Paradise Cast and Character Guide: Who Is Who and Where You’ve Seen Them Before

Although we’re only in February, Hulu may have premiered one of the best TV shows of 2025. Paradise is very simple: President Cal (James Marsden) is found dead in his bedroom, and lead Secret Service Agent Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) must solve his murder. What’s not simple is what follows, as we soon realize this is far more than just a classic political thriller. At the end of the first episode, we find out that due to a unknown catastrophe on Earth, the bulk of the series is set in a bunker under a mountain in Colorado where only 25,000 people are left alive.

It may sound like an apocalyptic disaster, but Paradise is far from that. The man-made city is perfect—there is cutting-edge technology, self-sustainable food, and even insect noises (although the real insects are missing). Everyone seems perfectly happy and peaceful, but nothing lasts forever, and with the mysterious murder of the president, everyone involved is thrown into a frenzy. Paradise combines mystery, murder, affairs, betrayal, and sci-fi, all in one gripping package. With a stellar cast bringing this intricate world to life, let’s take a look at where you’ve seen them before. 

Sterling K. Brown as Special Agent Xavier Collins 

Brown portrays Collins, the head of the Secret Service assigned to the president. We are introduced to Collins as an insomniac, which immediately tells us a lot about his character, and we soon learn the cause of his insomnia. He’s the best at his job—until the president under his protection is murdered. A man of few words, Xavier is a keen observer. And as a father of two, he does his best to keep his professional and personal life separate, but whether he is successful is debatable. Through flashbacks to the past, we learn how Collins’s close relationship with the president came to be. Their relationship is very important to the plot, and we learn very early on that it has had many ups and downs.  

At this point in his career, Brown is among the most well known of the cast on Paradise. The talented actor received an Academy Award nomination for his role in American Fiction just last year, but some of his recent TV work includes: American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson (2016), for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe and won an Emmy for playing Chris Darden. Brown also won an Emmy for his role in This Is Us (2016), a performance that earned him five nominations, along with a Golden Globe. His Emmy win made him the first African-American winner in that category in 19 years. On the big screen, Brown was seen briefly in the first Black Panther movie as well.

Julianne Nicholson as Samantha Redmond

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Nicholson stars as Samantha Redmond aka “Sinatra,” the world’s richest self-made woman. She is the mastermind behind the bunker project, and we soon find out that even though the community has a President, she pretty much runs things from behind the scenes. This becomes more evident when the president dies and Samantha is the one to appoint someone for the vacant role. At first, she seems like a clichéd strong and cold female character, but she is far from that. Although she is cold and mentally strong, there’s a very tragic story behind her.  

Through flashbacks, we see that she was once a happy, easygoing woman with two kids and a loving husband. But the happy family is soon torn apart by an unpreventable event, which leads Samantha to try to take matters into her own hands, resulting in the birth of the bunk idea. Nicholson gives an outstanding performance. As we see different sides of her through the flashbacks, she makes it easy for us to believe how a loving and caring woman can become so broken. Nicholson has starred in several TV shows, from Law & Order: Criminal Intent to Masters of Sex, plus Mare of Easttown, which earned her an Emmy for her performance. On the big screen, Nicholson has appeared in the likes of August: Osage County and I, Tonya.

James Marsden as President Cal Bradford

Marsden portrays president Cal, who is found dead in the first episode. Through flashbacks, we see Marsden as the easy-going and handsome president. Before moving to the bunker, Cal was a confident man who was elected president twice. He openly admitted things like how his presidential win wasn’t extraordinary (since his opponent wasn’t very strong), and how Xavier’s Blackness would make his team look more diverse, making him blunt (and a little racist). However, something clearly changed after moving into the bunker, as we find out that he spends most of his time in his bathrobe while drinking heavily. Most importantly, his relationship with Xavier drastically shifted. From two people who once opened up to each other, their dynamic becomes much more tense, adding to Cal’s mysteriousness.

Marsden gained fame for his portrayal of Cyclops in the X-Men film franchise, reprising his role across four films. He has since starred in many successful comedies, including as the cliched prince-charming in Enchanted and Hairspray, with his most recent recurring role being in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Marsden has also appeared in several TV shows, including Westworld and The Stand (2020). 

Sarah Shahi as Dr. Gabriela Torabi

Sarah Shahi plays Dr. Gabriela Torabi, the president’s therapist and Samantha’s close confidant, and instantly becomes one of the most mysterious characters in Paradise. Although she seems close to Samantha, we see her helping Agent Collins during a lie detector test, which adds to the mystery even more. We also find out that she’s been the therapist for many of the characters, including Collins and Samantha. Although she only had one session with Collins, she was Samantha’s long-term therapist before coming to the bunker.  

We are granted a session with Samantha, which reveals just how deep her scars run. But her importance doesn’t end there, as it’s briefly mentioned that Dr. Torabi was the one who selected the 25,000 people allowed in the bunker. So, she might be the character who needs a therapist the most out of everyone, and hopefully, we’ll see her resolve this with minimal damage. Sarah Shahi has starred in iconic TV shows like The L Word (2004) and Person of Interest (2011), plus starring roles in movies like Red, White & Royal Blue and Black Adam.