Who's in Defending Jacob, and where have they been seen before? Based on William Landay's 2014 eponymous novel, the Apple TV+ miniseries was adapted by screenwriter Mark Bomback. The first three episodes of Defending Jacob were released on the streaming service on April 24, 2020.
In Defending Jacob, 14-year-old Jacob Barber is arrested for killing a classmate. His parents, Andy and Laurie, are naturally supportive, but worry about the possibility that their son might be guilty. Meanwhile, a local man named Leonard Patz deletes pictures of the focal murder victim on his phone, and Andy reveals secrets about the past to his family and lawyer. Defending Jacob on Apple TV+ consists of eight episodes.
The Defending Jacob cast includes an MCU superhero and a main cast member from the IT franchise. In supporting roles, numerous acclaimed performers appear throughout the series. The following is a cast and character guide for Defending Jacob on Apple TV+.
Chris Evans As Andy Barber
Chris Evans stars as Andrew Steven Barber, an assistant district attorney who learns that his teenage son has been arrested for murder.
In pop culture, Evans is best known for portraying Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, in the MCU. He also starred as Ransom Drysdale in Knives Out.
Michelle Dockery As Laurie Barber
Michelle Dockery co-stars as Andy's concerned wife Laurie, who unsurprisingly isn't thrilled when she learns about dark secrets from the past.
An English actress, Dockery received a Golden Globe nomination for portraying Lady Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey. In 2019, she appeared as Rosalind Pearson in The Gentlemen.
The Defending Jacob Supporting Cast
- Jaeden Martell as Jacob Barber: A 14-year-old murder suspect. Jaeden Martell is best known as Young Bill Denbrough from the IT movie franchise and Jacob Thrombey from Knives Out.
- Cherry Jones as Joanna Klein: A defense lawyer. Cherry Jones won Primetime Emmy Awards for portraying Allison Taylor in 24 and Holly in The Handmaid's Tale. She also starred as Leslie Mackinaw in Transparent.
- Pablo Schreiber as Neal Logiudice: A prosecutor. Pablo Schreiber portrayed Nick Sobotka in The Wire season 2 and George "Pornstache" Mendez in Orange Is the New Black.
- Betty Gabriel as Paula Duffy: Andy's partner. Betty Gabriel portrayed Georgina in Get Out and Maling in Westworld season 2.
- Sakina Jaffrey as Lynn Canavan: The District Attorney. Sakina Jaffrey portrayed Linda Vasquez in House of Cards, Sonu Lahiri in The Mindy Project, and Antara Nayar in Mr. Robot.
- Poorna Jagannathan as Dr. Elizabeth Vogel: Poorna Jagannathan portrayed Safar Khan in The Night Of, Katie Richmond in Big Little Lies, and Sanjana Mirza in Messiah.
- Shawn Fitzgibbon as Detective Peterson: Andy's colleague. Shawn Fitzgibbon is known for movie roles in Mystic River, The Equalizer, and Manchester by the Sea.
- Liam Kilbreth as Ben Rifkin: A murder victim. Defending Jacob marks the TV debut for Liam Kilbreth.
- Devon Diep as Reiko Ishida: A Public Affairs employee. Devon Diep has appeared in The Heat and Jessica Jones.
- Daniel Henshall as Leonard Patz: A murder suspect. Daniel Henshall is known for movie roles in The Snowtown Murders, The Babadook, and Okja.
- Jordan Alexa Davis as Sarah Grohl: Jacob's classmate. Jordan Alexa Davis voiced Poppy in Pamperina. She's also appeared in Thriller and Just Between Us.
- Ben Taylor as Derek Yoo: Jacob's friend. Ben Taylor portrayed Flynn Burnett in Nashville.
- Patrick Fischler as Dan Rifkin: The murder victim's father. Patrick Fischler portrayed Dan in Mulholland Drive and Jimmy Barrett in Mad Men.
- Megan Byrne as Joan Rifkin: The murder victim's mother. Megan Byrne portrays Gladys in New Amsterdam.
- Tamara Hickey as Toby: Laurie's best friend. Tamara Hickey has appeared in Bull and The Equalizer 2.
- J. K. Simmons as Billy Barber: J.K. Simmons won an Oscar for his supporting performance in Whiplash. He voiced Lenny Turtletaub in BoJack Horseman and portrays J. Jonah Jameson in the MCU.
- Paul Wesley as Bobby: Paul Wesley portrayed Stefan Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries and Tucker Reed/Eddie Longo in Tell Me a Story.
- Myra Lucretia Taylor as Judge Rivera: Myra Lucretia Taylor portrayed Viola Morris in Hunters.
- Jake Picking as Jake: Jake Picking has appeared in Patriots Day and Blockers. He stars as Rock Hudson in the upcoming series Hollywood.
- Nathan Parsons as Mike: Nathan Parsons portrayed Jackson Kenner in The Originals and Jean-Luc La Joie in I Still Believe. He currently stars as Max Evans in Roswell, New Mexico.
- Leighton Meester as Sara: Leighton Meester starred as Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl and currently portrays Angie D'Amato in Single Parents.
- Kat Graham as Rose: Kat Graham starred as Bonnie Bennett in The Vampire Diaries and portrayed Jada Pinkett in All Eyes on Me.
- Matt Lanter as Jason: Matt Lanter voices Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He also portrayed Wyatt Logan in Timeless.
- William Xifaras as Father O’Leary: William Xifaras has appeared in The Equalizer and Castle Rock.