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An Oscar Nominee, A Community Star — Meet the Cast of the New Thriller Apples Never Fall
The Delaneys have the perfect life until matriarch Joy mysteriously disappears in Apples Never Fall. Find out who will bring the mystery to life.
From the outside, they look like the perfect American family, but the Delaneys have their secrets.
Those secrets — and more — will be exposed in Peacock’s new upcoming limited series Apples Never Fall, based on Liane Moriarty’s best-selling novel of the same name.
The seven-part limited series, set to premiere March 14, will be led by a star-studded cast including Annette Bening, Sam Neill, Jake Lacy, Alison Brie, and more, who will bring the twisted family tale to life with an honest portrayal of a family’s complex dynamics.
What is Apples Never Fall?
The story centers on former tennis coaches Stan (Sam Neill) and Joy (Annette Bening). The couple has sold their successful tennis academy, and with their four children grown, they are looking forward to embarking on their golden retirement years, according to a press release from the network.
But those plans are interrupted when a mysterious stranger knocks on their door. When Joy suddenly vanishes, her four adult children “are forced to re-examine their parents’ so-called perfect marriage as their family’s darkest secrets begin to surface.”
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“Apples Never Fall is Liane Moriarty at her very best and I am immensely grateful and proud that she has given me the opportunity to bring it to the screen. Watching the Delaney family — whose perfect veneer masks a myriad of secrets — as they begin to unravel is at times wickedly funny, at others tender and moving, but always gripping,” said executive producer David Heyman. “Liane's characters are vivid, complex and the story she tells is about how those we hold dearest can hurt us the most. These all seemed to me like ingredients for compelling television. And our sensational showrunner Melanie Marnich, along with our incredible cast led by Annette Bening and Sam Neill have brought the book to life in the most thrilling and affecting way.”
Who does Annette Bening play on Apples Never Fall?
Annette Bening will take on the role of the family matriarch, Joy.
“Joy has a lot of contradictions. She has a lot of secrets. She has a lot of discoveries about herself that she makes through the story,” Bening said of taking on the role. “She’s in a pressure cooker of her own making. In a way, I guess we all are. We make our choices.”
As for Joy, Bening said the character made choices in her life that “didn’t serve her in the long run” and she’s now trying to work through who she is and the decisions she made.
Complex characters are nothing new for Bening, who has been nominated five times for an Academy Award, including a nomination this year for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of determined swimmer Diana Nyad in Nyad.
Bening has also earned past Academy Award nominations for her work in The Kids Are All Right, Being Julia, American Beauty, and The Grifters. Apples Never Fall is her first television role in 20 years. She called the project “a joy.”
“I’ve never done a limited series before so the idea of having seven episodes in which to tell the story was exciting,” she said.
Bening is married to fellow actor Warren Beaty.
Who does Sam Neill play in Apples Never Fall?
Sam Neill will star in the limited series as Stan Delaney, the family patriarch.
“I was drawn to this family that, like most families, has its dysfunctionality,” Neill said of what attracted him to the role. “This is a family that has been presented with some formidable challenges, not the least of them being a mysterious stranger who turns up at the door and turns everything on its head. It’s been great to become completely absorbed in this world.”
Many may know Neill from his iconic role as Dr. Alan Grant in the 1990s dinosaur-themed thriller Jurassic Park, but the versatile actor has more than 150 acting credits to his name.
Some of his past films include The Piano, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Bicentennial Man, The Zookeeper, and Wimbledon. He also played Inspector Chester Campbell in Peaky Blinders and recently appeared in the television mini-series The Twelve.
Who does Jake Lacy play in Apples Never Fall?
Jake Lacy will embody a whole new character in Apples Never Fall, when he takes on the role of Stan and Joy’s older son, Troy Delaney.
Lacy is no stranger to acting. The Office fans might recognize him from his role as Pete Miller in the show’s final season. He’s also appeared on shows like The White Lotus and Friend of The Family, as well as movies like Obvious Child, Carol, and Love the Coopers.
Lacy was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his work in the first season of The White Lotus.
Who does Alison Brie play in Apples Never Fall?
Versatile actress Alison Brie will play Amy Delaney, the older daughter of Stan and Joy.
Over the years, Brie has perfectly encapsulated a wide range of characters whether it was the female wrestler Ruth Wilder in GLOW or uptight community college student Annie during her long-run on the sitcom Community. The actress, producer, and writer — who is married to fellow actor Dave Franco — also appeared in Promising Young Women, Freelance, Somebody I Used to Know, and The Lego Movie.
She received a Golden Globe award nomination in 2019 for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series for her work in GLOW.
Who does Conor Merrigan-Turner play in Apples Never Fall?
Conor Merrigan-Turner will take on the role of Logan Delaney, the younger son of Stan and Joy.
Merrigan-Turner got his start in acting in 2016 in the television mini-series Tomorrow, When the War Began. He’s also appeared in Thai Cave Rescue and three short films: Max, Shattered, and Peanut.
Who Does Essie Randles Play in Apples Never Fall?
Relative newcomer Essie Randles has been cast as Brooke Delaney, the youngest daughter of Stan and Joy.
Aside from her role in the Peacock mystery, Randle has also appeared in Speedway and the short films Cut and Through Grace.
Who Does Georgia Flood Play in Apples Never Fall?
Georgia Flood will take on the role of the mysterious stranger, Savannah.
“The trick to casting Savannah was to make sure we understand why Joy and Stan open their door to her,” Marnich said in the press materials. “It had to be someone who could convey innocence without feeling performative. Georgia is such a pro and she, Annette and Sam found the perfect tone for their connection.”
Flood is perhaps best known for her TV series roles on Anzac Girls, Wentworth, Home and Away, Here Come the Habibs!, Tangle, and House Husbands. She also appeared in the 2021 holiday movie, The Dog Days of Christmas.
