Miniseries · HBO
I Know This Much Is True
You don't just give up on the people you love.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Mark Ruffalo
Dominick Birdsey / Thomas Birdsey
6 eps
Melissa Leo
Concettina Ipolita Tempesta 'Ma' Birdsey
6 eps
Rosie O'Donnell
Lisa Sheffer
6 eps
Archie Panjabi
Dr. Patel
6 eps
Kathryn Hahn
Dessa Constantine
6 eps
John Procaccino
Ray Birdsey
6 eps
Rob Huebel
Leo
6 eps
Michael Greyeyes
Ralph Drinkwater
6 eps
Gabe Fazio
Shawn Tudesco / Dominick and Thomas Acting Double
6 eps
Harris Yulin
Father Lavie
1 eps
Bruce Greenwood
Dr. Hume
2 eps
Marcello Fonte
Domenico Onofrio Tempesta
2 eps
Sue Jean Kim
Dr. Yup
1 eps
Michael Simon Hall
Stuart Feinstein
1 eps
Gina Costigan
Mrs. O'Meara
1 eps
Steven Cox
Boyfriend of Dr. Hume's Daughter
1 eps
MorningStar Angeline
Nabby Drinkwater's Wife
1 eps
Al Linea
Abruzzi
1 eps
Richard Fitch
Mill Foreman
1 eps
Amy Lynn Stewart
Merciful Mother
1 eps
Guillermo Díaz
Sergeant Mercado
1 eps
Marylouise Burke
Librarian
1 eps
Brian Goodman
Al
1 eps
Sandra Berrios
Social Worker at Hatch
1 eps
Laura Silverman
Kristin
1 eps
Christine Parks
Humanities Department Chair
1 eps
Morgan Sullivan
Office Buddy
1 eps
Jake Robards
Landlubbers (voice)
1 eps
Michael Genet
Thomas' Surgeon
1 eps
María Gonzalez
Ma's Oncology Nurse
1 eps
A.C. Peterson
Gene Diogenes
1 eps
Christopher J. Hanke
Thad
1 eps
James Quattrochi
Bus Driver
1 eps
Rachel B. Joyce
Jeanette
1 eps
Paul Coleman
Support Group Counselor
1 eps
Brandon J. Dirden
Kyle's Dad
1 eps
Katt Masterson
Doreen
1 eps
Jason Furlani
Larry Penn
1 eps
Annie Fitzgerald
Miss Hanker
2 eps
Kate Grimes
English Professor
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How I Know This Much Is True actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
I Know This Much Is True reads strongest on Character Depth, Bingeability and Serialized.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
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 parallel lives of identical twin brothers Dominick and Thomas Birdsey in an epic story of betrayal, sacrifice and forgiveness set against the backdrop of 20th century America.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E06
Episode Six
A lifetime of animosity between Dominick and Ray spills over in public at an inopportune time. After an unexpected tragedy, Dominick seeks reconciliation with those he has hurt. Series finale.
- Directed by Derek Cianfrance
- Written by Anya Epstein, Derek Cianfrance
S01E04
Episode Four
Despite the protestations of those closest to him, Dominick returns to work before fully recovering from his accident. Heavily medicated, Dominick recalls the disturbing incident that lead to Thomas’ first hospitalization while counting down the hours to Thomas’ hearing with the Hatch review board.
- Directed by Derek Cianfrance
- Written by Derek Cianfrance
S01E05
Episode Five
Upon learning the details of his Sicilian grandfather's arrival in the early 1900s to Three Rivers, Dominick becomes convinced his family is cursed. A startling update on Thomas from an unlikely source prompts Dominick to take drastic action.
- Directed by Derek Cianfrance
- Written by Anya Epstein, Derek Cianfrance
S01E03
Episode Three
Sheffer preps Dominick for a pivotal hearing with Hatch’s review board that could decide Thomas’ fate. A chance encounter with an old classmate brings painful childhood memories to the surface. Dominick reflects on his and Thomas’ time together at college, during which he met Dessa and the signs of his brother’s illness first began to manifest. Joy attempts to remedy the problems in her and Dominick’s relationship.
- Directed by Derek Cianfrance
- Written by Derek Cianfrance
S01E01
Episode One
After paranoid schizophrenic Thomas Birdsey has a violent public breakdown, Dominick Birdsey finds himself stepping up to defend his identical twin brother in unexpected ways. As he navigates the fallout, Dominick reflects on their childhood growing up under the tyrannical rule of their volatile stepfather, Ray, and their desire to know the identity of their biological father.
- Directed by Derek Cianfrance
- Written by Derek Cianfrance
S01E02
Episode Two
Tensions rise between Dominick and his live-in girlfriend, Joy, as the media begins to take an interest in Thomas' case. In his attempt to have Thomas released from the Hatch forensic institute for the criminally insane, Dominick finds a potential ally in social worker Lisa Sheffer, but learns that helping his brother may be more difficult than he thought.
- Directed by Derek Cianfrance
- Written by Derek Cianfrance
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S01E06
Episode Six
- Directed by Derek Cianfrance
- Written by Anya Epstein, Derek Cianfrance
S01E05
Episode Five
- Directed by Derek Cianfrance
- Written by Anya Epstein, Derek Cianfrance
S01E04
Episode Four
- Directed by Derek Cianfrance
- Written by Derek Cianfrance
S01E03
Episode Three
- Directed by Derek Cianfrance
- Written by Derek Cianfrance
S01E02
Episode Two
- Directed by Derek Cianfrance
- Written by Derek Cianfrance
S01E01
Episode One
- Directed by Derek Cianfrance
- Written by Derek Cianfrance
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Ben BrowningExecutive Producer
- Anya EpsteinExecutive Producer
- Gregg FienbergExecutive Producer
- Jeffrey T. BernsteinProducer
- Mark RuffaloExecutive Producer
- Lynette Howell TaylorExecutive Producer
Writing
- Anya EpsteinWriter
- Derek CianfranceWriter
Direction
- Derek CianfranceDirector
Cinematography
- Jody Lee LipesDirector of Photography
Music
- Harold BuddOriginal Music Composer
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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Never stop watching
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