Hollywood Heavyweights Assemble: Inside the All-Star Cast of Hulu’s All’s Fair

Hulu’s new legal drama, “All’s Fair,” co-created by Ryan Murphy, has assembled an unprecedented ensemble of Hollywood talent, with reality television icon Kim Kardashian leading a cast of Oscar winners, Emmy recipients, and pop culture legends. The series centers on a team of female divorce lawyers who open their own fiercely independent practice, navigating high-stakes breakups and complex courtroom dramas while managing their own personal and professional allegiances. The show features a powerhouse lineup including Glenn Close, Naomi Watts, and Niecy Nash-Betts, creating a dynamic where “boss chicks in great clothes” drive the narrative. According to Nash-Betts, the series is designed to evoke the glamour and intrigue of classic soap operas like “Dynasty,” offering a polished yet dramatic look at women fighting for women in a world where money and love are constantly at war.

Kim Kardashian: The Leader of the Pack

Kim Kardashian, primarily known as a reality TV star and entrepreneur, takes on her meatiest dramatic role yet, playing the central figure and “leader of the pack” at the all-female law firm.

Kardashian plays Allura Grant, a divorce attorney whose work has a personal dimension as she is simultaneously undergoing her own highly publicized divorce from a professional quarterback. The character of Allura was loosely inspired by Laura Wasser, the real-life lawyer who helped facilitate Kardashian’s divorce from rapper Kanye West. This is not Kardashian’s first collaboration with co-creator Ryan Murphy, having previously starred in American Horror Story: Delicate. Murphy has revealed that the series concept was partly inspired by Kardashian’s real-life journey toward becoming a lawyer, and that he wrote the roles specifically for his “dream cast” once they signed on.

The Firm’s Power Trio: Watts and Nash-Betts

Rounding out the core leadership of the legal firm alongside Kardashian’s Allura are the acclaimed actresses Naomi Watts and Niecy Nash-Betts, each bringing a distinct energy to the ensemble.

Naomi Watts plays Liberty Ronson, one of the firm’s co-founders and Allura’s best friend. Watts, an Oscar nominee known for films like Mulholland Drive and The Impossible, is described as “very smart and very savvy” and has also become a recent muse for Ryan Murphy, appearing in his series The Watcher and Feud: Capote vs. The Swans. Niecy Nash-Betts portrays Emerald Greene, the third co-founder and a crack investigator at the firm. Nash-Betts, an Emmy winner for Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and a frequent Murphy collaborator, described her character as a single mother who excels at getting cases “done in the boardroom” before they ever hit the court.

Hollywood Royalty: The Glenn Close Effect

Adding an unparalleled level of prestige and comedic surprise to the cast is screen legend Glenn Close, who embraces a matriarchal role within the high-stakes drama.

Glenn Close, an eight-time Academy Award nominee, plays Dina Standish, whom Nash-Betts described as the “mother hen” to the firm’s younger lawyers. Close’s involvement helps to elevate the series, recalling her history of taking strong television roles in shows like Damages and The Shield. Interestingly, Nash-Betts praised Close as “the funniest person in the world,” highlighting the surprising comedic talent of the dramatic actress. Close also confirmed that Murphy fulfilled his promise that all the stars would have “fabulous clothes and fabulous jewels” befitting the glamorous, high-net-worth world of the series.

Familiar Faces and Antagonists

The ensemble is further deepened by the inclusion of numerous Hollywood heavyweights, including Oscar and Emmy winners, playing key supporting and antagonistic roles.

Sarah Paulson, a constant fixture in Ryan Murphy’s projects, appears as Carrington Lane, an antagonist to Allura who represents Allura’s ex-husband in their divorce proceedings. The cast also features Judith Light, another multiple Emmy winner and frequent Murphy collaborator, in a guest-starring role. The series also includes Ed O’Neill (playing Close’s husband), O-T Fagbenle (as a love interest for Watts’ Liberty), and Elizabeth Berkley (guest-starring as Dee Barber). Pop star and reality icon Jessica Simpson also makes an appearance as a woman seeking a divorce from a musician played by real-life rocker Rick Springfield, taking on a dramatic and vulnerable role that pushed her “very out of [her] comfort zone.”

The Drama’s Core Theme: Sisterhood and Support

Despite the high glamour, scandalous secrets, and courtroom battles, the cast emphasizes that the central theme of All’s Fair is ultimately one of female support and empowerment.

Niecy Nash-Betts noted that she appreciates having a show that focuses on true “sisterhood,” rather than pitting women against one another, a common trope in Hollywood dramas. Kardashian herself stressed that the moral of the story is about women uplifting each other: “Even if you don’t believe in yourself at that moment, your lawyers are there, your girls are there to pick you up and help you believe in yourself again.” Teyana Taylor, who plays Allura’s secretary, Milan, echoed this sentiment, noting the importance of the women not letting men come between their community, showcasing a complex but ultimately supportive foundation for the high-stakes legal firm.