Warning: the following contains SPOILERS for Roar.
Roar brings together a cast of talented newcomers and silver screen veterans in a genre-melding anthology comprised of 8 feminist fables. Roar is undoubtedly an experimental foray into series-based storytelling. The cast of Roar faces the challenge of contributing something that's truly worthwhile to the growing number of feminist stories in contemporary media and entertainment.
Roar is based on a book of the same name, a collection of 30 short stories by author Cecelia Ahern, which was published back in 2018. The Apple TV+ series was created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch, the creative duo behind GLOW, who worked directly with Ahern in developing the show. The result is a limited series of independent stories that combine magic realism, horror, dark comedy, surrealism, and social reality from the political perspective of feminism.
Roar, because of its different genres, has drawn comparisons to series such as Black Mirror, Man Seeking Woman, and the classic horror and sci-fi television show Twilight Zone. Adapting Ahern's stories for the screen is no easy feat. Here's the main cast for each of Roar's modern-day fables.
Roar season 1, episode 1 “The Woman Who Disappeared” is about Wanda, a book author who comes to LA for a movie deal. Wanda soon realizes that being a Black newcomer to LA comes with the challenge of being practically invisible to the city's mostly white population. Actor Issa Rae also appears in Insecure, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, and Lovebirds.
The star of Roar's cast in season 1, episode 2 “The Woman Who Ate Photographs,” Robin struggles to raise sons while grappling with her own mother's dementia. Robin discovers that by eating her childhood photographs, she can temporarily relive those captured memories. The biggest name in Roar's cast roster, actor and Hollywood legend Nicole Kidman also appears in The Northman, Being The Ricardos, and the DC movie Aquaman.
Amelia stars in Roar season 1, episode 3 “The Woman Who Was Kept On A Shelf.” Amelia is a model who grew up competing in child beauty pageants. After Amelia meets the man of her dreams, her husband then builds a top shelf at home for displaying his literal trophy wife. Actor Betty Gilpin also appears in The Hunt, Isn't It Romantic, and The Tomorrow War.
Roar season 1, episode 4 “The Woman Who Found Bite Marks On Her Skin” tells the story of Ambia, a mother who struggles to keep her executive-level job. Ambia discovers mysterious bite marks all over her body. Actor Cynthia Erivo is also in Needle In A Timestack, Hank The Cowdog, and Genius.
In Roar season 1, episode 5 “The Woman Who Was Fed By A Duck,” Elisa dates an actual duck. Elisa very quickly finds out that Larry the duck isn't what he seems. Roar's Merritt Wever also appears in Run, Unbelievable, Nurse Jackie, and the hit comedy New Girl.
Wayward spirit Rebecca finds out horrible things about her own life in Roar season 1, episode 6 “The Woman Who Solved Her Own Murder.” The authorities find the lifeless body of a woman in the forest, frozen in a grotesque tableaux that's meant to be discovered. Shortly after, the woman's spirit, Rebecca, manifests at the crime scene. Unsatisfied with how the local detectives are handling their case, Rebecca acts to solve her own murder. Actor Alison Brie is no stranger to weird tales. Brie also appears in Community, GLOW, and the slasher film Scream 4.
Roar season 1, episode 7 “The Woman Who Returned Her Husband” tackles the realities of Indian women in arranged marriages. As Anu approaches her twilight years, she realizes that her husband makes no effort to satisfy her needs. When Anu decides to return her husband to the store like some used appliance, she soon finds out that the story of their marriage is not as simple as she initially thought. Actor and writer Meera Syal also appears in The Wheel of Time, The Split, and Code 404.
Roar season 1, episode 8 “The Girl Who Loved Horses,” tells the story of Jane, a girl who lives in the frontier with his father. Echoing classic Westerns about death and revenge, Jane's father gets killed by a local thug, which pushes Jane to seek out justice. In her quest to avenge her father's death and reclaim his horse, Jane inadvertently gains the attention of her childhood friend. Although actor Fivel Stewart might be unfamiliar to most viewers, she has a growing body of work in various series. Apart from the cast of Roar, Stewart also appears in Atypical, The Haunting of Sharon Tate, T@gged, and Dante's Cove.
Griffin Matthews as Blake: When Wendy comes to LA, she is received by Blake, a representative from the studio that wants to turn Wendy's book into a movie. Blake has a key role in how Wendy overcomes being invisible. Actor Griffin Matthews also appears in The Flight Attendant, Ballers, and the Netlix series Dear White People.
Justin Kirk as Larry the Duck: Elisa meets Larry the Duck while she's hanging out at the park. Despite being a duck, Larry appears to be a caring individual who satisfies Elisa's need for a man in her life. Larry the Duck was voiced by the actor Justin Kirk, who has roles in Succession, Perry Mason, and Kidding.
Ego Nwodim as Carole: When Rebecca ends up dead in the woods, Carole is the police officer who first gets the call when a jogger finds Rebecca's body. Carole gets undermined by the detectives attached to Rebecca's case. However, Carole steps up to have a bigger role in solving Rebecca's murder. Actor Ego Nwodim is a member of the cast of the long-running sketch show Saturday Night Live. Nwodim also appears in Lovelife, The Shivering Truth, and Brockmire.
Bernard White as Vikras: Anu and Vikras have been married for a long time. As their marriage turns stale and boring, Anu decides to exchange Vikras for another husband. Actor Bernard White is a silver screen veteran who has appeared in over 30 movies. This includes Evil Eye, The Aerialist, and The Matrix series.
Kara Hayward as Millie: Jane's path towards revenge gets sabotaged by her childhood friend Millie. Although Jane sees Millie as a hindrance, it becomes clear that they need each other out in the frontier. Apart from Roar, actor Kara Hayward also appears in The Shadow Diaries, Haters Back Off!, The Sisterhood of Night, and the Law & Order series.
Roar is streaming now on Apple TV+.
