The 2023 Netflix TV schedule is kicking off in spectacular fashion with the arrival of what sounds like one of the most unique and inventive shows to land on the popular streaming platform in quite some time: Kaleidoscope. Eric Garcia’s eight-episode crime saga with a story spanning 25 years (which can be watched in different orders) has put together an incredible cast with wonderfully talented actors on both sides of the show’s central heist played by the likes of Giancarlo Esposito, Rufus Sewell, and Paz Vega, to name just a few.
And while some of the more prominent members of the Kaleidoscope cast are almost instantly recognizable, other actors from the new Netflix show will be more of a mystery for most. That being said, we have put together a quick yet comprehensive rundown of the main cast so that you have one less mystery to uncover while you watch the epic heist unfold before your eyes. Let’s crack it open and see what’s inside, shall we?
Giancarlo Esposito (Leo Pap)
Leading the Kaleidoscope cast, as well as the crew of thieves at the center of its mysterious and uniquely presented story, is Giancarlo Esposito, who takes on the role of Leo Pap, a career criminal who is seen as the mastermind of the impossible operation.
Throughout his career, Esposito has given some truly amazing performances, including iconic villainous roles on shows like Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and The Mandalorian, the latter of which will see his return as Moff Gideon in its upcoming third season. Over the years, Esposito has also appeared in movies like Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Okja, and Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man.
Paz Vega (Ava Mercer)
Next up for the Kaleidoscope cast is Paz Vega, who takes on the role of Ava Mercer, a member of the crew who works as an attorney for a day job but also a highly-trained and extremely dangerous weapons expert tasked with coming up with the firepower the team will put to use during their seemingly impossible mission.
Following a string of movies in her native Spain, Vega broke into English-speaking markets with her portrayal of single mother Flor Moreno in the 2004 Adam Sandler-led dramedy Spanglish. Since then, she has appeared in films such as 10 Items or Less, Burning Plains, Rambo: Last Blood, and 13 Minutes.
Rosaline Elbay (Judy Goodwin)
Rosaline Elbay appears in one of the major roles in the Kaleidoscope cast with her portrayal of Judy Goodwin, a demolitions expert who helps come up with the ingenious ways the crew will need to use if they are going to be successful in breaking into the massive and intricate vault.
Prior to joining the Kaleidoscope cast, Elbay made a name for herself with roles in movies like Fork & Knife and Diamond Dust, as well as a string of TV appearances that includes a recurring role on the Hulu original series Ramy.
Jai Coutney (Bob Goodwin)
Jai Courtney shows up in the Kaleidoscope cast as Bob Goodwin, a brash yet incredibly intelligent safecracker with a certain propensity for breaking into intricate systems and getting under people’s skin.
One of only a few members of the Suicide Squad cast to return for James Gunn’s 2021 sequel/reboot The Suicide Squad as Captain Boomerang, Jai Courtney has built a nice career for himself the past decade-and-a-half, appearing in massive action franchises with roles in A Good Day to Die Hard, Terminator Genisys, and the Divergent movies. He has also popped up on TV shows like Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later, and The Terminal List over the years.
Peter Mark Kendall (Stan Loomis)
Peter Mark Kendall appears in the Kaleidoscope cast as Stan Loomis, an expert smuggler who is willing to do anything and everything to help out the group of thieves pull off their impossible mission, even if it means risking everything he has built.
Prior to joining the Kaleidoscope cast, Kendall appeared on a series of TV shows that includes everything from The Leftovers to The Americans and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit to Chicago Med, and so much more. His film appearances include Time Out of Mind, Louder Than Bombs, and The Ticket. Kendall also had a small role in Top Gun: Maverick, which broke Paramount+ records upon its streaming debut in December 2022.
Jordan Mendoza (RJ Acosta Jr.)
Rounding out the crew of thieves at the center of Kaleidoscope is Jordan Mendoza, who portrays RJ Acosta Jr., the team’s technically proficient yet socially-inept driver and engineer.
Throughout his acting career, which is admittedly brief up to this point, Mendoza has appeared on shows like Your Worst Fears Confirmed, Eva vs. Anxiety, ZIWE, and Maurice on Mars. However, Mendoza has worked in the writers room for shows like Dave, Big Mouth, Human Resources, and the 2022 Beavis and Butt-Head reboot.
Rufus Sewell (Roger Salas)
Leading the security team tasked with preventing the “unbeatable” vault from being cracked on Kaleidoscope Roger Salas, a former thief and one-time partner of Leo Pap played by Rufus Sewell.
Over the course of the past 30-plus years, Sewell has appeared in movies like Hamlet, Dark City, A Knight’s Tale, The Illusionist, The Holiday, and The Father, to name just a few. His list of TV credits is just as impressive, with shows like John Adams, Victoria, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and The Man in the High Castle all coming to mind. He has also had a rather successful stage career, with decorated performances in Rock ‘n’ Roll, Old Times, and Old Times.
Tati Gabrielle (Hannah Kim)
Working alongside Salas in preventing a massive amount of money from being taken on their watch is Hannah Kim, a mysterious, intelligent and ambitious character played by Tati Gabrielle.
A Netflix mainstay at this point in her career, Gabrielle has been featured on the main casts of shows like Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and You the past few years, with Kaleidoscope being the most recent addition to that list. Fans of the 2022 video game adaptation Uncharted will also recognize Gabrielle from her portrayal of the villainous Jo Braddock. Her other notable appearances include The Owl House, The 100, and The Emoji Movie.
Soojeong Son (Liz Kim)
Soojeong Son shows up in the Kaleidoscope cast as Liz Kim, Hannah’s younger and more free-spirited sister.
In the past few years, Son has landed roles on shows like Servant (pictured above), Succession, and Stuff for Women, as well as a list of movies that includes The Outside Story, Submission, and Two Little Bitches.
Hemky Madera (Carols Sujo)
Rounding out the corporate security side of the Kaleidoscope cast is Hemky Madera, who takes on the role of Carlos Sujo, Salas’ intense and intensely loyal right-hand man who will do anything and everything to keep the crew of thieves from pulling off their big heist.
Throughout his career, Madera has landed prominent roles on shows like Weeds, Queen of the South, and Brockmire, as well as one-off appearances on everything from Law & Order to NCIS: Los Angeles and The League to The Shield. He has also appeared in a few dozen movies over the years, including Spider-Man: Homecoming, in which he played Mr. Delmar.
Niousha Noor (Nazan Abbasi)
There is more to the Kaleidoscope cast than just thieves and highly-trained and sophisticated security teams, as federal agents are also on the case, including Niousha Noor’s driven FBI agent Nazan Abbasi, whose investigation could bring down a crew of master thieves but also her along with them.
Prior to landing a major role on Kaleidoscope, Noor made a name for herself with appearances on shows like Here and Now and Stitchers, as well as in movies like the 2020 Iranian psychological horror movie The Night.
Bubba Weiler (Samuel Toby)
And then there is Bubba Weiler, who rounds out the Kaleidoscope cast as FBI special agent Samuel Toby, a "by the books" investigator whose admiration for Abbasi could potentially lead to a major internal conflict with the power to change not only his career but his life in general.
Weiler's role on Kaleidoscope is one of his first major TV gigs, but this is far from being his first rodeo. Over the course of the past few years, Weiler has made brief appearances on shows like Pose, Murphy Brown (the 2018 reboot, Blue Bloods, The Good Fight, and Chicago P.D. Weiler also played Scorpius Malfoy during the 2020 run of the Broadway stage production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
All eight episodes of Kaleidoscope (which are color-coded) are now available to stream for anyone with a Netflix subscription, but please take note, there is more than one way to watch the inventive crime saga unfold.
If you are looking for more shows to watch (not just those exclusive to Netflix) after watching Kaleidoscope (once, twice, or multiple times), check out our 2023 TV schedule for all the latest on those new and returning series that we'll all soon be talking about.
