HBO really took a massive gamble with this one. When you hear the name Perry Mason, you probably think of Raymond Burr. You think of that classic, crisp 1950s courtroom drama where the defendant always breaks down in tears and confesses on the stand. It’s comforting. It’s formulaic. It’s legendary.
But the cast of tv series perry mason in the 2020 HBO reimagining had a completely different job to do. They weren't there to give us a "case of the week" procedural. They were there to drag us into the soot and grime of 1930s Los Angeles.
It was a gritty, Depression-era noir that basically asked: "How did a cynical, broke private investigator become the world's most famous defense attorney?" To pull that off, you need more than just good lighting and a Fedora. You need actors who can handle the heavy lifting of trauma, corruption, and systemic failure.
Matthew Rhys as the Reluctant Icon
Matthew Rhys is honestly the only person who could have played this version of Perry. Before this, most people knew him as the deep-cover Russian spy in The Americans. He has this incredible ability to look like he hasn't slept in three days while still being the smartest guy in the room.
In this series, Mason isn't the polished legal titan we know. He’s a veteran living in his parents' old farmhouse, struggling with PTSD from the Great War, and working as a low-rent private eye. Rhys plays him with this constant, simmering irritability. He’s messy. He’s often drunk. He’s definitely not a hero, at least not at first.
The brilliance of his performance lies in the transition. Watching Rhys move from a guy who snaps photos of cheating spouses to a man who realizes he’s the only one standing between a scapegoat and the hangman’s noose is a masterclass. He doesn't just "become" a lawyer; he stumbles into it out of a desperate, almost angry need for justice.
The Powerhouse Performance of Juliet Rylance
If Perry is the heart of the show, Della Street is the brains. In the original series, Della was the loyal secretary. She was great, but she was definitely a supporting player in a man's world.
Juliet Rylance completely flips that.
As part of the cast of tv series perry mason, Rylance delivers a version of Della Street that is arguably more capable than Perry himself. She’s the legal secretary for E.B. Jonathan, but she’s the one actually keeping the firm together. She’s also a queer woman living a double life in the 1930s, which adds a layer of tension that never feels like a "diversity checkbox." It’s baked into her survival instincts.
Rylance plays her with such poise. While Perry is shouting or falling apart, Della is calculating. She’s the one who realizes that the law is a game of chess, not a boxing match. The chemistry between her and Rhys isn't romantic—it’s a partnership of two outsiders who realize they are the only ones they can trust.
Chris Chalk and the Reimagined Paul Drake
Perhaps the biggest departure from the source material involves Chris Chalk’s portrayal of Paul Drake. In the old show, Paul Drake was a white private investigator who worked for Perry. In the HBO version, he’s a Black beat cop in a deeply racist LAPD.
This change is vital.
By casting Chris Chalk, the showrunners opened up a whole new perspective on 1930s California. Drake isn't just a sidekick. He’s a man with a family, navigating a system that actively wants him to fail. Chalk is phenomenal at showing the internal conflict of a man who knows the truth but knows that telling it could get him killed.
There’s a specific scene in the first season involving a crime scene on a rooftop. The way Chalk uses his eyes to convey "I see what's happening here, and I hate that I can't speak up" is haunting. When he eventually joins forces with Mason, it feels earned. It’s a professional alliance born out of shared exhaustion with a corrupt city.
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The Heavy Hitters: Lithgow, Maslany, and Gummer
You can't talk about the cast of tv series perry mason without mentioning the supporting players. They brought in the big guns for the first season.
- John Lithgow as E.B. Jonathan: Lithgow is a legend for a reason. He plays Perry’s mentor, a man whose best years are behind him and whose reputation is crumbling. His performance is heartbreaking. He represents the "old way" of doing law that is being crushed by the new, more ruthless power players in LA.
- Tatiana Maslany as Sister Alice: Fresh off Orphan Black, Maslany plays a character inspired by the real-life Aimee Semple McPherson. She’s a radio evangelist with a massive following. Maslany brings this ethereal, almost manic energy to the role. You’re never quite sure if she’s a con artist or if she actually believes her own hype.
- Shea Whigham as Pete Strickland: Whigham is one of those "that guy" actors who is in everything because he’s perfect. He plays Mason’s partner-in-crime-solving. He provides the cynical, street-smart contrast to Perry’s growing idealism.
Then there’s Season 2.
The second season shifted the focus and brought in new blood like Katherine Waterston and Hope Davis. It tackled the "Orange Empire" and the exploitation of Mexican-American youths. The way the cast shifted to accommodate this new story felt seamless because the foundation laid by Rhys, Rylance, and Chalk was so sturdy.
Why This Specific Ensemble Matters
A lot of reboots fail because they just try to mimic the original. If HBO had hired a guy to just "do" Raymond Burr, it would have been a boring nostalgia trip.
Instead, this cast felt like they were living in a real, breathing world. They didn't feel like "TV characters." They felt like people who smelled of cigarettes and old paper.
The show was actually quite expensive to produce. Between the period-accurate costumes and the massive sets, the stakes were high. But you can have the best sets in the world, and it won't matter if the actors don't sell the stakes. When Matthew Rhys stands in a courtroom, sweating under his collar, you feel the weight of the era.
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The Reality of the Show's Cancellation
It’s worth noting that HBO (now Max) cancelled the show after two seasons. This was a blow to fans because the cast of tv series perry mason had just really hit their stride.
The ratings were decent, but for a show with a budget that high, "decent" isn't always enough in the era of streaming contraction. However, the two seasons we got are essentially a complete arc of a man finding his purpose in a broken world.
The legacy of this cast is that they took a "dusty" IP and made it feel urgent. They addressed race, gender, and class in a way that felt historically grounded rather than preachy.
Key Takeaways for Fans of the Series
If you're looking to dive back into the series or perhaps watch it for the first time, keep an eye on these specific elements:
- The Evolution of the Trio: Watch how the power dynamic shifts between Mason, Street, and Drake. By the end of Season 2, they are a true firm, despite the hurdles in their way.
- The Historical Context: Research Aimee Semple McPherson after watching Sister Alice's scenes. It adds a whole other layer of appreciation for the casting choice.
- The Costume Design: Notice how Perry’s clothes change as he moves from a vagabond PI to a courtroom lawyer. The cast uses these physical changes to ground their performances.
The series is currently available on Max. Even though it's "over," it stands as a perfect example of how a talented ensemble can breathe new life into a character that everyone thought they already knew.
To fully appreciate the depth of the performances, it's worth watching the 2020 premiere and the Season 2 finale back-to-back. The growth in the characters—especially Della Street's arc toward legal independence—is one of the most rewarding journeys in modern prestige television. Check out the official Max landing page for behind-the-scenes features that detail how the actors prepared for these demanding, period-specific roles.