Birthed and engineered by horror savant Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House), Midnight Mass is a new Netflix series filled to the brim with supernatural mysteries and inter-community drama. The sleepy (incredibly tiny) town of Crockett Island is rocked with the return of a communal pariah, but also the arrival of a priest who seems to traffic in miracles. The main cast of the series is conflicted with the double-sided troubles of coming to terms with one's past while also contending with an ever-evolving present. As a religious passion begins to grip the town, many of the characters in Midnight Mass' story are forced to pick a side in Crockett Island's divide. There are more than a few characters in the series that make it tick, so let's have a look at them.
Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford)
One-time Crockett Island local Riley Flynn is a man with more than a few demons to exorcise. Returning home after a prison stint following a vehicle accident where he killed a woman, he is met with a very mixed reception and is constantly struggling with the guilt-laden memories of his past. He is also a recovering alcoholic and atheist, taking a very different stance on the growing religious enthusiasm in town.
Gilford is known in television for his portrayal of quarterback Matt Saracen in the series Friday Night Lights while also appearing in films such as The Purge: Anarchy and Devil's Due. Though this is Gilford's first time working with Mike Flanagan, he is also slated to appear in Flanagan's next series known as The Midnight Club, due to come out next year.
Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater)
Coming to Crockett Island to replace St. Patrick's Church's local priest, Father Hill is an enigmatic man who is seen performing what appear to the town's widely Catholic populace as miracles. He can be seen healing the sick or disabled and even raising himself from death. Though many of Crockett's citizens flock to him as a faith leader and pseudo-messianic figure, others are cautious or cynical towards Paul's miracles. How is he performing these acts really, and what is the cost of his healing?
Linklater, while featured in films such as The Big Short and Fantastic Four has enjoyed a storied TV career including shows such as Fargo, Legion, and The Newsroom.
Erin Greene (Kate Siegel)
Similar to Riley, Erin was originally from Crockett but ran from her home as a teenager due to the constant abuses of her mother. She serves the community as a school teacher and is a friend and one-time sweetheart of Riley's who also struggles with her difficult upbringing, causing her much grief while also attempting to sort out the strange happenings around town. She is happy to have a friend like Riley in Crockett who understands what it's like to be an outsider and the two joke about each other being the "prodigal" son/daughter of the island, and there is a palpable intimacy between the two. Although she doesn't hang on every word of the town's Catholic teachings, Erin is a church participant that aims to reintegrate with Crockett Island's township at large and believes the teachings of the church have been good to her.
Fans of Flanagan's previous work should know Siegel well, as she is Flanagan's wife and has also been featured in both The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020). Siegel has also been credited in films such as Hush (2016), which she starred in and co-wrote with Flanagan. The matrimony-bound duo of Flanagan and Siegel continues in this series to great effect.
Sheriff Hassan (Rahul Kohli)
Sheriff Hassan is a newcomer to Crockett Island who is at religious odds due to his Muslim faith conflicting with the predominantly Catholic town. When his son Ali begins reading Christian Bibles handed out to school children, the theistic division deepens. This doesn't stop him from doing his job, at least not until he is asked to investigate the church as part of the strange occurrences around town, which he fears will worsen tensions. In reality, he's in way over his head, as the threat to Crockett Island soon manifests.
Kohli is well-known to CW fans for his appearances in iZombie and Supergirl, but should also be familiar to those in Mike Flanagan's sphere of media for his portrayal of Owen in The Haunting of Bly Manor. Observant entertainment consumers may even recognize his voice in the TV series Harley Quinn or the action game Gears 5.
Annie & Ed Flynn (Kristin Lehman & Henry Thomas)
Riley's hard-working and god-fearing parents, Annie and Ed Flynn, believe that a little old-time religion can keep their son on the straight and narrow path and are fiercely defensive of the church and its teachings. Riley, having lost faith while in prison, doesn't exactly see it that way at all. Despite their differences, Annie is genuinely happy to see her son return to "where he belongs" and bring him up to speed even if Ed is much more reticent to open back up to Riley due to their fractured relationship. When Riley first mentions he has no real interest in attending church with them, Annie is beside herself and Ed takes a very sour tone. The inter-family religious dynamic is on full display here, and the strange occurrences and prominence of Father Hill don't help bring the two sides together.
Henry Thomas' best role is a classic, portraying Elliot in E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982) while Lehman has been spotted in The Chronicles of Riddick and The Loft (2014).
Warren Flynn (Igby Rigney)
A well-meaning kid with a bit of a mischievous streak, Warren is Riley's younger brother who serves as an altar boy for the church much like his big brother did in his youth. When Riley returns home, he's happy to have his older brother back and the two make more than a few sardonic quips back and forth at their first family dinner after reuniting. His parents are understandable that he is young and brash and do what they can to keep him upright without being too strict towards his sarcastic demeanor (though Ed takes a harder line with him). Although he does what he can to avoid Riley's mistakes with alcohol, he's also a fan of marijuana and takes time at night to meet up and indulge his habits with friends. When things take a turn for the worse in Crockett, Warren is swept up in the chaos.
Newcomer Igby Rigney doesn't have a ton of acting credits to his name yet, but he has been featured in films such as F9: The Fast Nine Saga and the TV show Blue Bloods.
Leeza Scarborough (Annarah Cymone)
A devout follower of the church (enjoying singing hymns in particular) and the daughter of the town's mayor, Leeza is paraplegic due to a stray bullet fired by one of the other locals. However, she is quickly healed as part of Father Hill's miracles, kicking off much of Crockett's religious revival. Events unravel in town that begin to shake her faith in Catholicism and alter her world view, driving her to wonder what God would allow such strange and horrible things to happen despite the miracles Father Hill enacts. Her belief in the church and its figurehead sways as the events around Crockett turn dire. When things really go from bad to worse, Leeza is pulled into the danger alongside many youths in the town.
Annarah Cymone is brand-new to the business, with only three acting credits to her name, two of which are Midnight Mass and The Midnight Club.
Beverly "Bev" Keane (Samantha Sloyan)
Another teacher at the local Crockett Island school system, Beverly is also a forceful town voice who hands out Bibles at school meetings and is a devoted follower of Father Hill's teachings. Her zeal in the strange priest is almost unmatched, and her loyalty is tested many times over the course of the series. Her unfailing attachment to the church draws the ire of others in town, believing her to be the puppetmaster of several malicious acts.
Sloyan has been featured in many of Flanagan's works including Hush and The Haunting of Hill House while also drawing wide appeal for her portrayal of Dr. Penelope Blake in Grey's Anatomy.
Dr. Sarah Gunning (Annabeth Gish)
A down-to-earth medical practitioner who isn't much of a fan of Crockett, but stays, regardless, to take care of her mother, and is a close friend of Erin. Unbeknownst to her, her mother Mildred (Alex Essoe) learns something about Father Hill that threatens his stay at St. Patrick's.
Annabeth Gish has enjoyed a storied acting career spanning titles such as The X-Files, Mystic Pizza, The West Wing and more.
Ali Hassan (Rahul Abburi)
Son of Sheriff Hassan and a friend of Warren's, Ali starts out trying to fit in with Warren and their friend Ooker but is drawn into the town's congregation after witnessing Father Hill's miracles. He quickly begins to question his own Muslim faith and beliefs, much to the consternation of his father.
Abburi is a newcomer to acting, with his most well-known roles coming from Killer Ransom and the Youtube series Good Game (2017).
Mayor Wade Scarborough (Michael Trucco)
The chatterbox mayor of Crockett Island, Mayor Scarborough can be seen as a bit incompetent but genuinely means well for his community. He is a steady participant at church and attends with his daughter Leeza, attempting to take in Father Hill's teachings together. However, Wade's relationship with the church often leads to him being almost bullied into action by Bev Keane. With so many unusual events popping up and his citizens drawn to a religious figurehead that is seemingly the stuff of myth, Mayor Scarborough is up to his ears in management for a town that's only growing weirder.
Trucco has previously appeared in Flanagan's Hush but has also enjoyed success in series such as How I Met Your Mother and Battlestar Galactica.
Joe Collie (Robert Longstreet)
Crockett Island's local booze-hound, Joe is the island's new pariah not unlike the way Riley used to be. He spends plenty of time drinking and getting locked up for disorderly conduct. Though he claims to know a thing or two about fishing and does retain a little money, he doesn't seem to be seen working much if at all, and doesn't attend church gatherings. In a past hunting incident, a stray bullet he fired struck Leeza Scarborough, paralyzing her and bringing Joe a substantial amount of dread and regret. Joe has a disdain for Bev and her high-horse-riding ways while also being afraid of reconciling with Leeza or combating his alcoholism. His best friend, arguably only real friend, is his dog Pike.
Robert Longstreet is an industry veteran, featuring in films such as Halloween Kills, Judas and the Black Messiah, The Haunting of Hill House and Aquaman.
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