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Adapting the “Twisted Metal” video game series into a television show seemed like an unusual decision, particularly since the franchise had been dormant for seven years with no new installments on the horizon. Yet, when “Twisted Metal” premiered on Peacock in July 2023, it unexpectedly won over both fans and critics. Looper praised the series as a “high-octane adaptation,” commending its exceptional cast.
Peacock
The immediate success led to a quick renewal for a second season, which was released in July 2025, introducing a slew of new characters. Among them was Vermin, a particularly unnerving driver portrayed by a disguised Lisa Gilroy. Vermin is a contestant obsessed with insects, sporting decaying skin and yellowing teeth, and is notorious for her unpleasant aroma. Her discomforting presence is only amplified by her habit of invading others’ personal space, ensuring everyone gets a whiff of her Vermin-like aura.
Viewers often find themselves curious about the actors behind grotesque TV villains, especially when the makeup team excels in crafting unsettling appearances. So, what does Lisa Gilroy, who embodies Vermin in “Twisted Metal” Season 2, really look like?
For those whose social media feeds lean towards stand-up comedy, Lisa Gilroy’s true appearance might already be familiar. Her comedic clips started gaining traction online around 2022, revealing a striking, blonde, blue-eyed performer with a radiant smile, starkly different from her character Vermin’s grim visage.
If comedy isn’t your scene, you might recognize Gilroy from her other acting endeavors, where she appears sans the unsettling makeup. She portrayed Alyssasays on the 2023 Netflix series “Glamorous,” a role worlds apart from her “Twisted Metal” character. Additionally, she plays detective Sarah Green in the Hulu action-comedy “Interior Chinatown.” Her other credits include appearances in “The Studio,” “Black Mirror,” “Jury Duty,” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” as well as voicing multiple roles on the animated show “Solar Opposites.”
Lisa Gilroy is a far cry from Vermin in real life
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
Those whose social media algorithms are geared toward clips of stand-up comedians are likely already well aware of what Lisa Gilroy looks like, as a number of clips from her various stage routines first began going viral around 2022. And those people already know that the gorgeous, blonde-haired, blue-eyed Gilroy — and her bright smile of very much not yellow teeth — couldn’t look any more different than Vermin.
If stand-up comedy isn’t your orbit, then you may have seen Gilroy in some of her other acting roles, where she’s not covered in grotesque makeup. She played the recurring character Alyssasays on the 2023 Netflix series “Glamorous,” which couldn’t be more different than her “Twisted Metal” role, and she’s also detective Sarah Green on the Hulu action-comedy series “Interior Chinatown.” She’s also appeared in “The Studio,” “Black Mirror,” “Jury Duty,” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” while also voicing multiple characters on the animated series “Solar Opposites.”
As for video game TV shows you should check out next after “Twisted Metal,” another one starring Gilroy herself might be on that list soon enough. In April 2024, she was among the voice cast announced for the upcoming animated adaptation of classic Sega beat-em-up franchise “Golden Axe.” Gilroy will be playing Tyris Flare, the longtime main female protagonist of the franchise. “Golden Axe” will air on Comedy Central, though no release window has been announced as of yet.