Share and Follow
HBO‘s new Sunday night show Task features Mark Ruffalo as Tom Brandis, a former priest-turned-FBI agent trying to hunt down Robbie Prendergrast (Tom Pelphrey), a working class family man who has been robbing gang houses late at night. Task also pans out to examine the lives of everyone Tom and Robbie touch, from their children to their colleagues, and even their nemeses. As you might expect, Task‘s ensemble cast is chock full of iconic stars of stage and screen, hip up-and-comers, and beloved character actors.
The Task cast features actors you might know from other HBO shows like House of the Dragon and Looking, recents awards season hits like CODA and Saltburn, and even modern classics like The Goonies.
Where have you seen the young faces populating Tom’s task force before? Why do the villainous Dark Hearts seem so familiar? And where else can you see the Task cast?
Mark Ruffalo as Tom Brandis
When we meet FBI agent Tom Brandis, he’s in a dark place thanks to some horrifying family drama. He’s pulled off a cushy gig manning career fairs for the Bureau when his boss needs someone she can trust leading a new Task Force. Tom is also a former priest and an avid birdwatcher.
Mark Ruffalo is a two-time Emmy winner and four-time Oscar-nominee who is perhaps best known for playing Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk, in the MCU. Ruffalo has appeared in past HBO shows I Know This Much is True and The Normal Heart. His most recent film work includes appearances in Mickey 17 and Poor Things.
Tom Pelphrey as Robbie Prendergrast
Robbie Prendergrast is a down-on-his-luck trash collector from the working class suburbs of Philly. We learn in the first episode that his wife has abandoned him with his kids and he’s living with his beloved late brother’s adult daughter, Maeve. Robbie and his friends have been hitting local gang houses, stealing vast amounts of cash after major drug deals. His actions attract the attention of the authorities, thus launching Tom’s Task Force
Tom Pelphrey is an American actor who has appeared in shows like Ozark, Outer Range, Love & Death, A Man in Full, and even Marvel’s Iron Fist.
Emilia Jones as Maeve Prendergrast
Maeve Prendergrast is Robbie’s niece. With Robbie’s wife gone, care for the kids and maintenance of the house falls to her. Maeve has a day job working at a local arcade and can often be seen calling Robbie out on his bullshit.
Emilia Jones is an English actress who starred in the Oscar-winning film CODA. Since then, she’s appeared in indie films like Cat Person and Reality. You can catch her this fall in Edgar Wright’s adaptation of The Running Man.
Jamie McShane as Perry Dorazo
Perry Dorazo is one of the higher-ranking members of the motorcycle gang, the Dark Hearts. We learn later in Task that he was instrumental in paving the way for Jayson Wilkes’s rise to prominence within the organization. As Robbie begins hitting more and more of the gang’s houses, tension ramps up between our band of lovable Robin Hoods and the Dark Hearts.
Jamie McShane is an American actor you might recognize from one of his countless TV and film roles, including Sons of Anarchy, Bloodline, Gone Girl, and CSI: Vegas. However, you probably know him best as Sheriff Galpin in the Netflix hit Wednesday.
Sam Keeley as Jayson Wilkes
Jayson Wilkes is the local chapter leader of the Dark Hearts, operating the drug trade in the working class suburbs of Philly. As Robbie becomes a bigger and bigger problem for him, his hold on power becomes more and more tenuous.
Sam Keeley is an Irish actor who has appeared in movies like Megan Leavey and William Tell, as well as shows like The English Game and Kin.
Thuso Mbedu as Aleah Clinton
Aleah Clinton is one of the young officers assigned to the task force that Tom Brandis takes over. We’ll learn more about Aleah over the course of the season, but our first impressions of her are of a buttoned up, organized, and serious young woman.
Thuso Mbedu is a South African actress who became a big deal in her native country when she starred as Winnie in the hit teen drama Is’thunzi. Mbedu then became an international name when Barry Jenkins tapped her to star as Cora in his adaptation of The Underground Railroad. Since then, she’s appeared in The Woman King and Mufasa: The Lion King. She’s currently working on the adaptation of Children of Blood and Bone.
Fabien Frankel as Anthony Grasso
Anthony Grasso comes to the task force with the most expertise in dealing with Philadelphia gangs and drug enforcement. He’s confident and initially seems to be the most capable member of the team.
Fabien Frankel is an English actor who is probably best-known for playing Ser Criston Cole on HBO’s House of the Dragon. He’s also appeared in Netflix’s The Serpent and was tapped to play Theo Sipowicz in the scrapped NYPD Blue reboot.
Alison Oliver as Lizzie Stover
Lizzie Stover is a State Trooper going through a divorce when she joins the Task Force. Unlike Aleah, she arrives disheveled, distracted, and ill-prepared.
Alison Oliver made her splashy screen debut starring in the Hulu’s Sally Rooney adaptation Conversations With Friends. Since then, she’s worked a bunch on stage in London and become part of Emerald Fennell’s stable of hip actors, appearing in Saltburn and next year’s Wuthering Heights.
Raúl Castillo as Cliff Broward
Cliff Broward is Robbie’s best friend and his most trusted partner in his crew. Like Robbie, Cliff is loyal and kind-hearted. The two buddies work together on the same trash collection route, scoping out potential houses to hit.
Raúl Castillo is an American actor and writer known for his work on Looking and its subsequent movie, Atypical, Seven Seconds, and films like Smile 2, Army of the Dead, and Hustle.
Silvia Dionicio as Emily Brandis
Emily Brandis is Tom’s teenaged daughter. When we first meet her, it’s clear that father and daughter have an uneasy relationship. As the show goes on, we learn that the situation is far more tragic and complex than your typical rebellious teen/awkward parent set up.
Silvia Dionicio is a Dominican-American actress and musician who has previously appeared in shows like New Amsterdam, Chicago P.D. and FBI: Most Wanted.
Martha Plimpton as Kathleen McGinty
Kathleen McGinty is Tom’s boss at the FBI and one of his staunchest supporters. She’s no-nonsense, unsentimental, and eager to see him get back on his proverbial feet.
Martha Plimpton is an actress, singer, and activist who started performing as a kid. In her youth, she was known for her work in The Goonies and The Mosquito Coast. Recently, she appeared in The Regime, Prime Target, and Sprung.