If you’re not already watching For All Mankind on Apple TV+, you really should be—it’s a fascinating piece of sci-fi.
It kicks off in an alternate 1969, where Russians land on the Moon instead of Americans, and goes from there. The series shows us the highs and lows of both space exploration and human nature, because not everyone wants the same things from outer space, and not everyone is willing to work as a team.
Here’s a guide to the major characters of For All Mankind’s alternate world and the talented actors who play them.
Ed Baldwin – Joel Kinnaman
Ed is arguably the main character of For All Mankind, if we have to pick one. He’s a grumpy, reckless man (and not a very good father) but he is charismatic and driven. Maybe you’ll love him, maybe you’ll hate him, but there’s no denying Joel Kinnaman does an excellent job of portraying the complexities of Ed.
Danielle Poole – Krys Marshall
Danielle, the first Black female astronaut, rises up the ranks at NASA to become, eventually, a commander who’s respected on Earth and Mars alike. Like everyone else on the show, though, she doesn’t always make perfect decisions. And it’s thanks to this that she’s present when something explosive happens in the season four finale…
Margo Madison – Wrenn Schmidt
As is the case with many characters on the show, we meet Margo when she’s a young person and follow her as she grows older. (So Wrenn Schmidt had to wear a lot of make-up to age her up.) Margo becomes the first woman in Mission Control, a much-deserved appointment, but life throws curveball after curveball at her from there. Many of them involve her relationship with Sergei Nikulov (Piotr Adamczyk).
Gordo Stevens – Michael Dorman
When we first meet Gordo, he’s cheating on his wife Tracy…so not the best start. Perhaps you’ll empathize with his later struggles, though. Space is very hard on Gordo and it affects his family life too. (It also makes him grow a very unflattering mustache.) He and Tracy have two sons, Danny (see below) and Jimmy (David Chandler.)
Tracy Stevens – Sarah Jones
Tracy is the wife of Gordon and just as accomplished as he is. In an interview with Photobook, Jones described Tracy as being, “full of grit and spit, loyal to a fault, and, despite the way she treats herself, has a pretty solid moral compass.” She may end up your favorite character, but you shouldn’t get too attached to anyone on this show.
Karen Baldwin – Shantel VanSanten
Karen, Ed’s wife, starts off the series as a typical-for-the-period wife and mother. But then things change… they change a lot in fact, and very much not for the better in some cases. Karen suffers through some awful things and you’ll absolutely feel sorry for her in some scenes, but in others you might end up shaking the TV in frustration at her actions.
Ellen Wilson – Jodi Balfour
Just because humankind has made advancements in space technology, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve advanced socially too. Astronaut-turned-politician Ellen Wilson (née Waverly) is gay, but she’s sure that if she comes out she won’t be accepted.
Aleida Rosales – Coral Peña
Aleida is the first character we meet in season one of the show. Back then, she was a teenager and played by Olivia Trujillo, but from season two onward Coral Peña plays her as an adult. Aleida is an immensely talented engineer who has a complicated relationship with Margo Madison.
Dev Ayesa – Edi Gathegi
Dev Ayesa is a billionaire with dreams of going to Mars. (Sound familiar? Don’t worry, he’s not as bad as that other guy.) He’s another character who the audience may not always side with. “What I love about the show is that it really allows characters to make decisions that are polarizing,” Edi Gathegi said in an interview with Comicsbeat. “Half the audience might agree with the decision that somebody makes and the other half won’t.”
Kelly Baldwin – Cynthy Wu
We meet Kelly in season two of the show. She’s the adopted daughter of Ed and Karen Baldwin, so she was almost inevitably going to go to space at some point. And as humankind advances to Mars, she becomes an integral part of the journey.
Molly Cobb – Sonya Walger
Molly Cobb is a self-described “selfish prick” and also a remarkable astronaut. She’s the first American woman on the moon in fact. But prolonged exposure to the unforgiving realm of space takes a toll on her, and her life takes an unexpected and unwanted turn.
Danny Stevens – Casey W. Johnson
In season one Danny is a child (played by Jason David and Mason Thames) but come season three he’s a villain you will love to hate. Or maybe just hate. He’s also a walking spoiler and much has been made about what eventually happened to him on the red surface of Mars.
(featured image: Apple TV+)
