Sherman is a 38-year-old, Yale-educated bond salesperson at the prestigious Wall Street firm Pierce & Pierce. Earning over a million dollars a year, he considers himself a "Master of the Universe" and takes immense pride in his white Anglo-Saxon Protestant heritage and aristocratic appearance. His extreme wealth isolates him from the realities of New York City outside Manhattan. His sense of invulnerability fractures after he becomes involved in a hit-and-run incident in the Bronx.

Kramer is a 32-year-old assistant district attorney working in the Homicide Bureau of the Bronx. He is intensely self-conscious about his receding hairline and his relatively low government salary, frequently comparing his income to that of Wall Street lawyers. To compensate for his perceived inadequacies, he abuses his prosecutorial power to assert dominance over others. He aggressively pursues the hit-and-run case against Sherman McCoy to build his own reputation.

Fallow is a cynical, opportunistic British journalist working for the New York tabloid The City Light. Despite considering journalism beneath him, he is desperate to make money and avoid returning to England as a failure. He seizes upon the Henry Lamb hit-and-run case, writing sensationalized articles that inflame public opinion and drive the police investigation forward.

Bacon is a powerful, charismatic Black community leader operating in Harlem. He dresses impeccably and demands deference from both his supporters and political adversaries. While he publicly campaigns for racial justice, he frequently redirects community funds into private investments. He utilizes the Henry Lamb case to exert pressure on the city's power structures and increase his own political leverage.

Maria is a beautiful, fashion-conscious woman in her twenties from the American South. She is married to a wealthy 71-year-old businessman but conducts multiple affairs. She is present in Sherman's Mercedes during the hit-and-run in the Bronx and aggressively dissuades him from reporting the incident to the police, prioritizing the secrecy of their affair over legal responsibility.

Judy is Sherman's 40-year-old wife. She works as an interior decorator and focuses heavily on maintaining their elite social standing in Manhattan. She exercises rigorously to maintain a thin figure, though Sherman cruelly notes she is approaching middle age. She is initially unaware of Sherman's infidelity but quickly suspects him when he makes a phone error.

Weiss is the District Attorney for the Bronx. Facing a difficult reelection campaign, he is highly sensitive to media criticism suggesting his office only prosecutes people of color. He views Sherman McCoy's hit-and-run case strictly as a public relations tool, eager to secure a wealthy, white defendant to prove his office is racially unbiased.

Kovitsky is a short, wiry judge operating in the Bronx criminal court system. Unlike many of the politically motivated lawyers and officials surrounding him, Kovitsky possesses genuine courage and refuses to be intimidated by the chaotic environment of the courthouse. He handles cases efficiently and demands respect for the legal process.

Henry is an 18-year-old honors student living in the Edgar Allan Poe projects in the Bronx. He is a polite, dependable young man who avoids the criminal elements in his neighborhood. He is struck by Sherman's Mercedes during the hit-and-run, suffering a severe concussion that ultimately places him in a coma.

Annie is Henry's hardworking, widowed mother. She has raised her son carefully, keeping him focused on his education. Afraid to go directly to the police because of unpaid parking tickets, she turns to community leadership for help when her son's medical condition worsens.

Roland is a muscular young man from the Bronx who is heavily involved in the local drug trade. He is present when Henry Lamb is hit by the car. Facing serious drug charges himself, he approaches the district attorney's office to trade his testimony about the hit-and-run for a lenient plea deal.

Arthur is a 71-year-old wealthy business tycoon married to the much younger Maria. He built his massive fortune late in life by chartering flights for religious pilgrimages. He is accustomed to extreme luxury and demands fawning attention from service staff at expensive restaurants.

Shelly is an attractive young woman who draws the obsessive attention of ADA Larry Kramer. She distinctively wears brown lipstick and initially seems impressed by Kramer's status as a prosecutor. However, she quickly recognizes the self-absorbed nature of the men she dates in the city.

John is Sherman's aging father and the former CEO of a prominent law firm. He represents an older, more understated generation of Wall Street wealth, notably choosing to take the subway to work instead of expensive cabs. He is deeply shocked when he learns of his son's legal and moral failures.

Campbell is Sherman and Judy's six-year-old daughter. With striking golden hair, she is a bright, creative child who molds clay animals and writes stories. She is deeply affected by the sudden media intrusion into her family's life.

Killian is an experienced, street-smart criminal defense lawyer. Unlike the polite, corporate lawyers Sherman is used to, Killian understands the gritty reality of the Bronx justice system and how favors are traded between the police, prosecutors, and defense attorneys.

Lopwitz is Sherman's incredibly wealthy and powerful boss on Wall Street. Currently on his fourth marriage to a much younger woman, he is driven entirely by financial profit and office gossip. When Sherman's life begins to unravel, Lopwitz is more interested in the scandalous details than in supporting his top employee.

Freddy is a corporate lawyer who handles legal matters for Sherman's father. A chain-smoker with a traditional Wall Street background, he listens to Sherman's confession about the hit-and-run but immediately recognizes that the case requires a specialized criminal attorney.

Martin is a cynical, hardened homicide detective operating in the Bronx. Exhausted by the endless stream of violence in his district, he initially shows little interest in the Henry Lamb case until political pressure forces his hand. He routinely uses physical intimidation to assert authority over suspects.

Goldberg is a Bronx homicide detective who partners with Martin. Like his partner, he maintains a rough exterior to cope with the daily violence of his job, though he occasionally displays genuine empathy for victims like Annie Lamb who work hard to raise their children in difficult circumstances.