Quiz Lady Cast & Character Guide

Summary

• Quiz Lady is a hilarious comedy with a star-studded cast, including Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, and Will Ferrell.
• The film follows an introverted game show fan who reluctantly becomes a contestant to pay off her mother’s gambling debts.
• Director Jessica Yu gathered a talented ensemble, including actors from Grey’s Anatomy, Saturday Night Live, and Wes Anderson films.

Quiz Lady is one of the funniest comedies of the year, and it has a cast full of hilarious comic actors bringing its zany characters to life. Released on Hulu, Quiz Lady has been well-received by critics and audiences alike. Quiz Lady revolves around an introverted game show fan who reluctantly becomes a contestant on her favorite show, Can’t Stop the Quiz, in order to win enough money to pay off her estranged mother’s gambling debts. Along the way, she teams up with her reckless older sister, which paves the way for a lucrative on-screen pairing of A-list talent in the lead roles.

Director Jessica Yu filled the Quiz Lady cast with great actors, including a comedy rapper who got her start on YouTube, a flagship star of Grey’s Anatomy, an iconic Saturday Night Live cast member, and a frequent collaborator of Wes Anderson. Even the supporting cast has recognizable faces in minor roles, like a star from Arrested Development, a voice actor from Futurama, and a co-host of the Yo, Is This Racist? podcast. There’s even a cameo appearance by the late, great Pee-wee Herman himself.

RELATED: Quiz Lady Ending Explained

Awkwafina As Anne Yum

Anne Yum, dubbed “Quiz Lady” due to a viral video of her rapidly answering questions from Can’t Stop the Quiz, is played by Awkwafina. Awkwafina first broke out as a YouTube star with the comedy rap video “My Vag,” which led to the release of her debut album, Yellow Ranger. Awkwafina stars as a fictionalized version of herself in the Comedy Central sitcom Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, which she co-created. She played Katy in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and voiced Scuttle in Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. She won a Golden Globe for her performance as grieving granddaughter Billi Wang in The Farewell.

Sandra Oh As Jenny Yum

Sandra Oh plays Anne’s older sister Jenny Yum, who’s wildly irresponsible but also deeply caring. Oh is best known for her iconic TV roles as Dr. Cristina Yang in the medical drama Grey’s Anatomy and Eve Polastri in the crime thriller series Killing Eve. Her previous film roles include Stephanie in Sideways, Patti in Under the Tuscan Sun, and Amanda in the horror film Umma, which she also executive produced. Oh has also lent her voice to animated roles like Ming Lee in Pixar’s Turning Red and Virana in Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon (which also featured Awkwafina in the role of Sisu).

Will Ferrell As Terry McTeer

Terry McTeer, the affable host of Can’t Stop the Quiz, is played by Will Ferrell. Ferrell first rose to fame as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. He collaborated with SNL alum Adam McKay to play film roles like Ron Burgundy in Anchorman, Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights, Brennan Huff in Step Brothers (all of which he co-wrote with McKay), and Detective Allen Gamble in The Other Guys. He also played Buddy in Elf, Frank the Tank in Old School, and the CEO of Mattel in Barbie. Ferrell’s contributions to comedy earned him the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, and Will Ferrell all served as producers on Quiz Lady in addition to starring.

Holland Taylor As Francine

Anne’s grumpy neighbor Francine, who bothers her every time she arrives home, is played by Holland Taylor. Taylor is best known for her turn as acid-tongued matriarch Evelyn Harper in the classic CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, which earned her four Emmy nominations. She won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Judge Roberta Kittleson on The Practice. Taylor’s other movie roles include Professor Elspeth Stromwell in Legally Blonde, Rose Holbrook in Baby Mama, Edith “Stormy” McClaren-Sheehan in To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, and The Great Leader in Bill & Ted Face the Music.

Jason Schwartzman As Ron Heacock

Jason Schwartzman plays Ron Heacock, the longest-standing contestant on Can’t Stop the Quiz and Anne’s personal rival. Schwartzman is best known for his collaborations with Wes Anderson, having played Max Fischer in Rushmore, Jack Whitman in The Darjeeling Limited (which he also co-wrote with Anderson and Roman Coppola), the voice of Ash Fox in Fantastic Mr. Fox, Cousin Ben in Moonrise Kingdom, M. Jean in The Grand Budapest Hotel, Hermes Jones in The French Dispatch, and the dual roles of Augie Steenbeck and Jones Hall in Asteroid City. He also starred as private detective Jonathan Ames in the HBO comedy series Bored to Death, which ran for three seasons.

Jon “Dumbfoundead” Park As Ken

Jon Park, better known by his stage name “Dumbfoundead,” appears in the Quiz Lady cast as Ken, the gangster who abducts Anne’s dog Mr. Linguini. Since starting his career as a prolific battle rapper in Los Angeles, Park has released such albums as DFD, Take the Stares, and Old Boy Jon. He’s become renowned for his witty lyrics with incisive social commentary. His other acting roles include the voice of Chai in Raya and the Last Dragon and Dylan in the 50 Cent-produced crime drama series Power. He previously appeared alongside Awkwafina when he played Doug in her show Awkwafina is Nora from Queens.

Quiz Lady Supporting Cast & Characters

Tawny Newsome as Mercedes: Tawny Newsome plays Mercedes in Quiz Lady. Newsome is known for playing Captain Angela Ali in Space Force, Chelsea Leight-Leigh in Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, and Beckett Mariner in Star Trek: Lower Decks. She’s also a singer in the band Four Lost Souls and co-hosts the podcast Yo, Is This Racist? with Andrew Ti.

Paul Reubens as Francine’s crush: Francine’s crush, who first appears in a framed photo before she meets him on a studio lot in Los Angeles, is played by Paul Reubens. This marked Reubens’ final film appearance before he passed away on July 30, 2023. Reubens is best known for creating and portraying the comedic icon Pee-wee Herman in various media.

Camrus Johnson as Trav: The role of Trav is played by Camrus Johnson. Johnson is best known for his recurring role as Luke Fox in the Batwoman TV series, and he also played Omar Hassabala in The Sun is Also a Star.

Angela Trimbur as Marge: Angela Trimbur appears in the Quiz Lady cast as Marge. Trimbur has previously played Madison in The Good Place, Elodie in Search Party, and Julie in Horse Girl.

Tony Hale as Ben Franklin: The concierge at the Benjamin Franklin-themed hotel where Anne and Jenny stay in Philadelphia is played by Tony Hale. Hale is most renowned for his iconic TV roles as Gary Walsh in Veep, which earned him two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, and Buster Bluth in Arrested Development.

Phil LaMarr as The Brain: The voice of “The Brain” in Quiz Lady is provided by Phil LaMarr. LaMarr is one of the most prolific voice actors in Hollywood, having voiced such roles as Hermes Conrad in Futurama, Wilt in Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, and the title character in Samurai Jack.