The true crime craze has made its way into the world of TV fiction with Peacock's new original series Based on a True Story, the latest fun take on the genre. This series from The Boys executive producer Craig Rosenberg follows a couple that tries to capitalize on America's obsession with murder by starting a podcast about a recent string of killings in their area, believing they know who the killer is and attempting to recruit him to do the podcast.
Helping to tell the story is the Based on a True Story cast, which features familiar names Kaley Cuoco and Chris Messina headlining the show, with a supporting cast of actors playing potential suspects and allies. But who is who?
Let's get to know the Based on a True Story cast a little bit more.
Kaley Cuoco as Ava Barlett
Ava is a pregnant, struggling realtor whose true passion is true crime. When she believes she knows who the currently at large Westside Ripper is, she has the idea to try to recruit the killer to be a part of the podcast.
Cuoco is best known for playing Penny on The Big Bang Theory, but has previous success with the thriller genre starring in the Max original series The Flight Attendant. The Emmy-nominated actress is also the voice of Harley Quinn in the popular animated series of the same name, as well as having starred in Meet Cute, The Wedding Ringer and 8 Simple Rules.
Chris Messina as Nathan Bartlett
Nathan is Ava's husband, a former tennis star who has turned to coaching, though this next phase of his career has not turned out like he had hoped. He is reluctant but ultimately agrees to help Ava with the podcast.
Chris Messina is having a busy 2023. Prior to the release of Based on a True Story, he starred in two movies this year, AIR and The Boogeyman. Among Messina's past credits are Gaslit, The Mindy Project, Sharp Objects, The Newsroom and Ruby Sparks.
Tom Bateman as Matt Pierce
Matt is a plumber that gets close with Ava and Nathan as they work on their podcast. He is played by Tom Bateman, who is best known to audiences for playing the character Bouc in both Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. He has also been seen in Thirteen Lives, Funny Woman, ITV's 2015 miniseries Jekyll and Hyde and Starz's Da Vinci's Demons.
Priscilla Quintana as Ruby Gale
Ruby is Ava and Nathan's friend, but one who is very opportunistic and has a few secrets she is keeping from them. Priscilla Quintana described her as a party girl whose moral compass may be a bit off.
Quintana's previous notable roles have been on the TV series Good Trouble and Pandora.
Liana Liberato as Tory Thompson
Tory is Ava's sister, who is currently living with Ava and Nathan. She is more casual and often tries to be the voice of reason in a given situation. Liana Liberator plays Tory, coming off a role in the recent Scream VI and previous roles in Light as a Feather and a multi-episode arc on Sons of Anarchy.
Other Based on a True Story cast members
Details on the characters being played by a number of other cast members are being kept under wraps, so you'll have to watch Based on a True Story to find out who they play. But here are the other actors expected to appear in the series:
- Natalie Dyer (Stranger Things) as Chloe
- Aisha Alfa (Good Trouble) as Carolyn
- Annabelle Dexter-Jones (Succession) as Serena
- Li Jun Li (Babylon) as Michelle
- Sebastian Quinn as Carlos
- Timm Sharp as Richard
- Yvonne Senat Jones as Jessie
- Miles Mussenden as Quincy
- Jessica St. Clair as Rochelle
- June Diane Raphael as Romy
- Lizzie Broadway as Dahlia
- Aaron Staton as Simon
- Alex Alomar Akpobome (Industry)
All episodes of Based on a True Story are available to stream on Peacock.
