A charismatic and observant woman in her mid-thirties with golden brown hair who moves into the gloomy Washington boarding house. Harboring deep secrets from her past, she takes a keen, nonjudgmental interest in her fellow tenants. She initiates a weekly Thursday night supper club, charging one canned good as admission, which effectively transforms the isolated residents into a tight-knit community.

An ambitious, attractive blonde businesswoman trying to distance herself from her constricting Irish American police family. She seeks independence and a government career. Her strict notions of right and wrong face a serious challenge when an alluring local club operator with mob ties begins courting her.

A 71-year-old Hungarian refugee who walks with a cane and misses her former life as an avant-garde artist and professor in Berlin. Bitter about the loss of her late husband and her stolen Gustav Klimt artwork, she is initially rude to everyone. She grudgingly attends the weekly suppers simply to get a free meal.

A young English mother trying to adapt to life in the United States while presenting a flawless, chipper facade. Exhausted by solo parenting while her doctor husband is stationed in Korea, she secretly yearns to return to her career as a nurse and fears having more children in the atomic age.

A 28-year-old former professional baseball player (known as the Swinging Sicilian) whose career was sidelined by a trick knee. Direct and forceful, she struggles to find an identity outside the sport. She fiercely resists the cultural expectation to abandon her ambitions and settle into a quiet domestic life.

A pragmatic, brassy young woman who hides her Polish immigrant roots and tragic childhood behind a tough exterior. Desperate for financial security, she works odd jobs, runs errands for politicians' wives, and occasionally steals small items. Her singular goal is to save eight thousand dollars to buy her own home.

A bossy, judgmental Texan who works for the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Enthusiastically embracing Senator Joseph McCarthy's crusade against communism, her intense political zeal and condescending attitude quickly alienate her from the rest of the boarding house.

The 12-year-old son of the boarding house's strict owner. Overburdened by chores and his mother's constant demands, he is a good-hearted boy who fiercely protects his little sister. He longs for contact with his absent father and quickly looks up to the new attic tenant as a mentor.

The prim, demanding landlady of Briarwood House, known to her tenants behind her back as "Doilies" for her fussy decorating choices. She forces her son Pete to do endless chores, intercepts mail from her ex-husband, and maintains a cold, rule-bound atmosphere in the building.

A charismatic man with Irish mob connections who operates the Amber Club and runs a legal poker game. He claims to be a legitimate businessman and persistently pursues Nora Walsh, showering her with elaborate floral arrangements while exhibiting a dangerous capacity for violence.

An agent working for J. Edgar Hoover's FBI. Initially aligned with strict anti-communist political views, his rigid ideologies face friction when he begins to witness the human cost of the era's paranoia and gets to know the diverse Briarwood tenants.

The attractive, English-born wife of an aspiring politician. Outwardly, she plays the role of a perfect political spouse, but privately, she hides the physical abuse inflicted by her husband. She seeks a way to protect herself and her young son from the violence.

Pete's younger sister, who loves to bake despite her early, clumsy attempts. Frequently teased at school for her lazy eye, she finds much-needed encouragement from her protective older brother and the supportive new attic tenant.

A privileged, aspiring politician from a powerful Virginia family. Behind closed doors, he is a cruel, violent man who physically abuses his wife and relies on his family's influence to evade consequences.

A corrupt Virginia senator who sponsored Reka and her husband's entry into the United States. He exploited the desperate refugees by confiscating their valuable Gustav Klimt sketches for himself.

A talented Black musician who faces the harsh realities of systemic racism in 1950s Washington, DC. He briefly dates Grace and cooks Louisiana gumbo for the boarding house, but the racial tensions of the era threaten his safety.

Fliss's husband, a doctor serving in the military in Korea. He communicates with his wife via letters and phone calls, remaining largely unaware of her deep struggles with isolated motherhood and her desire to limit their family size.

The ex-husband of the landlady who left the family years ago. Unbeknownst to his children, his attempts to send them money and letters are actively intercepted by his former wife.

Nora's abusive ex-boyfriend and a corrupt police officer. He represents a dark, dangerous chapter in Nora's past that she is desperately trying to escape.

The sentient boarding house itself, which observes its tenants with a mix of fondness and concern. Long existing in a state of gloomy torpor, the structure slowly begins to wake up when Grace paints its walls and brings its residents together.

A shadowy, violent figure connected to Grace's secretive life before she moved into Briarwood House. His looming threat casts a shadow over her attempts to build a normal, peaceful existence in America.

Reka's late husband and a former journalist. After escaping the Nazi regime, he was unable to find work in his field and spent his final years working as a janitor in the United States.

Fliss and Dan's infant daughter. Her constant needs overwhelm her mother, who struggles to parent entirely on her own in a new country.