Clara is a talented illustrator from Arizona, serving as the only female instructor at the Grand Central School of Art in 1928. Operating in an art world that dismisses commercial illustration as inferior to fine art, she relies on her fierce determination and pragmatic approach to build a career. She actively challenges the traditional institutions and arrogant peers who undermine her work.

Virginia is a recently divorced woman in her forties trying to rebuild her life in 1974 New York City. Stripped of her former financial security and dealing with the physical and emotional aftermath of a radical mastectomy, she accepts a job at the Grand Central Terminal information booth. Stumbling across an abandoned art school on the upper floor, she discovers a piece of forgotten art that provides her with a renewed sense of purpose.

Levon is a charismatic Armenian painting instructor at the Grand Central School of Art in 1928. A staunch proponent of modernism, he initially dismisses commercial illustration, sparking a fierce rivalry with Clara. Beneath his arrogant exterior, he harbors deep insecurities stemming from his traumatic past as a genocide survivor.

Oliver is a wealthy, struggling poet who defies his father's wishes to pursue a banking career. He possesses a charming demeanor and useful social connections but wrestles with deep-seated artistic insecurity. He quickly becomes a romantic partner to Clara, though his support is complicated by his own creative block and privileged background.

Mr. Lorette is the officious director of the Grand Central School of Art in 1928. He consistently undermines Clara's authority and talent, demonstrating a clear bias against female instructors and commercial art. He uses his position of power to relegate her work to obscure locations and threaten her continued employment.

Dennis is an in-house attorney for Penn Central in 1974. He is a pragmatic, ambitious lawyer actively involved in the legal battle to overturn Grand Central Terminal's landmark designation and replace it with a skyscraper. He initially presents a confident, protective demeanor toward Virginia while pursuing a romantic connection with her.

Ruby is Virginia's nineteen-year-old daughter who has recently withdrawn from her studies at Sarah Lawrence College. She is a moody but artistically inclined teenager struggling to find direction following her parents' divorce. She relies heavily on her mother financially while harboring a passion for photography.

Terrence is the head clerk at the Grand Central Terminal information booth, having worked there since 1942. He possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of the building and serves as its institutional memory, fondly recalling its glamorous past. He provides Virginia with guidance and historical context for her new workplace.

Chester is a successful corporate lawyer and Virginia's ex-husband. He recently divorced Virginia, stripping her of her financial security and social standing. He is pragmatic and unsympathetic to her current struggles, prioritizing his own comfort and dismissing the historical value of the terminal.

Finn is Virginia's younger brother, a former Juilliard student who works as an entertainer in New York City. He maintains a lavish lifestyle at the Carlyle Hotel with his boyfriend and is generous toward his sister and niece, though he feels hurt over Virginia keeping secrets from him.

Janice is a young Ph.D. curator at the Art Students League. She possesses extensive knowledge of twentieth-century art history and assists Virginia in analyzing the watercolor she finds, providing critical historical context about the mysterious artist known as Clyde.

Nadine is a painting student at the Grand Central School of Art in the 1920s. Coming from a privileged background, she views illustration as an inferior pursuit compared to true fine arts. She frequently acts patronizing toward Clara while expressing admiration for male instructors like Levon.

Violet is an aspiring actress from Los Angeles and the goddaughter of Irving Lorette. She is charming, captivating, and naturally draws attention at the Grand Central School of Art's summer program in Maine.

Felix is a prominent and influential art dealer in the 1920s New York art scene. He has an eye for emerging talent and modernism, assessing artists' work with intense scrutiny. He represents the commercial gateway to success for fine artists of the era.

Mr. Bianchi is a pragmatic executive for the Studebaker automobile company in the 1920s. He hires Clara Darden to redesign the interior of the new Dictator model to make it more appealing to housewives, prioritizing business outcomes over artistic sentiment.

Kathleen is the head of human resources at Penn Central in 1974. Though she is blunt and professional when discovering Virginia lied on her resume, she shares the experience of being divorced and ultimately takes pity on her, finding her an alternative placement.

Mrs. Lorette is Irving Lorette's wife, a woman who manages affairs alongside her husband in their townhouse. She is highly defensive when questioned by Virginia about the past and the whereabouts of certain artwork.

Xavier is Finn's boyfriend in 1974. He lives comfortably with Finn at the Carlyle Hotel and is highly supportive of Ruby's artistic endeavors, encouraging the family to showcase her photography.

Ryan is a friendly Irish bartender working at Bemelmans Bar in 1974. His easy conversation brings Virginia comfort during a difficult evening, and he soon takes an interest in her daughter, Ruby, after she gets a job at the bar.

Winston is a warm, exceptionally knowledgeable Southern man who works as a clerk at the Grand Central information booth in 1974. He helps Virginia adjust to the rhythms of the terminal and frequently de-escalates tense social situations.

Doris is a caustic woman who wears an ill-fitting wig and works as a clerk at the Grand Central information booth. She shares the cramped workspace with Virginia and the other clerks.