Nicole Kidman’s next big show, “Expats,” also happens to be director Lulu Wang’s first foray into television. The Prime Video limited series is adapted from Janice Y.K. Lee’s book “The Expatriates,” which centers around three women — Margaret (Kidman), Mercy (Ji-young Yoo) and Hilary Starr (Sarayu Blue). The three women grapple with loneliness and isolation in their own ways, and they also share the expat experience as they all moved to Hong Kong for different reasons.
A tragic event brings the three women together, as do other overlaps in their lives. All the while, Hilary and Margaret’s employed helpers witness many things that the outside world doesn’t get to see. Husbands Clarke (Brian Tee) and David Starr (Jack Huston) also struggle with their wives’ pain as well as their own.
Here’s everything to know about the stars behind Lulu Wang’s “Expats”:
Margaret (Nicole Kidman)
Margaret is a mother of two children, but she used to be a mother of three. She moved to Hong Kong for her husband Clarke’s job, and they raised their family there until a recent incident involving their youngest child. He is now absent from the family.
Nicole Kidman is known for roles like Satine in Baz Luhrman’s “Moulin Rouge!” (2001), Virginia Woolf in “The Hours” (2002) as Virginia Woolf, Ada Monroe in “Cold Mountain” (2003) and Becca in “Rabbit Hole” (2010). More recently she portrayed Lucille Ball in “Being the Ricardos” (2021) and Queen Gudrún in “The Northman” (2022). She also plays Atlanna in the “Aquaman” movies. TV credits include Lady Sarah Ashley in “Faraway Downs,” Kaitlyn Meade in “Special Ops: Lioness,” Masha Dmitrichenko in “Nine Perfect Strangers” and Celeste Wright in “Big Little Lies.”
Mercy (Ji-young Yoo)
Mercy moved to Hong Kong to get away from her mother. She works many odd jobs and side gigs like circling food for caterers, babysitting and more. She is connected to Margaret somehow, because the two know each other.
Ji-young Yoo played Sarah in “The Sky Is Everywhere” (2022), Casey in “Moxie” (2021) and Hayoung in “Smoking Tigers” (2023). She can also be seen in the Sundance entry “Freaky Tales” as Tina.
Hilary Starr (Sarayu Blue)
Hilary lives in the same building as Margaret, and she has a different connection to Margaret. Hilary also moved to Hong Kong for her husband David’s job as a lawyer. She struggles with whether or not she wants to have children.
Sarayu Blue is known for playing Emet in “I Feel Bad,” Anna in “The Unicorn” and Marcie in “Blockers” (2018). She also portrayed Trina Rothschild in “XO, Kitty” and the second two “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” films. She played Rhyah in Season 3 of Mindy Kaling’s “Never Have I Ever,” and she also portrayed Miriam in “The Shrink Next Door.”
Clarke (Brian Tee)
Clarke is Margaret’s husband, who brought his family to Hong Kong for his job. Since the incident with their third child, he often picks up a lot of the parenting duties when Margaret zones out or needs time to herself.
Brian Tee is known for playing Norburo in “The Wolverine” (2013), DK in “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” (2006), Shredder in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2016) and Hamada in “Jurassic World” (2015). He also played Dr. Ethan Choi on the NBC medical drama “Chicago Med” and its spin-offs from 2015 to 2022.
David Starr (Jack Huston)
David is Hilary’s husband, who works as a lawyer. He really wants a child and seems to have gotten his alcoholism under control enough to put the dream into reality.
Jack Huston is known for portraying Jack Kerouac in “Kill Your Darlings” (2013), Pete Musane in “American Hustle” (2013), Juda Ben-Hur in “Ben-Hur” (2016) and Wulfric in “Outlander” (2008).
Essie (Ruby Ruiz)
Essie is Clarke and Margaret’s helper, housemaid, babysitter, etc. They call her family because she has worked for them since their youngest son was born.
Ruby Ruiz is known for her appearance in “The Bourne Legacy” (2012) as the Philippine pharmacist, “The Bit Player” (2013) as Josie, Iska in “Iska” (2019) and Maria in “Ginhawa.”
Puri (Amelyn Pardenilla)
Puri is Hilary’s housemaid, cook and more. She folds laundry and sees to all of Hilary’s, and occasionally David’s, needs.
“Expats” marks the first big role for Amelyn Pardenilla.
