Scripted series · HBO
Big Little Lies
A perfect life is a perfect lie.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Nicole Kidman
Celeste Wright
14 eps
Reese Witherspoon
Madeline Mackenzie
14 eps
Shailene Woodley
Jane Chapman
14 eps
Laura Dern
Renata Klein
14 eps
Alexander Skarsgård
Perry Wright
14 eps
Adam Scott
Ed Mackenzie
14 eps
James Tupper
Nathan Carlson
14 eps
Zoë Kravitz
Bonnie Carlson
14 eps
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise Wright
7 eps
Iain Armitage
Ziggy Chapman
14 eps
Jeffrey Nordling
Gordon Klein
14 eps
Kathryn Newton
Abigail Carlson
14 eps
Chloe Coleman
Skye Carlson
14 eps
Douglas Smith
Corey Brockfield
7 eps
Cameron Crovetti
Josh Wright
14 eps
Darby Camp
Chloe Mackenzie
14 eps
Nicholas Crovetti
Max Wright
14 eps
Crystal R. Fox
Elizabeth Howard
7 eps
Ivy George
Amabella Klein
13 eps
Santiago Cabrera
Joseph Bachman
10 eps
Larry Sullivan
Oren Berg
11 eps
Anil Kumar
Dr. Winslow
1 eps
P.J. Byrne
Principal Nippal
6 eps
Paull Walia
David Roberts
1 eps
Sarah Sokolovic
Tori Bachman
1 eps
Sarah Burns
Gabrielle
2 eps
Joel Spence
Matt
2 eps
Sarah Baker
Thea Cunningham
2 eps
Parker Croft
Brent
2 eps
Merrin Dungey
Detective Adrienne Quinlan
2 eps
Kate Rene Gleason
Stacey
1 eps
Kimmy Shields
Kelly
2 eps
Keisuke Hoashi
Dr. Leo Chang
3 eps
Nelly Buchet
Juliette
3 eps
Carrie Wampler
Lori
2 eps
Tim True
Detective Walt Gibson
3 eps
Molly Hagan
Dr. Moriarty
2 eps
Hong Chau
Jackie
3 eps
Joseph Cross
Tom
3 eps
Gia Carides
Melissa
2 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Big Little Lies actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Big Little Lies reads strongest on Character Depth, Bingeability and Emotional Weight.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
The tale of three mothers of first graders whose apparently perfect lives unravel to the point of murder.
The run
Seasons
2 seasons · 14 episodes.
Season 1 · Complete
Season 1
20177 episodes
7.7IMDbBased on Liane Moriarty's bestseller, this subversive, darkly comedic drama series tells the tale of three mothers of first-graders whose seemingly perfect lives unravel to the point of murder. Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley star.
Best episode · S01E07 You Get What You Need
Season 2 · Complete
Season 2
20197 episodes
8.0IMDbIn the wake of the tragic ending to Season 1, the "Monterey Five"--Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata and Bonnie--look to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. Meanwhile, Perry's mother arrives in search of answers in her son's death.
Best episode · S02E07 I Want to Know
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S02E07
I Want to Know
Celeste questions Mary Louise about a tragic event from Perry’s childhood. Madeline worries their lie is tearing the Monterey Five apart.
- Directed by Andrea Arnold
S02E02
Tell-Tale Hearts
Renata faces an uncertain future when Gordon lands in legal trouble. Corey asks Jane out on a “practice” date. After a challenging therapy session with Dr. Reisman, Celeste opens up to Mary Louise about her relationship with Perry. Bonnie's mom, Elizabeth, arrives. Ed confronts Madeline about her secrets.
- Directed by Andrea Arnold
S01E07
You Get What You Need
Celeste takes steps towards independence; Madeline deals with fallout from her past.
- Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée
- Written by David E. Kelley
S02E06
The Bad Mother
Celeste is blindsided by Mary Louise. Gordon continues to disappoint Renata. Bonnie contemplates a solution to her mother’s suffering and her own ongoing guilt. Ed entertains an unusual proposition before catching Madeline in an unguarded moment. The Monterey Five feel the pressure of increased scrutiny of Perry’s death.
- Directed by Andrea Arnold
S01E06
Burning Love
Madeline worries about the can of worms she’s opened for Jane. Jane confronts Renata. Bonnie tells Nathan about a secret project Abigail has been working on. Meanwhile, Ed and Madeline have a frank conversation about the lack of passion in their marriage.
- Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée
- Written by David E. Kelley
S02E01
What Have They Done?
Following first-day-of-school events, Madeline is worried by Bonnie's behavior. Mary Louise, Celeste's mother-in-law, offers her unvarnished assessment of Madeline's character. Jane learns from her new coworker, Corey, that she's known in town as one of the “Monterey Five.”
- Directed by Andrea Arnold
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
David E. Kelley
Showrunner
Andrea Arnold
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Gregg Fienberg
Executive producer
Jean-Marc Vallée
Executive producer
Bruna Papandrea
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Per Saari
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Nathan Ross
Executive producer
Reese Witherspoon
Executive producer
Nicole Kidman
Executive producer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Andrea ArnoldExecutive Producer
- Gregg FienbergExecutive Producer
- Jean-Marc ValléeExecutive Producer
- David E. KelleyExecutive Producer
- Bruna PapandreaExecutive Producer
- Per SaariExecutive Producer
Writing
- David E. KelleyWriter
Direction
- Andrea ArnoldDirector
- Jean-Marc ValléeDirector
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- HBO Max Amazon ChannelStreaming
- Google Play MoviesBuy
- Fandango At HomeBuy
- YouTube TVStreaming
- HBO MaxStreaming
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