Limited series · Hulu
The Act
Seeing is deceiving.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Patricia Arquette
Dee Dee Blanchard
8 eps
Joey King
Gypsy Rose Blanchard
8 eps
AnnaSophia Robb
Lacey
8 eps
Chloë Sevigny
Mel
8 eps
Calum Worthy
Nick Godejohn
8 eps
Mary Hollis Inboden
Allison Granger
1 eps
Nicholas Cirillo
Luke
1 eps
Roy Williams Jr.
Doctor
1 eps
Colby Boothman-Shepard
Zack
1 eps
Poorna Jagannathan
Lakshmi Chandra
1 eps
Alexandria DeBerry
Hayley
1 eps
Sawyer Schultz
Darren
2 eps
Jaidi Ventura
Justine
1 eps
BettyLynn Allison
Neighbor
2 eps
William David Billions
Trey
2 eps
Jason Alan Smith
Dentist
1 eps
John Quick
Neighbor
1 eps
Alisa Harris
Nurse
1 eps
Chantal Maurice
Event Greeter
1 eps
Riley Patrick
Teen Girl
1 eps
Dean Norris
Russ
1 eps
Joe Tippett
Scott
1 eps
Alicia Kelley
Volunteer
1 eps
Elizabeth Bond
Pink Fairy Godmother
1 eps
Ashton Leigh
She-Hulk
1 eps
Chelsea Rivera
Wonder Woman
1 eps
Stephanie Enderby
Khaleesi
1 eps
Tyler Kay Whitley
Sailor Moon
1 eps
Chris Rubeiz
Cashier
1 eps
Brooke Smith
Myra Toppan
1 eps
Valyn Hall
Kayla
1 eps
Melissa Tang
Ashley Longham
1 eps
Karson Kern
Matt Southerland
1 eps
Steve Coulter
Evan Harley
3 eps
Joshua Mikel
Brian
1 eps
Dave Hager
Curtis
1 eps
Dawson Shea
Usher
1 eps
Tyvonna Jones
Bored Teenage Girl
1 eps
Hamilton Sage
Angry Man
1 eps
Ingrid Alli
Angry Woman
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How The Act actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
The Act reads strongest on Serialized, Character Depth and Bingeability.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
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.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
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
Gypsy Blanchard struggles to deal with the toxic relationship with her overprotective mother, but her attempts to free herself lead to murder.
The run
Seasons
1 season · 8 episodes.
Season 1 · Complete
Miniseries
20198 episodes
8.4IMDbSeason One follows Gypsy Blanchard, a girl trying to escape the toxic relationship she has with her overprotective mother, Dee Dee. Her quest for independence opens a Pandora’s box of secrets, one that ultimately leads to murder.
Best episode · S01E08 Free
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E08
Free
Gypsy fights for her life by defending her actions, while Mel and Lacey realize that behind closed doors things were not always as they seemed.
- Directed by Steven Piet
- Written by Michelle Dean, Nick Antosca
S01E07
Bonnie & Clyde
Gypsy is excited to start over with Nick in Wisconsin, but their new life doesn't match the happily-ever-after she imagined, and her anxiety worsens as past transgressions begin to catch up with them.
- Directed by Hannah Fidell
- Written by Dan Dietz, Robin Veith
S01E03
Two Wolverines
Dee Dee makes Gypsy play dress up for a costume convention, where they each attract charming men who could dangerously complicate their insular relationship. And Gypsy is starting to question the lies her mother tells her — especially about how old she really is.
- Directed by Adam Arkin
- Written by Robin Veith
S01E05
Plan B
Gypsy and Nick scheme to meet in person and hope to win Dee Dee's approval, but when their plan goes disastrously wrong they'll be pushed to make an extreme choice in order to be together.
- Directed by Steven Piet
- Written by Nick Antosca, Lisa Long
S01E02
Teeth
Dee Dee is on a high since Gypsy will be given the “Child of the Year Award,” which makes Dee Dee feel like Mother of the Year. But before the big event, Gypsy has a dental emergency that gets the attention of a skeptical doctor who could expose Dee Dee’s secrets.
- Directed by Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre
- Written by Dan Dietz
S01E04
Stay Inside
Gypsy’s getting older and Dee Dee is forced to new legal maneuvers to keep control of her “little girl.” But Dee Dee’s limited by her own health problems, and Gypsy goes to greater lengths than ever to connect with men and experience a sexual awakening.
- Directed by Christina Choe
- Written by Michelle Dean
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S01E08
Free
- Directed by Steven Piet
- Written by Michelle Dean, Nick Antosca
S01E07
Bonnie & Clyde
- Directed by Hannah Fidell
- Written by Dan Dietz, Robin Veith
S01E06
A Whole New World
- Directed by Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre
- Written by Marion Dayre
S01E05
Plan B
- Directed by Steven Piet
- Written by Nick Antosca, Lisa Long
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
- Michelle DeanExecutive Producer
- Nick AntoscaExecutive Producer
- Britton RizzioExecutive Producer
- Gregory ShephardExecutive Producer
- Jan Peter MeyboomProducer
Writing
- Dan DietzWriter
- Marion DayreWriter
- Michelle DeanWriter
- Nick AntoscaWriter
- Robin VeithWriter
- Lisa LongWriter
Direction
- Christina ChoeDirector
- Steven PietDirector
- Hannah FidellDirector
- Laure de Clermont-TonnerreDirector
- Adam ArkinDirector
Cinematography
- Zachary GallerDirector of Photography
Music
- Jeff RussoOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- HuluStreaming
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- Google Play MoviesBuy
- Fandango At HomeBuy
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Where to go from here
Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
Breaking Bad
2008
Another morally complex epic for anyone who wanted more grey.
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For the nights you want momentum rather than melancholy.
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Watch this next if you like protagonists you can't quite defend.
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Never stop watching
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