Apple TV+’s sequence have generally struggled to interrupt into the bigger cultural dialog, however it appears they might have a success on their arms with their latest present, Murderbot. Primarily based on the guide sequence The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, the present follows a cyborg as he completes assignments and research the encompassing people.
Anchored by a successful efficiency from Alexander Skarsgård because the titular robotic, it boasts a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes rating and is sitting cozily close to the highest of the streamer’s high ten sequence. So for individuals who have been eager about giving Murderbot a attempt, here is a helpful information to who’s who.
Murderbot
- Launch Date
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Might 16, 2025
- Community
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Apple TV+
Alexander Skarsgård as SecUnit aka Murderbot
Any dialogue of Murderbot should naturally start with the titular robotic itself. Skarsgård performs a safety droid, or SecUnit, who has one objective: shield the people concerned within the Firm’s varied ventures, irrespective of how annoying they’re. Initially of the sequence, SecUnit figures out how you can hack its “Governor Module,” the a part of its programming that suppresses its free will. With that efficiently disabled, it renames itself “Muderbot” and will get able to go anyplace it pleases. Sadly, it might probably’t actually consider anything to do in addition to take one other safety job.
Skarsgård is among the largest actors working right this moment, with a profession that goes again to his youth in Sweden within the Eighties. Currently, he is appeared in every kind of fascinating and acclaimed initiatives, together with Robert Eggers’ The Northman, Brandon Cronenberg’s Infinity Pool, and visitor spots on beloved TV comedies like Atlanta, What We Do within the Shadows, and Documentary Now!. Skarsgård appears to take pleasure in enjoying quite a lot of oddball characters, a high quality that makes him a perfect match for Murderbot.
Noma Dumezweni as Dr. Mensah
The principle motion of Murderbot’s first season finds Murderbot assigned to guard a crew of scientists known as the Preservation Alliance, exploring an alien planet within the Firm’s outer ring, who find yourself needing his assist greater than they imagined. The de facto chief of this crew is Dr. Mensah, a terraforming knowledgeable, struggling to maintain it collectively amidst mounting panic assaults. She’s a sort and considerate chief, devoted to scientific exploration over the pursuit of revenue, and it shortly looks as if this planet goes to supply her greater than she bargained for.
Noma Dumezweni hails from Britain, the place she, like a lot of her fellow British actors, splits her time between the stage and the display screen. She performed the grown-up Hermione Granger within the theatrical sequel Harry Potter and the Cursed Baby on the West Finish and on Broadway, amongst many different acclaimed stage roles. Currently, she’s made extra of a splash on display screen, enjoying Queen Selina within the 2023 Little Mermaid reside motion remake, and showing in exhibits like Solely Murders within the Constructing and Presumed Harmless.
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David Dastmalchian as Dr. Gurathin
The largest menace to Murderbot’s security would not come from the planet’s big centipede-like creatures, however from Dr. Gurathin, a technologically augmented human and the crew’s tech knowledgeable. Gurathin shortly surmises that one thing’s amiss with their SecUnit, instantly distrusting him for his harmful capabilities and his unusual habits. Murderbot tries to move himself off as a standard, unaltered SecUnit, however as essentially the most superior human, Gurathin is not shopping for it. It stays to be seen whether or not Murderbot can sustain the charade.
David Dastmalchian has made a giant splash in small roles for years, lending his distinctive display screen presence to memorably bizarre turns in films like The Darkish Knight, Prisoners, and Chook Field. Extra lately, he is gained extra mainstream success, lastly touchdown a lead function in 2023’s acclaimed horror hit Late Evening with the Satan. Dastmalchian additionally hosts an enthralling YouTube speak present known as “Grave Conversations,” the place he interviews superstar friends about demise whereas mendacity in (the place else) caskets.
Tamara Podemski as Dr. Bharadwaj
Dr. Bharadwaj is the crew’s resident geochemist, tasked with making an attempt to grasp the planet’s unusual geological quirks. She’s almost killed within the first episode by one of many planet’s resident big worms, picked up and thrown round by its huge jaws. She in all probability would not have made it if not for Murderbot’s fast considering, killing the creature and carrying her out of hazard. Bharadwaj is fast to return to the mission, whatever the perils or the lingering trauma.
Bharadwaj is performed by Tamara Podemski, a Canadian actor who’s been showing in films and TV because the ’90s. With a mom from the Muscowpetung band of the Anishinaabe peoples, a few of her largest roles have been in tales targeted on Native American and First Nations characters. American audiences could acknowledge her as Teenie, the loving and wisecracking aunt of Elora (Deverey Jacobs) in FX’s beloved comedy sequence Reservation Canine, which additionally featured her sisters Jennifer and Sarah.
Sabrina Wu as Pin-Lee
Pin-Lee acts as each authorized counsel and one of many crew’s scientists, and whereas they’re very devoted to the mission, they’re additionally extremely preoccupied with their marriage to certainly one of their fellow crew members, Arada. Whereas typically fairly agreeable, Pin-Lee appears barely nervous about the place their marriage is likely to be heading, particularly once they attempt to open it as much as a 3rd member of the crew, with decidedly blended outcomes.
Sabrina Wu acquired their begin as a slapstick comedian and author on the short-lived Disney+ sequence Doogie Kamealoha, M.D., earlier than making the soar to on-camera. They garnered large laughs as Lifeless Eye within the 2023 comedy Pleasure Experience, then nabbed a visitor function on two episodes of Abbott Elementary. Murderbot is barely their third function (not counting their stand-up appearances), in order that they’re already off to a really stable begin of their performing profession.
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Tattiawna Jones as Arada
Arada is the crew’s resident biologist, whose work virtually makes her worm meals within the first episode. Left frozen in shock by the creature’s assault, Murderbot breaks protocol by reducing his masks to attempt to calm her nerves, arousing the suspicion of Dr. Gurathin. Her marriage to Pin-Lee appears to be struggling, and she or he appears extra excited by the thought of bringing in a 3rd individual than Pin-Lee does. Her interpersonal struggles present Murderbot with a supply of a lot annoyance and disdain for people and their foolish issues.
Tattiawna Jones additionally hails from Canada, the place she garnered quite a lot of consideration for her work on CBC and CTV within the early 2010s. She’s gained extra visibility Stateside in recent times, nabbing recurring roles in The Handmaid’s Story, Misplaced in Area, and Orphan Black: Echoes earlier than showing in Murderbot. Whereas she’s been within the recreation for a minute, it looks as if her profession continues to be on the upswing, and little doubt there shall be extra Hollywood roles coming quickly.
Akshay Khanna as Ratthi
Because the crew’s wormhole knowledgeable, Ratthi’s work is important for traversing massive swaths of the galaxy in a brief period of time. In his downtime, he is requested by Pin-Lee and Arada to be their third as they experiment with opening their marriage, which fits him simply effective since he harbors a crush on Arada. He is typically resistant to the awkwardness that ensues, whilst he expresses some insecurity about his function within the mission.
One other British thespian, Akshay Khanna’s profession is off to a really stable begin, with roles within the buzzy Prime romcom Purple, White & Royal Blue and the thriller miniseries Chloe, together with the Paramount+ sequence The Doll Manufacturing unit and a one-episode function on Andor. Only a few years out of drama college, and Khanna’s already killing it.