The cast of Maid features a talented group of actors and complex characters. Maid debuted on Netflix on October 1, 2021. The miniseries remained on the site’s “Top 10” list for weeks, making it one of the streaming giant’s top movies that year. Inspired by Stephanie Land’s memoir, the show follows Alex, a young woman struggling to escape a cycle of abuse with her preschool daughter. Full of emotional highs and lows, Maid was one of the most critically acclaimed Netflix releases of 2021. Stephanie Land appreciated the choices the showrunners made while fictionalizing her memoir, especially Maid‘s exploration of more than one perspective.
Land explained (via Seattle Times) that while her book was limited to her own true story, Maid could bring in and focus on other characters as well. The show tries to highlight not only Kate’s difficulties supporting herself and her child, but also her ex’s struggles with substance abuse, other victims of domestic violence, and many other issues. To pull off this task, the cast contains familiar faces along with some lesser-known, but no less talented, actors, bringing this story to life. Here’s the cast of Maid and what else they appeared in..
Margaret Qualley As Alex
Margaret Qualley stars as Alex in the cast of Maid, who is struggling to support herself and her young daughter after they flee from her abusive ex-boyfriend. Alex cannot rely on her family for help and has to find ways to do everything herself, including securing safe housing and a steady income, neither of which seem readily available for a woman with little education or experience. Just like Stephanie Land, Alex goes to college to start a better life for her family. Qualley has appeared in works like Death Note, The Nice Guys, The Leftovers, and Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood, all different from her role in Maid, showing her versatility.
Nick Robinson As Sean
Nick Robinson plays Alex’s ex-boyfriend Sean. Sean initially only represents Alex’s past trauma dealing with his emotional abuse, but Maid also later delves into some of his own problems suffering from substance abuse. As Sean and Alex try to figure out how to act around each other after the break-up, they also struggle to co-parent their two-year-old daughter. Robinson’s most known role was as Simon Spier in the LGBTQ+ drama Love, Simon, where he played a closeted teen who struggles to find a way to come out to his family and friends. It is a different struggle in Maid, and shows his ability to play a character needing to find himself.
Andie MacDowell As Paula
Qualley’s real-life mother, Andie MacDowell, plays her on-screen mother Paula in Maid. Alex describes Paula as having undiagnosed bipolar disorder. Paula’s rapid mood swings make her a bit unreliable whenever Alex needs a favor, but Paula clearly cares about her daughter and granddaughter very much. MacDowell has been in countless projects like Groundhog Day, Footloose, and Ready Or Not. She brings over 40 years of acting experience to her role in the cast of Maid. In 2023, she took on the main role in the Lifetime series The Way Home as the grandmother of a teen girl who learns she can time travel.
Rylea Nevaeh Whittet as Maddy
Rylea Nevaeh Whittet plays Alex and Sean’s daughter, Maddy. At the beginning of the series, she is two, but celebrates her third birthday in episode 6, “M.” Whittet is a bit older than her character, born in 2016, and her role in the cast of Maid was her first acting role. She followed up her role in Maid with the TV movie, How to Murder Your Husband on Lifetime.
Anika Noni Rose as Regina
Anika Noni Rose plays Regina, one of Alex’s wealthy clients whom she cleans for. Although initially, their relationship is a strictly professional one, they form an unlikely friendship — with Regina playing a key role in Alex finally leaving Sean for good. Rose voice the lead role of Tiana in The Princess And The Frog and portrayed Lorrell Robinson in the hit film Dreamgirls. Her big role after the cast of Maid was in the one-season television remake of Let the Right One In. It was the opposite of her role as Regina, as Rose played Naomi, a homicide detective whose son befriends the vampire child next door.
Maid Supporting Cast & Characters
Billy Burke as Hank – Billy Burke plays Hank, Alex’s distant father who started a new life and family without her in it. Burke previously appeared in the Twilight saga as Bella Swan’s dead, and TV shows such as Revolution, Zoo, and Major Crimes. Burke also starred in 9-1-1: Lone Star.
Tracy Vilar as Yolanda – Tracy Vilar plays Alex’s no-nonsense boss, Yolanda. Vilar appeared in projects such as Double Jeopardy, Saved, and House.
BJ Harrison as Denise – BJ Harrison plays Denise, the woman who runs the domestic violence shelter that Alex stays in. Harrison is best known for her roles in Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes, 2012, and Tooth Fairy. In 2022, she took on a multi-episode arc on Family Law.
Raymond Ablack as Nate – Canadian actor Raymond Ablack plays Nate, an old acquaintance of Alex who tries to help her out of a bad situation — largely out of romantic interest. Ultimately, Alex rejects Nate in Maid. Ablack is best known for playing Sav Bhandari on the teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation; however, the actor has also appeared in Orphan Black, Narcos, Ginny & Georgia, and Shadowhunters. In 2023, he took on the role of Ram in Workin’ Moms on Netflix.
Xavier De Guzman as Ethan – Sean’s best friend — and arguably another major enabler — is Ethan, played by Xavier De Guzman. The actor is best known for portraying Knight in The 100 and Berto Vasquez in Take Two.
Toby Levins as Basil Desmond – Toby Levins plays Paula’s con-artist boyfriend Basil Desmond, who fakes an Australian accent and essentially grifts his girlfriend to feed his gambling addiction, causing her to lose her home. Levins appeared in The 100, as well as having supporting roles in the movies Godzilla and Rogue. In 2022, he appeared in one episode of The Last of Us and five episodes of The Night Agent.
Christie Burke as Tania – Alex’s friend, and Ethan’s girlfriend, Tania is played by Christie Burke. Although Alex and Tania have known each other for a long time, Tania proves to be too loyal to Sean to be trusted. Burke had a small part in The Haunting of Bly Manor, but it best known as the teenage version of Renesmee Cullen in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. She also appeared in the TV series Falling Skies and Strange Empire. In 2023, she took the lead in the Syfy TV series The Ark.
Amy Reid as Jody – Amy Reid plays Jody, the woman who first helps Alex find a place in a shelter, and offers assistance in securing her and Maddy a place to live. Reid previously appeared in the shows Life Sentence and iZombie. In 2023, she appeared in the Reba McIntire movie The Hammer.
Aimee Carrero as Danielle – Danielle, the woman who befriends Alex at the shelter before shockingly returning to her own abusive relationship, is played by Aimee Carrero. Carrero voices Princess Elena in Elena of Avalor. She is also known for her roles in The Last Witch Hunter and Holidate. In 2022, she picked up roles in some big movies, including the dark comedy horror movie The Menu and the Apple TV+ holiday movie, Spirited. She also was one of the lead roles in the Prime Video series The Consultant in 2023.
