Bernard is the middle child of the Fletcher family and a Hollywood screenwriter who found early success writing action films. He lives in California with his wife and two children, maintaining a secret routine of drug use and paying sex workers to manage his persistent, unaddressed anxiety. He relies on these habits to function normally in his daily life but fears losing his family if his secrets are discovered.

Jenny is the youngest Fletcher child, born shortly after her father's safe return from his kidnapping. She works as a labor organizer at a Yale graduate student union, actively attempting to distance herself from her family's massive wealth. Despite her progressive politics and academic pursuits, she feels alienated from her peers and quietly longs for the comfort of her hometown.

Nathan is the eldest Fletcher child, living on Long Island with his wife and twin sons. He suffers from chronic anxiety stemming from his father's kidnapping, which manifests in an addiction to buying excessive insurance policies. He works at his uncle's law firm in a low-stakes position, afraid to take professional risks or tell his wife about their deteriorating finances.

Ruth is Carl's wife, a pragmatic woman who married for stability but found herself managing her husband's lifelong trauma instead. She prioritizes the family's financial security and social standing over emotional transparency, frequently urging her children to suppress negative feelings. She harbors a secret contempt for her affluent community and dreams of escaping to her Greenwich Village brownstone.

Carl is a Jewish American businessman who inherited a highly profitable polystyrene factory from his father. His kidnapping in 1980 leaves him with severe psychological trauma that he attempts to suppress at his mother's insistence. He loves his family but struggles with depressive episodes, relying heavily on his wife to maintain his stoic facade.

Phyllis is Carl's iron-willed mother and the matriarch of the Fletcher family. She firmly believes in maintaining a strong public image, commanding her son and daughter-in-law to never discuss the kidnapping in front of the children. Her insistence on repressing trauma shapes the emotional dysfunction of the entire family for decades.

Arthur is Carl's cousin and a successful lawyer who steps in to manage the family's crisis during the kidnapping. He continues to serve as a reliable presence in Ruth's life over the decades, offering the emotional support she misses in her marriage. He runs the law firm where Nathan works, facilitating the family's professional stability.

Ike is the reliable foreman who runs the daily operations of the polystyrene factory for Carl. He feels a deep sense of loyalty to the Fletchers, though he secretly worries about his family's financial future as the factory's viability declines. He struggles to care for his wife's mental health while hoping to pass his position to his son.

Noelle is an actress who met Bernard on the set of one of his films. She comes from a working-class background and faces subtle prejudice from her mother-in-law regarding her German heritage. She feels increasingly alienated in her marriage, frustrated by her husband's emotional distance and hidden life.

Alyssa is Nathan's wife, a woman who grew up with financial instability and now finds comfort in her affluent lifestyle. She is deeply focused on renovating their Long Island home in time for their twin sons' bar mitzvah, completely unaware of her husband's secret financial crisis.

Charlie is Bernard's childhood best friend and former screenwriting partner. He breaks away from their partnership to create a massive hit television show based heavily on the Fletchers' lives. He acts as a mirror for Bernard, challenging him to write something honest rather than repeating the same safe formulas.

Marjorie is Carl's eccentric sister who lives in Forest Hills. She struggles with drug use and harbors deep, lifelong resentment toward her mother for clearly favoring Carl. She acts erratically, especially when influenced by substances, and feels cheated out of her share of the family wealth.

Zelig is the patriarch of the Fletcher family, a Holocaust survivor who arrived in America and built a highly successful polystyrene factory from scratch. He established the family's immense wealth before suddenly passing away, leaving the business to Carl.

Max is Ike's son, a college student planning to study law. He resents the extreme class divide between his working-class family and the wealthy Fletchers, criticizing Jenny for her naive views on wealth and labor.

Mickey is a former childhood bully who reinvented himself as an aggressive investment fund manager. He uses intimidation and bizarre wellness routines to manipulate clients, keeping Nathan entirely in the dark about the actual status of his investments.

Dr. Messinger is Charlie's father and a retired academic who becomes a full-time painter. He lacks the extreme wealth of his neighbors and openly critiques their lifestyles, profoundly influencing Jenny's early views on class inequality.

Dominic is a junior colleague at the law firm who works aggressively to secure deals and earn a partnership. He creates a token role for Nathan to appease the firm's leadership but actively protects his own standing through sharp maneuvering.

Andrew is an older, polyamorous labor organizer at Yale who remains involved with the union despite dropping out years ago. He dates Jenny but becomes hostile when he discovers the true extent of her family's wealth.

Brett is Jenny's sincere high school boyfriend who remained in Middle Rock. He represents the straightforward, comfortable suburban life that Jenny initially rejects but eventually finds herself drawn back toward.

Ari is Nathan and Alyssa's son. He inherits his father's intense, catastrophic anxiety, frequently worrying about environmental dangers, house foundations, and personal safety.

Josh is Nathan and Alyssa's son. He focuses on his upcoming religious studies and the massive party his mother is planning, largely insulated from the family's financial panic.

Liesl is Bernard and Noelle's daughter. She is highly sensitive to her parents' marital tension and relies on their presence at her performances for reassurance.

Wolfie is Bernard and Noelle's young son, named to honor his mother's German heritage, a choice that secretly scandalizes his grandmother.