P-Valley is a series filled with recognizable faces and talents who manage to bring its amazing cast of eccentric characters to life in the most entertaining ways possible. The show, which follows a group of women working at a Mississippi strip club called The Pynk, has been widely praised for its positive portrayal of the industry and those who find themselves within it.
The underrated Starz series boasts a huge cast of main and recurring characters that really make the fictional location feel alive and thriving, all with big personalities that ensure the show never feels boring or lifeless. Every character in P-Valley brings something completely new and different to the show, with each cast member embodying their personalities with their strong and often vulnerable performances.
Brandee Evans As Mercedes Woodbine
Mercedes Woodbine was initially introduced as a veteran stripper planning to leave The Pynk and open her own dance gym, but the task quickly proves harder than she expected. The character is played by Brandee Evans, who played Michi in the BET Plus movie B-Boy Blues and Sage in the BET series The Family Businesses. She’s also had successful careers as both a professional dancer and a high-school English department chair.
Nicco Annan As Uncle Clifford
Uncle Clifford is one of the few characters to have appeared in every episode of P-Valley, as they're the owner and proprietor of The Pynk who is forced to grapple with the business’s impending bankruptcy. They’re played in the P-Valley cast by Nicco Annan, who also appeared in one episode of This Is Us as Mr. Davis and two episodes of the classic comedy Shameless as Deacon Cook. P-Valley is the actor’s first major role.
Shannon Thornton As Keyshawn Harris
Keyshawn is another dancer at The Pynk, though she also makes a living as a popular influencer in the industry. The character spends much of her time on the show grappling with her abusive relationship and the effects it’s having on her children. She’s played in the P-Valley cast by Shannon Thornton, who made her big break as Quinn Phillips in the crime drama Power. Since then, the actress also appeared as Mia in Dynasty and Natasha Lucas in Inventing Anna.
Elarica Johnson As Hailey Cotton/Autumn Night
Hailey Cotton moves to Mississippi from Texas after losing her daughter in a tragic accident, where she vows to start a new life and leave her past behind her, though she struggles to begin her new chapter. Elarica Johnson plays this iconic P-Valley character, following on from her success as Juliette in Sky’s A Discovery of Witches. Johnson also had minor roles as a waitress in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Doxie in Blade Runner 2049.
J. Alphonse Nicholson As Lil’ Murda
Better known as Lamarques, Lil’ Murda is an aspiring rapper who finds a home at The Pynk and ultimately forms a relationship with Uncle Clifford. Despite not working at the club, he’s an extremely important member of the ensemble and plays a huge role in the show. The character is played in the P-Valley cast by J. Alphonse Nicholson, who also appeared as Henry Davis in Destin Daniel Cretton’s Just Mercy and Jermaine in the cast of 2023's White Men Can't Jump. Outside of acting, Nicholson is also a successful composer, having scored a short film called Butterfly Boxing, which he also produced and acted in.
Harriett D. Foy As Patrice Woodbine
Not only is Patrice Woodbine the mother of P-Valley’s protagonist, but she’s also the mayor of the fictional town Chucalissa, where The Pynk is located. The character is also a devout Christian, which plays into many of her relationships and subplots. Patrice is played in the P-Valley cast by Harriett D. Foy, who works primarily on Broadway and has appeared in productions such as Mamma Mia, Amelie, and Lone Star Love. She also appeared in episodes of Orange Is the New Black and Elementary.
Loretta Devine As Ernestine Sayles
Ernestine is Uncle Clifford’s grandmother, but she’s more famous around Chucalissa for having owned The Pynk before it was taken over by her grandson and renamed. Under her ownership, it was called Ernestine’s Juke t. The character is played by award-winning stage and screen actress Loretta Devine. Her movie and TV roles include Shaniqua in the Best Picture-winning drama Crash, Gloria in the film Waiting to Exhale, Marla Hendricks on Boston Public, and Adele Webber on Grey’s Anatomy, for which she won an Emmy. Devine is also one of the most underrated scream queens in horror history for her role as security guard Reese Wilson in the Urban Legend movies.
Parker Sawyers As Andre Watkins
Andre Watkins is a major character in P-Valley as an associate at a commercial investment company who is frequently seen trying to secure the rights to build an expensive casino in the small town of Chucalissa. He’s played by Parker Sawyers, who is best known for portraying a pre-presidential Barack Obama in Southside With You. He also adopted the roles of Albert Fallou in World on Fire and Ransome Fayrweather in A Discovery of Witches — alongside his P-Valley cast mate Elarica Johnson.
Tyler Lepley As Diamond
Diamond is the bouncer at The Pynk, though his subplots in the show often relate to his time when he was fighting in Iraq, which obviously had a noticeable effect on his character. He’s played in the P-Valley cast by Tyler Lepley, who most famously played Curtis in Baggage Claim and Benny Young on the long-running Tyler Perry TV drama The Haves and the Have Nots.
P-Valley ing Cast & Characters
Morocco Omari as Big L - Another employee at The Pynk, and Uncle Clifford’s most trusted advisor and friend. Morocco Omari's other acting credits include Deputy Mott in the movie 21 Bridges and Conrad Fuller on Homeland.
Dominic DeVore as Duffy - Roulette's love interest, who used to date Gidget. Before being cast in P-Valley, Dominic DeVore appeared in an episode of Men at Work and played Derek in the movie Donner .
Bertram Williams Jr. as Woddy - The trusted manager of Lil’ Murda, responsible for his growing popularity in the city. Bertram Williams Jr. previously played Jerome in 100 Lives and Ebony in Cast Black Talent Virtual Reading Series. His role in P-Valley was his breakthrough.
Dan J. Johnson as Corbin Kyle - The owner of a valuable piece of land in Chucalissa that’s up for purchase, and he’s also the half-brother of guest characters Wayne and Wyatt. Dan J. Johnson is familiar to audiences from his roles as Jamel in Underemployed and Omar in Chicago Fire.
Isaiah Washington as Mayor Tydell Ruffin - The old mayor of Chucalissa, who is determined to finally bring economic stability and safety to the city. The character is played in the cast of P-Valley by Isaiah Washington, whose most popular roles include Dr. Preston Burke in Grey’s Anatomy and Greer in Ghost Ship.