The upcoming, eagerly awaited Amazon Prime Original mystery science fiction series Paper Girls premieres on July 29th, and fans are excited that this popular science fiction comic book series (30 issues were published from 2015 through 2019) by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Cliff Chiang has finally been adapted for streaming television.
The cast features many talented actors, including one who is also quite well-known as a stand-up comedian. Many of the actors are very young, with credits ranging from Altered Carbon to Always Be My Maybe to the animated series Pete the Cat.
Sofia Rosinsky - Fast Layne (2019)
Streaming on Disney+
Rosinsky has already played a major recurring role in the adventure comedy series Fast Layne, where she plays Zora Morris, the best friend of the main character Layne.
Although not the same, Rosinsky 's roles as Zora Morris and Mac Coyle have some similarities. Both of them are somewhat rebellious outsiders. Zora is the smart, quirky, homeschooled best friend, while Mac Coyle is somewhat tougher as well as the first girl to be a paperboy in her town. Although Paper Girls is more adult than Fast Layne, both of Rosinsky's characters come from shows that have adventure and sci-fi elements.
Fina Strazza - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999-)
Streaming on Peacock
Although KJ Brandman will be Strazza's first major recurring role in a TV series, she did play Milly Bucci in two episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Strazza showed her dramatic acting skills as Milly Bucci, a young daughter of Detective Frank Bucci who is groomed by the owner of a teen girl modeling agency and defends her predator. This is very different than the role she plays in Paper Girls, as KJ Brandman is the daughter of a wealthy Jewish family who rebels against her mother by joining field hockey and being a papergirl.
Riley Lai Nelet - Altered Carbon (2018-2020)
Streaming on Netflix
Paper Girls' Erin Tieng isn't the first time Nelet has played the younger version of a character in a sci-fi series. Nelet portrayed the younger version of Reileen in the cyberpunk series Altered Carbon.
While both of Nelet's characters are younger counterparts, Reileen is only kind-hearted as a child when Nelet plays her, whereas Erin Tieg is always a good person. Nelet's young Reileen is the sweet-natured child version before she became a tragic villain. Both Reileen and Erin are dutiful to their parents, although it isn't quite straightforward with Reilein, who only wears her mother's necklace as a reminder not to be weak.
Camryn Jones - Pete the Cat (2017-) and Cherish the Day (2020-)
Streaming on Amazon Prime and OWN
Although Tiffany Quilkin is the first major live-action role for Jones, she has played several small live-action roles such as Esther in Cherish the Day and the recurring role of Boo Burrow in the animated musical series Pete the Cat.
Jones's Tiffany Quilkin will be a much more grown-up role than Boo Burrow and Esther. Boo Burrow is a friend of Pete the Cat, and Esther is the minor role of the young niece of Evan a tech executive. While both of these characters appear in multiple episodes, Tiffany Quilkin will have much more focus and depth as one of the main paper girls, being the most intelligent and tech-savvy.
Adina Porter - True Blood (2008-2014)
Streaming on HBO Max
One of Porter's most well-known roles, Lettie Mae Daniels in True Blood, is very different from her upcoming role as Prioress in Paper Girls.
Lettie Mae Daniels is the abusive mother of Tara, a vampire, and believes she is possessed by a demon which is to blame for her actions. If Prioress is like her book counterpart, she will be a much more sympathetic character than Lettie, being the commander of Jahpo's army and his romantic partner who was killed in battle during New Year's Eve 1999-2000.
Streaming on Apple+
Larry Wilson in For All Mankind, one of Corddry's most well-known roles, is from another show dealing with alternate timelines and even has the same first name as his character in Paper Girls.
Both Larry and Larry Wilson are sympathetic characters in alternate timelines who are keeping secrets. In Larry Wilson's case, it's keeping the secret that he is gay and that his wife is a lesbian so that the FBI doesn't investigate them in a timeline where the Soviet Union beat the U.S. to the moon. Larry in Paper Girls is a socially awkward recluse who is a member of the secret time travel organization called the Underground and needs to help the paper girls.
Ali Wong - Always Be My Maybe (2019)
Streaming on Netflix
Wong's most memorable starring role is Sasha in the romantic comedy Always Be My Maybe. While Paper Girls and Always Be My Maybe are totally different genres, Wong's roles of adult Erin and Sasha do have similarities.
Sasha is the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, and Erin is an immigrant from China, so while they are from two different countries, both of them deal with the immigrant experience. Also, both characters have their childhood past come back to them in some way. In Sasha's case seeing her childhood sweetheart, and in Erin's being visited by her younger self.
Kellee Stewart - Midnight, Texas (2017-2018)
Streaming on Peacock
Stewart is no stranger to genre TV, having played Madonna Reed in the drama fantasy series Midnight, Texas.
While not much is known about Stewart's role as Dr. Carol Quilkin in Paper Girls, it will be interesting to see how much in common the role has with Madonna Reed. Madonna Reed is the owner of a local restaurant who is secretly a skilled special ops agent tasked with watching a little girl. Maybe Dr. Carol Quilkin will have secrets of some sort as well.
Daniel Rashid - Stargate Origins (2018)
Streaming on Amazon Prime
Rashid has other experiences in the sci-fi fantasy genre, having played Kasuf in Stargate Origins. While both Heck and Kasuf are from the same genre, they are very different - but with one big similarity.
Both of them protect the main characters of their shows. Kasuf tries to save Caroline Langford and help defeat Dr. Brucke. Heck, in the comics at least, helps Erin heal from a gunshot wound. Heck is a young man from the future, while Kasuf is the future leader of a planet.