‘The Residence’: Meet Uzo Aduba’s Cordelia Cupp & Other Key Characters From the White House Whodunit
Preview
Netflix‘s latest Shondaland series, The Residence poses the question, what if you set the game clue against the backdrop of the White House?
Helmed by showrunner Paul William Davies, who previously tackled courtroom dynamics with For the People and D.C. drama with Scandal, this latest series introduces a new kind of investigator in Uzo Aduba‘s Cordelia Cupp. A consulting detective for the Metropolitan Police Department, Cordelia is brought in to solve a potential murder when one individual winds up dead amid a state dinner.
But what spawned this White House murder mystery? Taking inspiration from Kate Andersen Brower’s 2016 book, The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House, Davies says, “Shonda [Rhimes] and Betsy [Beers] gave me the book years ago and asked if I had something that I could think of to do with it in terms of a show, but I didn’t quite know. And then weirdly, one night, I was doing extra research on the White House staff, and I stumbled into this C-Span video of the then-White House chief usher testifying before the Senate Banking Committee about some boxes in the White House.”
As Davies recalls, “[The usher was] talking about the different rooms on the third floor of the White House. The game room, the music room, and the solarium. And as he was talking, I was like, ‘Oh wait, this is a Clue board.'”
And so, Davies got to the drawing board, bringing to life a large ensemble of suspects for Cordelia to cross-examine alongside FBI-appointed agent, Edwin Park (Randall Park). But as much as The Residence is a White House whodunit, it is also a love letter to the residence and its plethora of workers.
“The project started with reading about the funny and almost farcical stories, and then other times really heartwarming or sometimes heartbreaking stories about the lives of the people that work there and the work they do and the relationships they have with each other and with the administrations that come and go,” Davies tells TV Insider. “And I really wanted to honor that and tell as many of those stories as I could in a way that was fun and in service of the fun mystery that we’re [solving].”
Below, Davies, Aduba, Park, and more break down the need-to-know characters from this must-see mystery.
The Residence, Series Premiere, Thursday, March 20, Netflix
Cordelia Cupp (Uzo Aduba)
A consulting detective, Cordelia is called up to investigate a mysterious death at the White House on the evening of a state dinner with Australia visiting. Extremely confident, an astute observer, and an avid birder, Cordelia’s one of the most sought-after detectives, so, what makes her tick?
“One of the things about Cordelia that I think makes her extraordinary is her comfort in silence about how she will just let people fill the void, and she has no need to make things less comfortable for other people,” Davies teases.
One of her methods is to let people ramble and let their nerves get the best of them so they can spill more details.
“It was very clear to me that she only needed a thread of information for her to be able to start putting pieces together very quickly, and that was in the way [Paul] had written her responses to clues and her processing of information was much faster than anybody else’s,” Aduba recalls of learning about Cordelia through the script. “It was really clear to me how she downloaded information very quickly.”
In terms of getting into character, Aduba relied on her costume, “I understood through Lyn Paolo’s design that [Cordelia] was a woman who would not fit into this world, but also that she was a woman who was fine and probably moved through life not fitting into any worlds and that she did that entirely comfortably. “
Edwin Park (Randall Park)
Meanwhile, Randall Park’s FBI agent, Edwin Park, is assigned to work alongside Cordelia as she tries to unravel the mystery at hand, but while she’s puzzle-solving, Edwin is the skeptic.
“The focus is so much on her, and yet he’s there all the time,” Davies teases of the dynamic. “It would be easy to get lost in that, and yet, he fills the screen because of the subtle precision of his reactions. And to me, they’re so complimentary that way.”
Though he may get on Cordelia’s nerves from time to time, Park says, “So much of Edwin Park is just listening and absorbing and literally learning. At the beginning of their relationship, when Cordelia is so sharp and cutting, it almost changes the way I react because the way [Uzo] does it is so unique and so her and so it really locked me in,” the actor teases.
Larry Dokes (Isiah Whitlock Jr.)
As for Isiah Whitlock Jr., he plays the Metropolitan Police Department chief and is described as “affable” and “loyal,” particularly to Cordelia who works with his department. “He’s a really important part of [Cordelia’s] ability to work in the way that she does because she knows that she’s got this person with her who gets her and supports her and can be kind honest with her,” Davies reveals. “He is so funny.”
Jasmine Haney (Susan Kelechi Watson)
Jasmine (Susan Kelechi Watson) is one of the first characters viewers meet in this carefully crafted world. The White House assistant usher, Jasmine is determined to do the job assigned to her, but that doesn’t stifle the ambition she has to ascend to the role of chief usher. When Cordelia is brought in to investigate the mysterious death that kicks off this series, Jasmine is the one to tour her around the house.
“It feels like we get a really great introduction into what the tone is gonna be,” Watson teases of her introduction in the show. “You meet all types of characters, everybody in the house essentially, and Jasmine is like the tour guide for all of that. So I loved her from the moment that I met her,” Watson gushes. Noting that from the first fifteen pages she read of the script, “I was in love. I was like, ‘I don’t know who she is, but I want to play her.'”
Harry Hollinger (Ken Marino)
Meanwhile, Ken Marino makes quite an impression as the president’s oldest friend and closest advisor, Harry Hollinger, described as a “smooth, cunning operator,” Harry is a smart and calculated man with a range of responsibilities both known and unknown. Whether he’s a key suspect or not, Marino teases, “I think you should keep a close eye on everybody.” At the same time, he adds, “It was very nice to lean into the belligerent a-hole that Harry is. It’s fun.”
Senator Aaron Filkins (Al Franken)
A senior senator from Washington State, Aaron Filkins is played by comic performer and real-life Senator Al Franken, who is leading the congressional hearing surrounding the death that occurred on the night of the Australian state dinner. While his objective is to investigate potential security failures at the White House, he’s playing offensive against colleague Margery Bay Bix (Eliza Coupe) while trying to appease Harry Hollinger.
Funnily enough, the character’s name, despite having the same initials as Franken wasn’t an intentional thing. “That name does actually predate [his casting],” Davies says. “That was just a total coincidence. Maybe in some weird deep recesses of my mind, I was hoping we’d get Al Franken, but honestly, I didn’t think much about who that was going to be until we got further along.”
As for Franken, taking on the role meant surrendering to the script, in other words, he didn’t offer any insider input surrounding his onscreen senator role. As for the juxtaposition, viewers will see from his character over the course of the season, Franken teases, “Senators are like one thing in hearings and another thing in their office, and I think that’s where you see me play the real character, in the office.”
Senator Margery Bay Bix (Eliza Coupe)
Butting heads with Franken onscreen is Eliza Coupe’s Margery Bay Bix, who is a junior senator from Colorado. Relentless in her line of questioning, she’s both charasmatic and righteous. Margery’s voice rings loud over the congressional hearing, as she goes toe-to-toe with Aaron and anyone who gets in the way of her line of questioning.
A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito)
Giancarlo Esposito takes on the role of chief usher in the White House, playing A.B. Wynter, a man who has worked in the political abode for 21 years, first as the assistant usher before ascending to his current role. A.B.’s approach to the job which could be likened to a general manager if the White House were a hotel, is that of efficiency and meticulousness with a loyalty to the institution he’s representing.
Kylie Minogue (Herself)
Kylie Minogue steps in to play herself. According to Davies, she “was always Kylie,” in the script, “and then we were lucky enough to get Kylie.” An Australian, Minogue’s role revolves around the state dinner that happens to be hosting her country.
President Perry Morgan (Paul Fitzgerald)
Paul Fitzgerald steps in to play the president of the United States, Perry Morgan. Throwing the state dinner for Australia, Perry is a “generally decent guy,” but he can come across as intense and a bit obsessive. Despite his strengths, he’s generally disliked by one particular family member, his mother-in-law.
Elliot Morgan (Barrett Foa)
Barrett Foa portrays the first gentleman, Elliot Morgan, husband to the president, he’s a little on the outs when it comes to knowing the social culture of Washington or the expectations of his role in the White House. In more simple terms, he’s in over his head, as he communicates with the staff within the walls of the White House.
Tripp Morgan (Jason Lee)
Playing the president’s younger brother, Jason Lee portrays Tripp Morgan, a man who suffered a tough upbringing after always being compared to his over-achieving sibling. Having never found his footing in life, he’s trying to get on track by living in the White House. And as Davies puts it, “He is somebody to look forward to.”
Lilly Schumacher (Molly Griggs)
Molly Griggs portrays the social secretary, Lilly Schumacher. The daughter of a wealthy casino magnate, she’s described as a rising star as a socialite, influencer, and host who wants to be the most important person in the life of the White House since Jackie Kennedy. Seeking to put her stamp on the residence, she’s in charge of planning events, including the all-important state dinner.
Nan Cox (Jane Curtin)
Saturday Night Live vet Jane Curtin plays the first mother-in-law, Nan Cox. The mother of Elliot Morgan, Nan also lives in the White House because of health issues, and she’s very obviously not a fan of Perry, believing her son is too good for the president. She has a penchant for vodka, often sending butlers out to pick up the beverage for her despite, Perry and Elliot’s efforts to prevent it.
Sheila Cannon (Edwina Findley)
Edwina Findley portrays White House butler, Sheila Cannon who has an indisputably big personality that is immediately felt upon meeting her in the show. Described as, “fun, exuberant, enthusiastic,” Sheila is beloved by the prior administration, and her high-spirited approach is in direct conflict with her boss’s more subdued approach, as well as the first family occasionally.
Marvella (Mary Wiseman)
The White House’s executive chef, Marvella, is played by Mary Wiseman, who embodies the role with plenty of ferocity. Marvella is the former chef of a legendary food truck which skyrocketed her fame in the food industry, leading to a pivotal encounter with the Morgans, which landed her the position she has now. Interested in experimentation in the kitchen, Marvella’s methods include fermentation and smoking, and she loves a very sharp knife. The “visionary” is both organized and temperamental.
Didier Gotthard (Bronson Pinchot)
Working opposite Marvella, Bronson Pinchot‘s White House executive pastry chef, Didier Gotthard has quite a different background from his colleague as he was raised and trained in Switzerland. The former pastry chef at the famed luxury hotel Badrutt’s Palace in St. Mortiz, Didier has had quite an adjustment coming to the White House. Overtly formal, Didier is a perfectionist in his craft.
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