Presumed Innocent is a legal thriller based on a book of the same name by Scott Turow. It focuses on Rusty Sabich, a Chicago prosecutor played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who finds himself accused of murdering his colleague and mistress, Carolyn Polhemus. David E. Kelley came up with this series in February 2022, and it finally hit Apple TV+ on June 12, 2024.
Since its release, the critical reception has been mostly positive with much applause for the series based on an ensemble cast and storyline. It scored a 76% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 7.5 on IMDb. Gyllenhaal is suitable as the lead, as are Ruth Negga as Barbara Sabich, Bill Camp as Raymond Horgan, and Renate Reinsve as Carolyn Polhemus.
Given the big names attached to the project, like J.J. Abrams and Kelley, fans are curious about the cast and crew. Besides the promising source material, anticipation was built from a well-done adaptation of something popular, and timely themes and deep characterization heightened the interest around Presumed Innocent.
The cast of Presumed Innocent and the characters they play
1) Jake Gyllenhaal as Rusty Sabich
Rusty, a prosecutor in Chicago, finds himself as the main suspect in the murder of his mistress, Carolyn Polhemus. He is full of guilt and is torn between protecting his family and battling the legal system that is now working against him.
His character remains pivotal to moving the story ahead since the tale unfolds from his perspective and his actions make for most of the plot. While the character boasts cleverness and dilemma in the book, Gyllenhaal's portrayal brings in shades of sudden determination and vulnerability in the character.
Gyllenhaal has received acclaim for his performances in Nightcrawler and Brokeback Mountain whilst also being honored by several award nominations, including the Oscars.
2) Ruth Negga as Barbara Sabich
Barbara is Rusty's wife, who gets caught in the emotional whirlpool of having a husband who is an adulterer and an accused murderer. Her character shows strength and resilience by wrestling with a sense of betrayal and a sense of standing by her family through turmoil.
She acts with compassion, yet is torn throughout the series, offering a multidimensional portrayal of a woman in crisis. Negga's strong performance manages to make her character extremely moving and perfectly captures Barbara's dilemma between love and betrayal.
Ruth Negga received an Academy Award nomination for her role in Loving.
3) Bill Camp as Raymond Horgan
Raymond is Rusty's colleague and a major player in the investigation, standing for the legal system with its complications. He is shown as an experienced and practical man. Most of the time, he is torn between professional loyalty to Rusty and being a prosecutor himself.
His character brings tension to the story by going through the moral dilemmas and the complicated realities of the case. In the book, Horgan is more of a friendly colleague. In the series, however, there are other dimensions to his character and it can be seen that the investigation starts to put a strain on them.
Camp is known for his roles in The Night Of and 12 Years a Slave, where his performances were critically acclaimed.
4) Renate Reinsve as Carolyn Polhemus
Carolyn is Rusty's mistress, whose murder sets off the entire central conflict of the series. Though she mainly appears in flashbacks, her character becomes very instrumental in understanding the motives and relationships of other characters.
She is a scheming and seductive woman which is made evident through Reinsve's performance. The portrayal also allows viewers to get a better grip on her impact on Rusty's life.
Reinsve was hailed globally for her role in The Worst Person in the World, for which she took home the Best Actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
5) Peter Sarsgaard as Tommy Molto
Tommy is the prosecutor working against Rusty and does not compromise on anything regarding his conviction. Ambitious and competent, his character clashes with Rusty's because he is bent on proving his guilt.
Sarsgaard adds dimension to the legal rivalry by including personal stakes within his performance. Tommy, in the novel, is a hard opponent, and Sarsgaard puts that across to guarantee a strong threat at the center of the film.
Known for his work in An Education and The Batman, he has been nominated for various awards.
6) Lily Rabe as Dr. Liz Rush
Dr. Liz is Rusty's psychiatrist and provides him with a fair amount of emotional support in the context of the unfortunate event of his murder accusation. Eventually, she becomes a confidante for Rusty while he gets to know and confronts his fears and finds his guilt.
Throughout the series, Liz is characterized as compassionate and incisive in providing a safe space for Rusty, making her a psychologically mature character.
Known for her work on American Horror Story, Rabe has received critical acclaim and earned multiple award nominations for her performances.
7) Chase Infiniti as Jaden Sabich
Jaden is Rusty and Barbara's teenage daughter, who absorbs the emotional shock regarding the accusation against her father. Her character adds a youthful point of view on the implications of this scandal on a family.
According to the series, Jaden seems strong and intuitive, striking a good balance of brevity with her wit amidst such tension.
8) Kingston Rumi Southwick as Kyle Sabich
Kyle is the young son of Rusty and Barbara and represents innocence amidst all the chaos around him in the adult world. His character reflects the emotional costs for a family and how children are affected by such close stints with the law.
Kyle's character is loving and curious, having those moments of warmth that hang loose in the series. Kingston Rumi Southwick is a newcomer as Presumed Innocent marks his big break.
9) Elizabeth Marvel as Lorraine Horgan
She is married to Raymond Horgan and is very suspicious of Rusty's innocence. She shows tension in the movie and represents the people who were affected by the case. Lorraine is a bossy, overprotective lady who never shares her husband's opinions in Presumed Innocent.
Marvel is known through her previous works in House of Cards and The Leftovers. Her performance in these have been critically acclaimed.
10) O-T Fagbenle as Nico Della Guardia
Nico is the lawyer in Presumed Innocent, putting him front and center in the legal drama around Rusty's case. He’s ambitious, talented, and knows his stuff in the courtroom. Charismatic and driven, he often clashes with Rusty as the story unfolds.
Fagbenle starred in The Handmaid's Tale and Black Widow, for which he received positive reviews on his performances.
11) Noma Dumezweni as Judge Lyttle
Judge Lyttle, presiding over Rusty's murder trial, complicates the court hearing. The judge comes off as even-handed but firm. Dumezweni brings gravitas to the role as it highlights the pressures a judge may come under in such situations, as on Presumed Innocent.
She is known for her work on The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, for which she won a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance.
12) James Hiroyuki Liao as Herbert Kumagai
Herbert is the hot-headed medical examiner integral to the investigation. He is incredulous and plainspoken, at odds with Rusty and Tommy as often as possible. Liao brings this tension to his portrayal in Presumed Innocent. He puts pressure on everyone's story, reflecting the stresses they endured in their connection to the case.
He is recognizable for his work in Barry and 24.
13) Mark Harelik as Liam Reynolds
Liam is a convicted criminal whose past crime brings an echo of Carolyn's killing, thus muddying the water. His character on Presumed Innocent brings in doubt and mystery as the story treads on whether he actually is guilty of the crime.
Harelik is recognized for his roles in 42 and Trumbo.
The crew behind Presumed Innocent
The television and film experience of the crew has been invaluable in developing a high-profile adaptation of Turow's novel. Presumed Innocent has interlacing elements from legal dramas with complex character studies.
Here are some key members of the Presumed Innocent crew:
Showrunner and executive producers
- David E. Kelley: Creator, writer, showrunner, and executive producer. Kelley is known for his work on acclaimed series like Big Little Lies and The Practice.
- J.J. Abrams: Executive producer through his production company Bad Robot Productions. Abrams has produced hit shows such as Lost and Westworld.
- Jake Gyllenhaal: Executive producer and lead actor. Gyllenhaal's production credits include Stronger and The Guilty.
Directors
- Greg Yaitanes: Executive producer and director for episodes 3-7. Yaitanes has directed episodes of Banshee and House of Cards.
- Anne Sewitsky: Executive producer and director for episodes 1-2 and 8. Sewitsky's directing credits include Happy, Happy, and Homesick.
Composers
- Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans: Composed the music for the series. The duo has scored films like Ozark and Martha Marcy May Marlene.
Other key crew members of Presumed Innocent
- Miki Johnson: Writer and co-executive producer.
- Sharr White: Writer and executive producer.
- Trevor Baker, Andrew Balek, Caroline James: Producers.
- Chrysta Marie Burton, Stacy Murphy Gold, Ben Lester, Candace Jade Lewis, Rachel Rusch Rich, Matthew Tinker, Scott Turow: Additional producers and executive producers.
You can watch Presumed Innocent on Apple TV+.
