CBS' Ghosts is an American remake of a popular British sitcom. Much like The Office and Shameless before it, it's become a highly-rated smash hit adored by audiences and critics alike. Joe Port and Joe Wiseman came on board from the original series across the pond to adapt the series for CBS and have served as showrunners of the American series for two seasons thus far. Ghosts follows married couple Samantha (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) as they inherit the Woodstone Estate, a beautiful mansion, from a distant relative of Sam's. Together, they have dreams of renovating an old home into a bed and breakfast, but upon arriving, Samantha discovers that many spirits are haunting the halls, and she's the only one that can interact with them.
If you're curious and want to learn more about the cast behind your favorite group of ghosts, look below to find out who's who in this spooky ensemble.
Rose McIver as Samantha “Sam” Arondekar
Sam Arondekar inherits a mansion from a distant relative, and although she has dreams of turning it into something grand, that bubble pops when she realizes that she can both see and speak to the ghosts in the mansion. She discovers that she has this ability because she once had a near-death experience. With this newfound ability and the support of her husband, Jay, Sam tries to help the ghosts out.
Sam is played by Rose McIver, who you may have previously seen eating brains and solving crimes as Olivia "Liv" Moore on The CW's iZombie, an adaptation of the comic book of the same name. She also had a starring role in Netflix's A Christmas Prince and the subsequent sequels The Royal Wedding and The Royal Baby. Here's what McIver told Collider about Ghosts Season 2 during San Diego Comic-Con 2022:
“There’s a deepening that has happened between the connections of everybody — between the ghosts within themselves and also the ghosts and the livings, and even Jay to the ghosts. I often say this; even though he doesn’t communicate with them directly, he understands them a lot better than Sam does some of the time. He’s more inclined to believe things. He’s more open-minded in a lot of ways. So I feel like the depth, and we’ve all professed love to each other now, that’s a pretty major way to go — [to Jones] you’ve professed a lot of love, actually. You and [Nigel]. So there’s a lot this season we kind of get to unpack further and further.”
Utkarsh Ambudkar as Jay Arondekar
Utkarsh Ambudkar plays the hilarious chef Jay Arondekar, Sam's loving and supportive husband. Unfortunately, he cannot see the ghosts in their new mansion. Initially, the supernatural presence in their house freaks him out, and he doesn't believe Sam until after she has a freak accident and slips into a coma. But slowly, he starts to accept the ghosts and even goes on to play D&D with them.
Ambudkar is known for his film roles in Pitch Perfect, Blindspotting, and Free Guy alongside Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, and Joe Keery. He also has had roles in television shows, including The Mindy Project, White Famous, Never Have I Ever, and The Dropout. He's also shown off his improv skills on Ghosts and continues to be one of the funniest actors to watch on the show. Next up for Ambudkar, he will be starring as King Bumi in the live-action remake of Avatar: The Last Airbender, set to be released on Netflix in 2023.
Brandon Scott Jones as Captain Isaac Higgintoot
Noticeable to the living as a foul passing order, Captain Isaac Higgintoot is a former American revolution officer who passed away from dysentery two weeks after the siege of Fort Ticonderoga. Unfortunately, his American Revolution legacy was forgotten. But even in this afterlife of relative anonymity, Higgintoot struggles with his closeted sexuality. He didn't come from a time in which he could be openly gay but comes out with the help of his fellow ghost, Hetty.
Played with comedic flair, Brandon Scott Jones brings the prim and proper gentleman ghost to life. Brandon Scott Jones has previously starred in the Rebel Wilson rom-com Isn't It Romantic?. He also co-wrote and starred in another Rebel Wilson film for Netflix, Senior Year. Ghosts was his breakout role, for which he received a Critic's Choice Award nomination. Jones is also set to appear in the vampire horror-comedy Renfield in an as-yet-undisclosed role.
Danielle Pinnock as Alberta Haynes
A former Prohibition-era jazz singer with joie de vivre, Alberta Hynes, uses Sam's help to find out how she really died. Sam does some investigating and discovers that Alberta's death was caused by poisoned moonshine. When she was alive, Alberta played dirty to get to the top and often threw her rivals under the bus, leading her to develop a few enemies. While humming sweet melodies, Alberta can be heard by not only the living but Alexa devices as well. She is played by Danielle Pinnock, who made her television debut in an episode of This Is Us. She went on to star in a multi-episode arc for CBS's Young Sheldon, but Ghosts is by far her most popular role yet. Here's what Pinnock said during an episode of Collider Ladies Night Pre-Party about Alberta's murder and where that arc could go next:
“For the 100 years that she's been there, she's been telling the ghosts that she thinks she's murdered, and they've been gaslighting her the whole time. I mean, Hetty’s like, ‘Sis, you died of a heart attack. Leave it alone.’ And a lot of these ghosts probably were there when it happened, so I’m curious to see, as we get farther along in the episodes, which ghost knows more information than what they're telling.”
Richie Moriarity as Pete Martino
Richie Moriarty plays Pete Martino, a sweet, cheerful, and socially inept Pinecone Trooper leader. He died in 1985 after one of his troops accidentally discharged an arrow and shot him in the neck. He harbors an unrequited crush on songstress Alberta. Moriarty has had appearances in several television shows, including Orange Is The New Black, Search Party, House of Cards, and What We Do In The Shadows. His role in Ghosts marks the first main character he's played in a live-action television show.
Asher Grodman as Trevor Lefkowitz
The youngest of the group of ghosts haunting the mansion, Trevor is a hedonistic, wealthy former Wall Street tycoon who died from an accidental drug overdose. Notably, his dead body was found pantsless. Because of his recent death, Trevor can interact with the living to a limited degree if he concentrates enough.
Like many of his fellow castmates, Ghosts is Asher Grodman's first series regular role in a television series. Before the show, Grodman had guest-starring roles on HBO's Succession and Netflix's House of Cards. He wrote, directed, and produced the short film The Train (2015), which starred Academy Award winner Eli Wallach in his final performance and was featured in multiple film festivals, including the Vancouver International Film Festival.
Sheila Carrasco as Susan "Flower" Montero
Sheila Carrasco plays Flower, a charming, happy-go-lucky hippie who unfortunately met her end when she tried to befriend a bear while she was under the influence of psychedelics. The bear, sadly, mauled her to death. Passing through her makes the living instantly high. Previously, Carrasco starred in a multi-episode arc on Jane the Virgin and the Snap Original #VanLife.
Devan Chandler Long as Thorfinn
Thorfinn, also referred to as Thor, was a Viking and is the oldest ghost on the estate. Thousands of years ago, he once set out on an expedition to North America. His journey was cut short after he was struck by lightning and abandoned by his crew. He can make lights flicker in the land of the living. His two favorite things to talk about are fighting and seafood.
Devan Chandler Long brings an infectious energy to our favorite Viking. Before his acting career, he almost played in the NFL. An injury dashed his dreams of playing pro football. Since then, he's pivoted to acting to great success, especially with his series-regular role in Ghosts.
Rebecca Wisocky as Hetty Woodstone
As played by Rebecca Wisocky, Hetty Woodstone is the exacting self-proclaimed lady of the house. She's also the original owner of the Woodstone Estate, Sam's great-great-great-great grandmother. When she was alive, Hetty was snooty and frowned upon working-class folk, partially because her husband cheated on her with their maid.
Before Ghosts, Wisocky had a series-regular role on Lifetime's Devious Maids and a recurring role in The Mentalist. Recently, she appeared in Netflix's controversial Marilyn Monroe movie Blonde and David O. Russell's Amsterdam alongside Christian Bale and Margot Robbie.
Román Zaragoza as Sasappis/"Sass"
Sass was a member of the Lenape tribe with a penchant for cynicism. The Native American is often left to be the voice of reason among the ghosts, but he secretly enjoys stirring the pot and starting drama. Sam helps him establish a long-distance relationship with his former crush, Shiki (Crystle Lightning), a ghost stuck in a magazine office in town. Román Zaragoza previously starred on ABC's Stumptown and Disney Channel's Austin & Ally, but Ghosts ultimately allowed Zaragoza to shine.
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