‘Grotesquerie’ Cast: Meet the Actors and Where You’ve Seen Them

Niecy Nash is ‘that girl’ right now! She first gained worldwide recognition for her role as Deputy Raineesha Williams in the Comedy Central series “Reno 911!,” a parody of the reality show “Cops.” She later hosted the Style Network show “Clean House,” for which she won a Daytime Emmy Award.

From 2013 to 2015, Nash starred in HBO’s “Getting On,” alongside Laurie Metcalf and Alex Borstein. The series follows the lives of staff members caring for elderly patients in a frail care unit. Nash portrayed Didi, a returning nurse at the hospital, and received two consecutive Emmy nominations for her performance, showcasing a different side of her talent in this dark comedy.

Nash has collaborated with Academy Award winner Ava DuVernay in the films “Selma” and “Origin,” as well as the limited series “When They See Us,” for which she received another Emmy nomination.

Niecy finally got her flowers when she won a well-deserved Emmy for her role in the miniseries “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.” Now, she reunites with frequent collaborator Ryan Murphy in “Grotesquerie,” where she plays Lois Tryon, the lead detective on a disturbing murder case. In the role, she battles her inner demons while uncovering the motive behind the gruesome crime.

Take a look at her show-stopping castmates!

Courtney B. Vance is a veteran actor with a distinguished career on both screen and stage. After training at the Yale School of Drama, he made his Broadway debut in August Wilson’s “Fences,” earning his first Tony nomination for his performance alongside industry titan James Earl Jones, who originated the role of Troy Maxson on Broadway.

Vance transitioned to film with notable performances in “Hamburger Hill,” “The Hunt for Red October,” “Space Cowboys,” “Joyful Noise,” and “Ben Is Back.”

On the small screen, Vance achieved significant success, portraying Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver in “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” for five years. His most acclaimed role came in “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” for which he won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Johnnie Cochran.

In his personal life, Vance has been married to Academy Award nominee Angela Bassett since 1997. In 2019, he was appointed president of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. In “Grotesquerie,” he reunites with collaborator Ryan Murphy from “The People v. O.J. Simpson,” playing Marshall Tyron, a professor and Lois’s husband, who is in long-term medical care, putting a strain on their relationship.

Academy Award nominee Lesley Manville has made a significant name for herself in both film and television. She is best known for her collaborations with acclaimed English director Mike Leigh, appearing in “Secrets & Lies” as Jenny Ford, the social worker, a film nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars in 1997. Manville reunited with Leigh for several other projects, including “Topsy-Turvy,” “All or Nothing,” “Another Year,” and “Mr. Turner.”

Her performance in “Phantom Thread” earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, where she portrayed Cyril Woodcock. Manville has also found success in films like “Maleficent” and “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris,” the latter of which garnered her a Golden Globe nomination.

On television, she played Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth’s younger sister, in the acclaimed series “The Crown,” a role that earned her an Emmy nomination. In “Grotesquerie,” she portrays Nurse Reed, an intense caregiver assigned to Marshall (Courtney B. Vance).

Recently, Manville had two major premieres at the Venice Film Festival. She stars in “Queer,” the new film from acclaimed director Luca Guadagnino, set to premiere on November 27. Additionally, her limited series “Disclaimer,” which features actors Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline premieres October 11 on Apple TV+. The series is directed by Alfonso Cuarón and received positive reviews.

Micaela Diamond is best known for her impressive stage work on Broadway. She made her Broadway debut in “The Cher Show,” a jukebox musical that chronicles the life and career of music icon Cher. In the show, three actresses portray different stages of Cher’s life, with Micaela playing “Babe,” representing her from the 1950s to the 1960s.

In May 2022, it was announced that Diamond would star alongside Broadway star Ben Platt in “Parade,” earning her a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. After appearing in smaller roles in films like “tick, tick…BOOM” and TV series such as “The Gilded Age” and “Elspeth,” Micaela takes on her first lead role in “Grotesquerie.”

In “Grotesquerie,” Micaela plays Sister Megan, a mysterious nun and journalist tasked with revealing dark truths about the modern world. Her background plays a crucial role in unraveling a murder mystery and sets the stage for the rest of the series.

You may recognize Nicholas Chavez from another Ryan Murphy production that just debuted, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.” Chavez portrayed Lyle in the series and received critical acclaim for his performance. The show is currently number one on Netflix, despite the controversy surrounding the real-life Menendez brothers.

In “Monsters,” Nicholas plays the older brother who, with the help of his younger brother Erik, murders their parents after years of abuse. Chavez seamlessly transitioned from one Ryan Murphy project to another, now taking on the role of Father Charlie in “Grotesquerie.” In this series, he plays a young priest whose perspective shifts dramatically following Sister Megan’s investigative work.

Previously, Chavez was best known for his role in the long-running ABC soap opera “General Hospital,” where he won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Performer in a Drama Series.

If you watched Disney Channel between 2010 and 2014, you know Raven Goodwin well. She played Ivy, the fan-favorite character in the acclaimed sitcom “Good Luck Charlie.” Goodwin found early success as a young actress in the film “The Station Agent,” which earned her a SAG Award nomination for Ensemble Performance.

Raven had a breakthrough role in the BET series “Being Mary Jane.” She also made a guest appearance in “Abbott Elementary,” where she received praise on social media for her performance as Krystal.

Now, she is back on screen in “Grotesquerie,” portraying Meritt Tryon, the daughter of Lois and Marshall. In this role, she grapples with body image issues that highlight a double standard, forcing Lois to confront her own inner demons.

Travis Kelce is making his acting debut in “Grotesquerie.” The Super Bowl champion and one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history is now pivoting to the small screen, though he remains focused on football. Following his Super Bowl win last year, he took some time to work on developing his on-screen presence.

Ryan Murphy wrote the role specifically for Kelce, continuing his tradition of taking chances on newcomers; stars like Lady Gaga and Adam Levine have also made their acting debuts in Murphy productions.

After hosting an episode of “Saturday Night Live,” many speculated that Kelce was destined for Hollywood, and the industry seems to agree, as he already has several projects lined up. The cast has praised working with Travis, noting that he is sure to surprise audiences with his performance.

The cast is very accomplished and we are ready to see what “Grotesquerie” has in store. “Grotesquerie” premieres with the first two episodes tonight on FX at 10 ET.