The biggest TV show of 2023 so far is undeniably Kaleidoscope — the new Netflix heist show, released on New Year's Day, quickly jumped up to the top spot in the streaming service's most-viewed lists in many regions.
Kaleidoscope's gimmick is that, beyond being your average heist show, you can watch its episodes in any order and the story will still make sense. While we do have a guide on the best Kaleidoscope order here, you've got lots of freedom in how you enjoy the show.
One side-effect of this, though, is that you might meet the cast of the heist in a different order to another viewer, and so you might be confused about who's who. The character's backstory might end up happening in the final episode for you.
To make things easier, check out this Kaleidoscope cast guide, and we'll introduce you to the characters (and actors). Don't worry — you'll get no spoilers here, though if you want to understand the show better, we've got a Kaleidoscope ending explainer here.
Giancarlo Esposito as Leo Pap
Leo Pap — or Ray Vernon, the character's real name — is ostensibly the leader of the heist crew, with many of the other characters working for him. He has a bone to pick with Salas, his long-time rival, making this score personal.
You may recognize Esposito, as he's one of the most famous members of the cast. Arguably his biggest role is as drug lord Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul but he's touched many other big franchises too — he's been in The Mandalorian, The Boys, Westworld and Community.
Esposito frequently plays the villain, making his role as a main character here a nice change. Well, if you can call someone stealing millions of dollars a "hero".
Rufus Sewell as Roger Salas
Leo Pap's nemesis is Roger Salas, his ex-partner who now runs a security firm that's working to prevent the heist — you can see why they're not friends anymore! However, even though Salas is now on the side of the law, that doesn't mean he acts lawfully, making him a dangerous adversary.
Salas is played by Rufus Sewell, a British actor who shares his initials with his character. Sewell is prolific, both on stage and screen, and you may recognize him from recurring roles in TV shows The Man in the High Castle, Eleventh Hour or The Pillars of the Earth, or roles in movies like The Father, Old and Judy.
Paz Vega as Ava Mercer
One of the members of Pap's crew, Ava Mercer is the team's weapons expert but also works as a lawyer outside of the team — her wardrobe evidently contains bulletproof suits as well as lawsuits.
Paz Vega is a popular Spanish actress, and lots of her performances, like recurring roles in TV shows 7 vidas, La Hermandad or the Spanish variation of The Masked Singer, are in her native country and language.
However she's acted in some English-language films too including Rambo: Last Blood, Kill The Messenger and Madagascar 3.
Rosaline Elbay as Judy Goodwin
Every good heist needs some explosions, and in Kaleidoscope, Judy Goodwin is the person to make that happen, acting as the explosives expert for Pap's crew.
Egyptian-born Elbay doesn't have as many credited roles as her co-stars, and her biggest role for western audiences will be a recurring role in Hulu original Ramy. She's also a screenwriter.
Jai Courney as Bob Goodwin
As well as an explosives expert, most heists need a safe cracked too, and that job falls to Bob Goodwin. Yes, as the name suggests, he's married to Judy Goodwin.
Likely a familiar face to many, Australian Jai Courtney is a pretty prolific Hollywood staple, with major roles in Suicide Squad, The Suicide Squad, Divergent, Terminator Genisys, Jack Reacher and A Good Day to Die Hard, as well as many other movies. He's not as prolific in the TV space, with Kaleidoscope marking his largest number of episodes in a single show in over a decade.
Tati Gabrielle as Hannah Kim
Hannah Kim marks a major complication in Leo Pap's heist. She's his daughter, but she also works for for Salas, as she's the head of digital security at his firm. So is she a potential ally or Pap's worst enemy? Watch and find out!
Gabrielle will be recognized by fans of The 100, as she acted in many episodes of the popular sci-fi show, but she's also been in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, You season 3 and Uncharted.
Peter Mark Kendall as Stan Loomis
One of Pap's oldest allies in the crew (y'know, apart from his rival and daughter, who are both now against him), Loomis is a smuggler who used to share a jail cell with Pap, and now works as part of the crew.
Kendall is primarily a television actor, with major roles in Strange Angel and Chicago Med, but smaller parts in Gothan, The Americans, The Leftovers and more. Saying that, he's been in a few movies, most recently Top Gun: Maverick playing an engineer in the first scene who helps Tom Cruise's Maverick test the Mach 10 jet.
