The new Netflix mystery series The Boroughs just arrived on May 21, 2026, and viewers are loving the wild ride. The show comes from The Duffer Brothers, the creators of Stranger Things, but this time the heroes are not kids on bikes. They are retirees fighting a supernatural threat in a New Mexico retirement community.
The buzz around the show is huge, but one thing that really grabs attention is the cast list. You will see a lot of familiar faces. These are actors you have loved for decades in movies like Thelma & Louise, Spider-Man 2, Independence Day, and The Wire. Here is a guide to where you have seen these stars before.
Alfred Molina Leads the Crew as a Grieving Widower
Alfred Molina plays Sam Cooper, a retired engineer who just moved to The Boroughs with his wife. After a personal tragedy, he discovers a monster is stalking the neighborhood, and he rallies the other residents to fight back.
Molina is likely very familiar to you. He is the legendary actor who played Doctor Otto Octavius in Spider-Man 2 and returned in Spider-Man: No Way Home. His career goes way back to Raiders of the Lost Ark (where he played poor Satipo) and includes hits like Boogie Nights, Chocolat, and The Da Vinci Code. He also voices characters in Frozen 2 and Monsters University.
Geena Davis and Bill Pullman Reunite in the Desert
Geena Davis plays Renee, a sharp-tongued retired music manager who refuses to slow down. In the group, she is the cynical one with a rock-and-roll past. Davis is an Academy Award winner. You definitely know her as Thelma in Thelma & Louise or as Dottie Hinson in A League of Their Own. She also starred in Beetlejuice and The Fly.
Bill Pullman plays Jack, the life of the party and the first friend Sam makes in the community. Pullman is an icon for playing President Thomas J. Whitmore in Independence Day. You might also remember him from Spaceballs, Sleepless in Seattle, or While You Were Sleeping. More recently, he starred in the crime series The Sinner.
Emmy Winners Alfre Woodard and Denis O’Hare Bring the Drama
Alfre Woodard plays Judy, a retired journalist with sharp instincts. She is always watching the neighbors and trying to solve the mystery before the others catch on. Woodard is one of the most awarded actresses on television. She has won four Emmy Awards for shows like Hill Street Blues and The Practice. You might know her from Desperate Housewives, Luke Cage, or the movie The Gray Man.
Denis O’Hare plays Wally, a retired doctor who uses humor to hide his fear. But when the fight starts, he proves to be very useful. O’Hare is a Tony Award winner. Horror fans will know him as the vampire king Russell Edgington on True Blood. He also appears in almost every season of American Horror Story (as Larry, Spalding, and Liz Taylor) and in Big Little Lies.
The Wire’s Clarke Peters and The Hunger Games’ Jena Malone
Clarke Peters plays Art, a “soulful spiritual seeker.” He is the calm heart of the group who is open to the supernatural side of the mystery. Peters is globally famous for playing the brilliant detective Lester Freamon on The Wire. He also starred in Treme, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods.
Jena Malone plays Claire, Sam’s daughter. She helps her dad move into the community and gets pulled into the danger. Malone started acting as a child in Contact and Stepmom. Today, she is best known as the fierce Johanna Mason in The Hunger Games films. You might also recognize her from Pride & Prejudice (2005), Donnie Darko, or Saved!.
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Malcolm in the Middle’s Jane Kaczmarek and More Familiar Faces
Jane Kaczmarek plays Lilly, Sam’s deceased wife who appears in flashbacks. If you watched comedy in the 2000s, you know her as Lois, the screaming mom on Malcolm in the Middle. That role earned her seven Emmy nominations.
The cast is full of “hey, it’s that person!” actors including:
- Karan Soni as Toby: He plays Dopinder the taxi driver in the Deadpool movies.
- Rafael Casal as Neil: He was in the Loki series on Disney+ and created the film Blindspotting.
- Ed Begley Jr. as Edward: A legend from St. Elsewhere, Better Call Saul, and Arrested Development.
- Dee Wallace as Grace: She is a horror icon from E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and The Howling.
All episodes of The Boroughs are now streaming globally on Netflix.
Also Read: THE CHI SEASON 8 EPISODE 2 RELEASE DATE AND STREAMING DETAILS ON PARAMOUNT+
If you enjoy seeing legendary movie stars team up for a mystery, check out more recommendations on VvipTimes for your next weekend watch.
