Shapiro from 2012 to 2017 in the HBO originalGirls. 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 thecast ofThe Flight Attendant.
2012-2017
Tales of the City
2019
2020-2022
2024
Pampinea
Character:InLaid, 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: August 11, 2025
Actor:Michael Angarano was born in Brooklyn, New York City, NY, and he got his big break in 2000 as William Miller in the movieAlmost Famous. Since then, he’s acted consistently in TV and films likeSky High. Additionally, Angarano branched into writing and directing in 2017 with his directorial/screenwriting debut,Avenues.
2000
2001-2017
2005
2008
2015
Nick Pearson
2019-2021
Character:ThroughoutLaid, 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: August 15, 2025
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.
Georges St. Georges
Character:InLaid, 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:ThroughoutLaid, Andre Hyland plays Zack, AJ’s gamer boyfriend. Hyland got his big break acting as Jamie in the 2016 TV movieThe 4th. He’s best-known for acting inThe Death of Dick Long,Barry, andGuilty Party.
Ryan Pinkston As Brad:Pinkston plays Ryan, Ruby’s coworker, inLaid. He got his big break playing Arnold in the 2003 movieSpy Kids 3: Game Over. He’s also had notable roles inPunk’d,Young Rock, andWill & Grace.
Olivia Holt As Merci:InLaid, 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 showKickin’ It. Her other significant roles include Kate Wallis inCruel Summerand Dagger in the cast of theunderrated Marvel TV showCloak & Dagger.
Laid Interview: Tommy Martinez On Exploring Comedy For The First Time, That Greatest Showman Dance Sequence & Stephanie Hsu
Laid star Tommy Martinez talks working in the comedy genre for the first time, his Greatest Showman dance sequence in the show and Stephanie Hsu.
Elizabeth Bowen As Debra:Bowen plays Debra, Ruby’s therapist, inLaid. She got her big break playing Sue Lutz in 2015 inFargoseason 2. Since then, Bowen has gained attention for acting inUpload,Resident Alien, andSonic the Hedgehog 2.
Finneas O’Connell As Jason:ThroughoutLaid, 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?” fromBarbieand “No Time to Die” from the titular 007 movie. As an actor, O’Connell is known for playing Spencer inBad Teacherand Jesse (4*Town) inTurning Red.
Laid Interview: Creators Nahnatchka Khan & Sally Bradford McKenna Talk Adapting Australian Show & Building Ensemble Cast
Laid creators Nahnatchka Khan and Sally Bradford McKenna break down their approach to adapting the Australian comedy and finding their cast.
John Early As John Early:In one episode ofLaid, 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 inSearch Party,DC League of Superpets, andOther People. In 2023 and 2024, Early also gained Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Variety special.
Amanda Knox As Amanda Knox:Laidincludes 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 podcastLabyrinths. She also voices the narrator in the showMinistry of Evil: The Twisted Cult of Tony Alamo.
