The curtains are closing on
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Amazon Prime Video's period comedy-drama series follows Miriam "Midge" Maisel (played by
Rachel Brosnahan
), a New York City housewife who decides to pursue stand-up comedy after her husband, played by
Michael Zegen
, has an affair.
The show, which premiered in 2017, comes from
Gilmore Girls
creators
Amy Sherman-Palladino
and
Daniel Palladino
and is known for its similarly quirky characters and fast-paced dialogue.
Maisel
has also featured former
Gilmore Girls
cast members like
Alex Borstein
,
Jane Lynch
and Kelly Bishop.
In 2022, the streaming service announced that Bishop would return as a
series regular in season 5
, alongside fellow season 4 guest stars Alfie Fuller and Jason Ralph. Main cast members
Tony Shalhoub
, Borstein,
Marin Hinkle
, Zegen, Kevin Pollak and Caroline Aaron will also reprise their roles.
Over four seasons,
Maisel
fans have watched as the strong-willed Midge has faced ups and downs in both her comedy career and personal life. After losing her comedy tour gig in season 3 and starting work as a strip club emcee in season 4, she's finally getting back to stand-up comedy in season 5.
According to a
teaser released in March 2023
, Midge is "closer than ever to the success she's dreamed of, only to discover that closer than ever is still so far away."
The show's fifth and final season premieres on Prime Video on April 14. Three new episodes will be released on premiere day, with the rest of the episodes dropping weekly.
Ahead, here's everything to know about the cast of
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
.
Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam "Midge" Maisel
Rachel Brosnahan, 32, plays housewife-turned-stand-up comedian Miriam "Midge" Maisel.
Before becoming
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
herself, the actress appeared on television shows like
Grey's Anatomy
,
Gossip Girl, The Good Wife
and
The Blacklist
. In 2013, she joined the acclaimed Netflix political drama
House of Cards
.
Brosnahan is also an accomplished theater actress. She made her Broadway debut in
The Big Knife
in 2013 and in 2016, she played Desdemona in New York Theatre Workshop's
Othello
alongside David Oyelowo and
Daniel Craig
. In 2023, she starred opposite
Oscar Isaac
in the revival of Lorraine Hansberry's
The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window
at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Shortly after closing, it was announced that the play would transfer to Broadway in April 2023.
In 2017, Brosnahan first appeared as Midge Maisel, a 1950s housewife who turns to stand-up comedy after discovering her husband had an affair. The breakout role earned her a slew of award nominations and wins; in 2018, she took home an
Emmy Award
for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series.
During a
Maisel
cast panel in 2022
, the actress revealed that she spent the first couple of years of her career being told she was "not funny" and that she was "eternally indebted" to series executive producers Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino "for saying yes and taking that kind of chance on someone" like herself.
In real life, Brosnahan is married to actor
Jason Ralph
, who appeared in season 4 of
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
and is set to return with a larger role in season 5. The couple, who met in 2013, sparked marriage rumors in September 2018 after they were spotted wearing bands on their left ring fingers at the
Emmy Awards
. After thanking Ralph in her 2019
SAG Awards
speech, Brosnahan released a statement saying the
pair had actually been married "for years"
and chose to keep their relationship private.
Michael Zegen as Joel Maisel
Michael Zegen, 44, plays failed comedian and Midge's ex-husband Joel Maisel.
He is known for his television roles on
Rescue Me
and
Boardwalk Empire
and has also appeared on
Girls
,
How to Make It in America
and
The Walking Dead
. Along with the rest of the
Maisel
cast, Zegen has won two
SAG awards
for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series.
"This is one of my favorite things I've ever done," Zegen told PEOPLE of
his role on
Maisel
ahead of its 2017 premiere. "It's definitely the best part I think I've ever had. I've done so many cool shows but I've only been a guest star or a recurring character ? I never knew if I was going to be in the next episode, let alone season 2."
Zegen has also performed on Broadway; he made his debut in 2015's
A View from the Bridge
and starred in 2021's
Trouble in Mind
.
As for his personal life, Zegen is dating actress Jennifer Damiano. The pair worked together on the 2020 Off-Broadway musical adaptation of the 1969 film
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
and made their
red carpet debut at the 2022 Tony Awards
.
Alex Borstein as Susie Myerson
Alex Borstein, 52, plays Midge's no-nonsense manager Susie Myerson.
Borstein got her start in the Chicago comedy scene, training at the ACME Comedy Theater and eventually becoming a cast member on the sketch comedy television show
MADtv
. She's also known for voicing Lois Griffin on the animated sitcom
Family Guy
.
The actress was cast as Sookie St. James for the pilot of
Gilmore Girls
in 2000 but because of her contract with
MADtv
, was replaced by
Melissa McCarthy
. From 2013 to 2015, Borstein starred in the HBO comedy series
Getting On
. Her role as Susie Myerson in
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
has won her two Primetime
Emmy Awards
for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series.
Borstein has also appeared in films like
The Lizzie McGuire Movie
(2003),
Catwoman
(2004),
Dinner for Schmucks
(2010), Ted (2012) and
The Angry Birds Movie
(2016).
As for her personal life, Borstein married actor and writer Jackson Douglas in 1999, and the couple divorced in 2014 (it was
finalized in 2017
). They have two children together, a son and a daughter.
Tony Shalhoub as Abe Weissman
Tony Shalhoub
, 69, plays mathematics professor at Columbia University-turned-theater critic and the father of Midge Maisel, Abe Weissman.
Shalhoub has had a prolific career on stage and screen. He made his Broadway debut in 1985's
The Odd Couple
and other notable credits include
The Heidi Chronicles
(1988),
Waiting for Godot
(1998),
Conversations with My Father
(1992),
Golden Boy
(2013) and
Act One
(2014). In 2018, he won a Tony Award for his performance in the musical
The Band's Visit
.
The actor is also known for his television roles; he played cab driver Antonio Scarpacci on the NBC sitcom
Wings
from 1991 to 1997 and the titular role of quirky detective Adrian Monk on USA's
Monk
from 2002 to 2009, which earned him a Golden Globe in 2003.
Shalhoub's film credits include
Men in Black
(1997),
Galaxy Quest
(1999),
Spy Kids
(2001) and animated franchises
Cars
and
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
.
As for his personal life, Shalhoub married actress Brooke Adams in 1992. The couple adopted
two daughters
together and in 2020, the actor revealed their older daughter was
expecting her first child later that year
.
Marin Hinkle as Rose Weissman
Marin Hinkle, 57, plays Midge's prim and proper mother Rose Weissman.
Hinkle got her start in the theater with notable Broadway credits such as
The Tempest
and
Electra
. She's also appeared in television shows like
Two and a Half Men
,
Homeland, Once and Again
and
Madam Secretary
.
Her film roles include
I'm Not Rappaport
(1996),
Frequency
(2000),
I Am Sam
(2001) and
Dark Blue
(2002). More recently, she appeared in the 2017 and 2019 remakes of
Jumanji
starring
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
.
"Each year there's different kinds of movement emotionally," Hinkle said of her
Maisel
character during a 2022 interview with
Insider
. "There were these times that Rose was making big strides in who she was as more of a feminist. Then she went through days where she was seemingly going backward."
In real life, the actress has been married to theater director Randall Sommer since 1997. The couple have one child together.
Kevin Pollak as Moishe Maisel
Kevin Pollak, 65, plays Joel Maisel's father Moishe Maisel.
Pollak is a stand-up comedian himself as well as a celebrity impressionist. His first comedy special,
Stop with the Kickin
g, aired on HBO in 1991 and in 2010, his special
The Littlest Suspect
aired on Showtime.
His film roles include
A Few Good Men
(1992),
Deterrence
(1999),
The Whole Nine Years
, (2000) and
The Wedding Planner
(2001). Pollak also appeared on the CBS sitcom
Mom
and the FX series
Better Things
.
As for his personal life, Pollak married comedian Lucy Webb in 1995, though they have since divorced.
Caroline Aaron as Shirley Maisel
Caroline Aaron, 70, plays Joel Maisel's mother Shirley Maisel.
The actress has performed on stage, in film and on television. Her Broadway roles include Woody Allen's
Relatively Speaking
and
The Iceman Cometh
and she's appeared in films like
Heartburn
(1986),
Edward Scissorhands
(1990),
Sleepless in Seattle
(1993),
21 Jump Street
(2012) and
22 Jump Street
(2014).
Aaron's television credits include guest roles on
Wings
,
Frasier
,
Curb Your Enthusiasm
,
Desperate Housewives, Transparent
,
Madam Secretary
and
The Good Fight
.
As for her personal life, the actress has been married to James Foreman since 1980 and the couple have two children.
Luke Kirby as Lenny Bruce
Luke Kirby, 44, plays a fictionalized version of real-life comedian Lenny Bruce.
The actor has performed in theater productions in his native Canada and in New York and has appeared on TV shows like HBO's
Tell Me You Love Me
and
The Deuce
, the Canadian drama
Cra$h & Burn
and the recent
Gossip Girl
reboot
.
His film credits include
Halloween: Resurrection
(2002),
Mambo Italiano
(2003),
All Hat
(2007),
Labor Pains
(2009) and
Touched With Fire
(2015).
In 2019, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding guest actor in a comedy series for his portrayal of Lenny Bruce on
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
.
Kirby's personal life is mostly kept out of the spotlight, but he was rumored to be dating
Touched with Fire
costar Katie Holmes
during filming in 2013. In a 2019
Forbes
article, actress Andrea Sarubbi was identified as Kirby's wife, though it's unknown when they were married.
Stephanie Hsu as Mei Lin
Stephanie Hsu
, 32, plays Joel's girlfriend Mei Lin.
The actress got her start in theater, starring in Broadway shows The
SpongeBob Musical
and
Be More Chill
. She also appeared on MTV's
Girl Code
and the Amazon Prime series
The Path
.
Hsu gained attention as Mei Lin in
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
, but her real breakthrough was as Joy Wang in A24's Oscar-sweeping comedy-drama
Everything Everywhere All at Once
in 2022
.
She received widespread critical recognition for the role, including an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress.
In July 2023, she's set to star in the raucous comedy film
Joy Ride
alongside Ashley Park, Sherry Cola and Sabrina Wu.
Jane Lynch as Sophie Lennon
Jane Lynch, 62, plays Sophie Lennon, a comedian who wears a fat suit as part of her stand-up act.
The actress and comedian is best known for playing Sue Sylvester in Ryan Murphy's musical comedy series
Glee
as well as numerous other television roles on shows like
The X-Files
,
Criminal Minds
,
Gilmore Girls
,
Two and a Half Men
and
The Good Fight
.
Her film credits include supporting roles in
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
,
Walk Hard
,
Talladega Nights, Another Cinderella Story
and
Julie and Julia
.
Lynch made her Broadway debut as Miss Hannigan in the 2013 revival of
Annie
and in 2022, took on the role of Mrs. Brice in the revival of
Funny Girl
.
As for her personal life, Lynch was married to psychologist Lara Embry from 2010 until they filed for divorce in 2013. In 2021, she married her partner
Jennifer Cheyne
.
Matilda Szydagis as Zelda
Matilda Szydagis plays the Weissman's maid Zelda.
Her film credits include
The First Wives Club
(1996),
Deconstructing Harry
(1997) and
The Nanny Diaries
(2007). She also appeared on two episodes of
The Sopranos
.
In 2020, Szydagis won a SAG award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series along with the rest of the
Maisel
cast.
Kelly Bishop as Benedetta
Kelly Bishop, 79, will join the final season of
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
as Benedetta, who was briefly introduced as an antagonist to Midge in season 4.
Bishop is best known for playing Emily Gilmore in
Gilmore Girls
and the mother of Frances "Baby" Houseman in the film
Dirty Dancing.
She began performing on Broadway in the late 1960s and in 1975, originated the role of Sheila in
A Chorus Line
, earning her a Tony Award. In 2011, she returned to Broadway in the revival of
Anything Goes
starring
Sutton Foster
and Joel Grey.
Her film credits include
Private Parts
(1997),
Wonder Boys
(2000) and
Blue Moon
(2002) and other TV credits include
Murphy Brown
,
Law & Order: SVU
and
Bunheads
.
In real life, Bishop was married to talk show host Lee Leonard from 1981 until his death in 2018.
Alfie Fuller as Dinah Rutledge
Alfie Fuller is set to return to
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
as a season 5 series regular playing Dinah Rutledge. The character was introduced in season 4 as Susie's receptionist.
Primarily a theater actress, Fuller has performed in Off-Broadway shows like
Fairycakes
and
Blues for an Alabama Sky
. She also appeared in TV series
Little America
and
Platonic
.
Jason Ralph as Mike Carr
Jason Ralph, 37, is set to return to
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
in season 5 as comedy booker Mike Carr, who was introduced in season 4.
Ralph is known for starring in the Broadway musical
Peter and the Starcatcher
and his television appearances on the Syfy series
The Magicians
and the period crime drama
Aquarius
.
His film credits include
I'm Obsessed With You
(2014), which also starred Brosnahan, and
A Most Violent Year
(2014).
Ralph is married to Brosnahan.