The Gray House is a 2026 historical drama series streaming on Amazon Prime Video, and these are the actors who appear in it. The Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman-produced The Gray House is based on the real story of defiance and espionage during the Civil War.
The series depicts the female-led network of spies operating in Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederacy. Through guile and bravery, and by taking advantage of people underestimating them, Eliza Van Lewen and many others helped send information to the Union. The series premiered on February 26, 2026, and here’s who appears.
|
The Gray Man Cast & Characters |
|
|---|---|
|
Actor |
Character |
|
Mary-Louise Parker |
Eliza Van Lew |
|
Daisy Head |
Elizabeth Van Lew |
|
Amethyst Davis |
Mary Jane Richards |
|
Hannah James |
Clara Parish |
|
Christopher McDonald |
Thomas McNiven |
|
Paul Anderson |
Stokely Reeves |
|
Ben Vereen |
Isham Worthy |
|
Sam Trammell |
Jefferson Davis |
|
Robert Knepper |
Bully Lumpkin |
|
Rob Morrow |
Judah Benjamin |
|
Colin Morgan |
Hamton Arsenault |
|
Keith David |
Henry H. Garnet |
|
Ian Duff |
Jericho Bowser |
|
Colin O’Donoghue |
Captain William Lounsbury |
Mary-Louise Parker As Eliza Van Lew
Date Of Birth: August 2, 1964
Actor: Mary-Louise Parker was born in South Carolina and broke out in 1991 with roles in Grand Canyon and Fried Green Tomatoes, and continued working consistently in movies and television, with memorable performances in Angels in America, The West Wing, and Weeds. More recently, she’s appeared in The Institute and Mr. Mercedes.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
|
Movie/TV Show |
Role |
Years |
|---|---|---|
|
Grand Canyon |
Dee |
1991 |
|
Fried Green Tomatoes |
RUth Jamison |
1991 |
|
The Portrait of a Lady |
Henrietta Stackpole |
1996 |
|
The West Wing |
Amy Gardner |
2001-2006 |
|
The Institute |
Ms. Sigsby |
2025 |
Character: Eliza Van Lew is the lead character in The Gray House. Eliza is a genteel and wealthy widow and socialite living in Richmond, Virginia. A staunch opponent of the Confederacy, Eliza uses her connections to help collect information for the Union about Confederate strategies.
Daisy Head As Elizabeth Van Lew
Date Of Birth: March 17, 1991
Actor: Daisy Head is a British actor born in London, England, who broke out in the 2016 drama series Guilt as Grace Atwood. More roles kept coming, including TV parts in Shadow and Bone, Harlots, and The Sandman. Most viewers will know her as Sofina the Red Wizard in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
|
Movie/TV Show |
Role |
Years |
|---|---|---|
|
Guilt |
Grace Atwood |
2016 |
|
Harlots |
Kate Bottomley |
2019 |
|
Shadow and Bone |
Genya Safin |
2021-2023 |
|
The Sandman |
Judy Talbot |
2022 |
|
Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves |
Sofina the Red Wizard |
2023 |
Character: Daisy Head plays Elizabeth Van Lew in The Gray House, Eliza’s unmarried and opinionated young daughter who is more than willing to aid her mother in her attempts to help the Union.
Amethyst Davis As Mary Jane Richards
Date Of Birth: Unknown
Actor: Amethyst Davis began acting in 2016, playing Kelly Hopkins in the web series Dick Kelly. She then appeared in small roles in Atlanta and Kindred. Her biggest role before The Gray House came in 2023, when she played Nylah in the series Broken Seeds.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
|
Movie/TV Show |
Role |
Years |
|---|---|---|
|
ATL Homicide |
Tina Johnson |
2018 |
|
Kindred |
Winnie |
2022 |
|
Broken Seeds |
Nylah |
2023 |
|
Kinfolk: The Series |
Hillary DeVoe |
2023 |
|
Genius |
Essie Mae |
2024 |
Character: Mary Jane Richards is a formerly enslaved woman. Well-educated and resourceful, Mary Jane infiltrates Jefferson Davis’ household as a maid in order to relay vital Confederate secrets to the Union.
Hannah James As Clara Parish
Date Of Birth: January 4, 1993
Actor: Born in Virginia in the United States, Hannah James quickly rose to prominence as Emma Green in Mercy Street. She later went on to appear in small roles in Outlander, Supergirl, Chicago Med, and Westworld. She is set to appear in M. Night Shyamalan’s upcoming romantic thriller, Remain.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
|
Movie/TV Show |
Role |
Years |
|---|---|---|
|
Mercy Street |
Emma Green |
2016-2017 |
|
Outlander |
Lady Geneva Dunsany |
2017 |
|
Supergirl |
Maeve Nal |
2019-2021 |
|
Chicago Med |
Megan |
2021 |
|
Westworld |
Temperance Clementine |
2022 |
Character: Clara Parish is a Southern courtesan who has a benevolent streak. Grieving a past loss, Clara uses her access to high-ranking Confederate officers to extract information with her charm and quick thinking.
Christopher McDonald As Thomas McNiven
Date Of Birth: February 15, 1955
Actor: Christopher McDonald was born in Waterloo, New York, and broke out in Grease 2 as Goose McKenzie. His star rose even higher after co-starring in Happy Gilmore as Shooter McGavin. He’s had numerous notable roles since, including in Requiem for a Dream and more recently in Hacks.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
|
Movie/TV Show |
Role |
Years |
|---|---|---|
|
Grease 2 |
Goose McKenzie |
1982 |
|
Happy Gilmore |
Shooter McGavin |
1996 |
|
The Iron Giant |
Kent Mansley |
1999 |
|
Boardwalk Empire |
Harry M. Daugherty |
2010-2012 |
|
Hacks |
Marty |
2021-Present |
Character: Thomas McNiven is a baker in The Gray House, whose shop serves as a secret hub for intelligence drops and prisoner aid. It was Niven’s writings that helped document the events shown in The Gray House.
Paul Anderson As Stokely Reeves
Date Of Birth: February 12, 1978
Actor: Paul Anderson is from London and broke out in 2013 as Arthur Shelby in Peaky Blinders. He also appeared in Top Boy, The Great Train Robbery, and The Promise. His film credits include Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, In the Heart of the Sea, and The Revenant.
Notable Movies & TV Shows:
|
Movie/TV Show |
Role |
Years |
|---|---|---|
|
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows |
Colonel Sebastian Moran |
2011 |
|
Peaky Blinders |
Arthur Shelby Jr. |
2013-2022 |
|
In the Heart of the Sea |
Caleb Chappel |
2015 |
|
The Revenant |
Anderson |
2015 |
|
Robin Hood |
Guy of Gisborne |
2018 |
Character: Stokely Reeves is one of the villains of the series. Reeves is a vengeful figure opposing Eliza Van Lew’s efforts, constantly attempting to thwart her actions.
The Gray House Supporting Cast & Characters
The Gray House has a large ensemble supporting cast filled with some well-known names. Ben Vereen plays Isham Worthy, a freed Black man who coordinated the Underground Railroad; Sam Trammell plays Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy; Robert Knepper plays Bully Lumpkin, a cruel slave trader; and Rob Morrow plays Judah Benjamin, a Confederate Attorney General.
Other actors include Colin Morgan as Hamton Arsenault, Keith David as Henry H. Garnet, Ian Duff as Jericho Bowser, and Colin O’Donoghue as Captain William Lounsbury. The Gray House began streaming all eight episodes on Prime Video on February 26, 2026.
- Release Date
-
February 26, 2026
- Network
-
Prime Video
- Directors
-
Roland Joffé
-
-
Paul Anderson
Stokely Reeves
-
Amethyst Davis
Mary Jane Richards
-
