A 15-year-old girl from suburban Underhill, New York, originally named Julie. After her friends rechristen her "Jules," she embraces the new identity and the cosmopolitan world they represent. She harbors a talent for comedic acting but frequently struggles with feelings of inadequacy. Her life becomes defined by a pragmatic pivot toward clinical social work and a persistent envy regarding the massive financial success of her friends.

A sophisticated, beautiful teenager from New York City who acts as the social center of the group. Raised in a glamorous apartment known as the Labyrinth, Ash projects an effortless confidence that attracts others to her. She pursues a passion for theater and acting. She benefits from a privileged upbringing, which insulates her from financial anxiety. Beneath her gilded exterior, she faces immense pressure to maintain her family's perfect facade.

An extraordinarily gifted, somewhat physically awkward animator who uses art as a private refuge from his parents' troubled marriage. His creation, "Figland," evolves from a personal solace into a massive global media franchise. This success brings him enormous wealth. He is highly intelligent and fiercely protective, constantly trying to balance his corporate success with a desire to act morally in the world.

Ash's older brother, who commands a huge and influential presence among the teenagers at camp. He embodies the effortless coolness of his privileged upbringing, drawing people in with his confident swagger. However, this arrogance masks a deep-seated insecurity and a lack of discipline. This frequently causes friction with his demanding father. An impulsive decision culminates in a criminal accusation that shatters the idyllic world of his friends.

A practical, grounded ultrasound technician who enters Jules's life in New York City. Unlike Jules's artistic friends, Dennis lacks creative ambition and values stability over exceptionalism. He manages clinical depression with the help of strict medication and dietary restrictions. He brings a quiet perseverance to his marriage and remains sharply critical of the Wolf family's wealthy entitlement.

A gentle, enigmatic musician who possesses an effortless ability to play and write songs. Despite his natural talent, Jonah deliberately turns away from music to pursue engineering. This choice is driven by a secret childhood trauma that alienates him from his art. He remains the most reserved member of the friend group, carefully guarding his emotional boundaries.

A passionate and demanding teenager at Spirit-in-the-Woods who brings a precocious physicality to the group. Her turbulent dynamic with Goodman Wolf introduces significant tension to the tight-knit circle. When a highly contested incident occurs between them on New Year's Eve, her subsequent accusations shatter the group's innocence and force the friends to choose loyalties.

The elderly co-founder of Spirit-in-the-Woods. He established the camp in 1952 as an intense, utopian environment for artistically inclined youth. As enrollment declines over the decades, he privately questions whether the institution truly cultivated talent or merely generated nostalgia.

A former modern dancer who co-founded Spirit-in-the-Woods. She works alongside her husband to maintain the camp's original creative spirit and serves as the optimistic counterbalance to Manny's frequent worries about the future.

Ash and Goodman's father, a wealthy and authoritative figure in Manhattan. He places immense pressure on his children and uses his financial resources to insulate them from trouble. He also acts as a surrogate father to Ethan, offering the pragmatic business advice that turns Ethan's art into a commercial empire.

Ash and Goodman's mother. She oversees the family's stylish life and extends a warm, if sometimes imposing, generosity to Jules. She fiercely protects her children, though she occasionally expresses private doubts about her son's nature.

Jonah's mother, a successful touring musician. She lives a bohemian lifestyle that inadvertently exposes Jonah to predatory figures in the music industry. She remains oblivious to the trauma he endures while she is on the road.

A folksinger and member of the group the Whistlers. Under the guise of artistic mentorship, he exploits Jonah, drugging the boy to steal his improvised songs for his own solo career. He presents himself to the public as a tidy story of personal reinvention.

A lawyer at Lambda Legal who enters a long-term relationship with Jonah. Living with HIV, Robert requires careful, boundary-driven intimacy. This dynamic initially suits Jonah's deep-seated caution before Robert eventually seeks a more emotionally available partner.

Ash and Ethan's son. He possesses a remarkable, intuitive grasp of mechanics and machinery. Though socially awkward, he eventually learns to play the banjo, forming a quiet and meaningful bond with Jonah.

Ash and Ethan's daughter. Calm and literary, she functions as a natural extension of the Wolf-Figman family's refined, wealthy culture. She frequently helps her brother navigate social expectations.

Jules and Dennis's daughter, born Aurora Maude Jacobson-Boyd. She is a highly physical and commanding child whose restless energy sharply contrasts with the quiet refinement of Ash and Ethan's children.

Jules's mother, who lives a quiet, suburban life. She represents the ordinary, provincial world Jules feels desperate to escape, though Lois remains quietly perceptive about her daughter's embarrassment regarding their middle-class status.

Jules's sister, who remains firmly planted in their family's suburban reality. She views Jules's intense devotion to the wealthy Wolf family with practical detachment rather than jealousy.

A mutual friend who introduces Jules and Dennis in 1981. She serves as an early connection point for the couple in New York City before eventually moving away and losing touch.

Edie Wunderlich's shy second cousin and a Holocaust survivor. She works as the cook at the camp. She maintains a quiet, steady presence in the background of the teenagers' dramas.

A psychoanalyst hired by Gil and Betsy Wolf. He attempts to monitor Goodman's erratic behavior and increased alcohol intake. In his later years, he struggles with dementia.

An aloof, international presence at Spirit-in-the-Woods. She observes the campers with a cool detachment before eventually returning to Iceland to marry.

An aging mentor figure at the camp. He represents the fading, original generation of artistic leadership at Spirit-in-the-Woods, inspiring Ethan's early dedication to his craft.

A stylish 15-year-old camper who quickly forms a tight-knit circle of friends. Her presence briefly transports Jules back to her own youth as an aspiring actress at Spirit-in-the-Woods.

A dancer at Spirit-in-the-Woods who develops an intense but unreciprocated crush on a counselor. Her struggles demonstrate the administrative burdens Jules faces when she returns to run the camp.