The first two episodes ofLessons in Chemistrypremiered on Apple TV+. The series is an adaptation of the bestseller book by Bonnie Gramus. The show was highly anticipated, and fans can now see their beloved characters, and some not so much on the small screen.
Set in the 1960s, Elizabeth Zott is an underappreciated chemist at Hastings Research Institute. Even though she is better than most of her colleagues, she is fired. That’s when a strange opportunity yet filled with potential comes to her: to host a cooking show calledSupper at Six. Since cooking is essentially chemistry, Zott takes a shot at this — and changes more lives than her own.
Lessons in Chemistryis about many things: sexism, racism, gender roles, death, and ultimately, life. But, the story wouldn’t have made so many people fall in love with it if it weren’t for the compelling characters that take them on this journey. Here is the series cast and character guide.
Brie Larson as Elizabeth Zott
Elizabeth Zott, played byBrie Larson, is the main character of this story. Zott doesn’t waste time with pleasantries and even lacks what some may call manners. She is a great chemist who is only worried about completing her research at the Hastings Research Institute. The gossip around the office about her personal life and the fact that she is a woman are all things she has to fight – but her indomitable character simply won’t lower her head or change who she is for the sake of others.
Academy Award-winning Brie Larson takes the lead by storm and is the face ofLessons in Chemistry. She can be seenin multiple projects, includingRoom,Captain Marvel,and other MCU projects. Larson was in 36 episodes of the television showUnited States of Taraalongside Toni Collette.
Lewis Pullman as Calvin Evans
Calvin Evans, played byLewis Pullman, is an awarded chemist who is quite lonely most of the time. He works in the same institute as Zott. Evans is the perfect match for her, as they both love chemistry above all else — until they meet one another. Evans has one other passion: rowing, which he is able to make his partner (in the lab and outside) also fall in love with.
Lewis Pullman has done more feature films than television shows, but he has done television before his role as Calvin, including Prime Video’sOuter RangeandCatch-22. He can beseen inTop Gun: Maverick,The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, among others.
Alice Halsey as Madeline Evans Zott
Madeline Evans Zott, played byAlice Halsey, is Calvin and Elizabeth’s daughter. Madeline was raised by a mother who never saw her age as an excuse to not teach her everything she knew, such as reading at a very young age. Madeline is way ahead of other children intellectually, but what Zott may not realize is how much she is also aware of her mother’s emotional state.
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Alice Halsey has an impressive performance on the show for a nine-year-old girl. Madeline is her first-ever role as an actress.
Aja Naomi King as Harriet Sloane
Harriet Sloane, played byAja Naomi King, is Zott’s only friend. Sloane is a lawyer who has two children with a man she loves. Sloane was significantly different in the book, being a white woman in her mid-fifties in an abusive marriage. This was a great and interesting change that will allow diving into racism at the time the series is set, as well as explore relationships that didn’t happen in the book. This major change happened mostly because of the actress and her audition.
Aja Namoi King is no stranger to television shows, as she was in Shondaland’sHow to Get Away With Murderfor six years. The actress is also known forThe Birth of a Nation,The Upside, andFour.
Stephanie Koenig as Fran Frask
Fran Frask, played byStephanie Koening, works as a secretary in the same institute as Calvin and Elizabeth. Frask had to navigate the world quite differently than Elizabeth: she denigrates women just like the men around her. This leads to many conflicts between the two – especially from Frask’s side, as she can’t comprehend why Elizabeth is the way she is. Frask has great character development in the book and is someone to keep an eye on as the season progresses.
Stephanie Koening has acted in 45 productions, a lot of them are television shows. She is knownforThe Flight AttendantandSwedish Dicks.
Patrick Walker as Reverend Wakely
Reverend Wakely, played byPatrick Walker, is Calvin’s closest friend: his pen pal. Wakely turns out to play a much bigger role than being Calvin’s friend later in the story. They start exchanging letters during college, and Wakely has a bigger impact on Calvin’s adult life than he realizes in the book and possibly in the series as well.
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Patrick Walker has done various television shows in the past years, having his first role on television back in 2014 inFatal Attraction. The actor is known forGaslit,The Resident, and the Apple TV+ seriesThe Last Days of Ptolemy Grey.
Kevin Sussman as Walter Pine
Walter Pine, played byKevin Sussman, is an employee at KCTV. Walter is a supporting character, but that changes the course of Elizabeth and everyone in her life trajectory. He is the father of one of Madeline’s classmates, and that’s when he meets the one-of-a-kind, Elizabeth Zott. He will have to help Zott navigate the television world, including his unforgiving boss Phill Lebensmal (Rainn Wilson). Zott doesn’t listen to him a lot of the time or even read the script, making Walter’s job even harder.
Kevin Sussman was in one of the biggest recent sitcoms, The Big Bang Theory. He is also known for the drama featureBurn After Reading, the comedyAlmost Famous, and the romcom filled with actionKillers.
Derek Cecil as Dr. Robert Donatti
Dr. Robert Donatti, played byDerek Cecil, is Zott and Evan’s previous boss at The Hastings Research Institute. A horrible man who uses his power to take advantage of everyone, but especially women, he may also be a supporting character, but it is his choice of firing Zott that sets part of this story in motion. He constantly undermines and boycotts Zott’s studies for a single reason: her gender. He tolerates Evans because he simply has no choice, as he is a renowned researcher in his field.
Derek Cecil is mostly known for hisrole inHouse of Cards. The actor is also known for the HBO miniseriesThe Outsiderand the television showsPush, Nevada,andThe Beat.
