Meet the Zola Movie Cast

The Famous Zola Twitter Thread Is Becoming a Movie — Here's the Full Cast

The first trailer for A24's Zola movie has officially dropped, giving us our first look at the cast who will be bringing the famous Twitter thread to life on the big screen. The cast is a mix of acclaimed actors you'll definitely recognise and performers who have been working for years in smaller roles getting a chance to shine (and, yep, that's Cousin Greg you spotted in the trailer!). It's sure to be a wild ride, to say the very least — and, honestly, we would expect nothing less!

Ahead of the movie's release date later this summer, we're introducing you to the major players in the cast. Here's who's playing who, and where you've seen them before.

Image Source: Getty / Rodin Eckenroth

Taylour Paige as Aziah "Zola" King

Paige, best known for playing Ahsha Hayes on the American TV series Hit the Floor, will star as Zola, a waitress who befriends a stripper and finds herself in way over her head on a trip to Florida. Most recently, you've seen Paige playing Dussie Mae, the girlfriend of Chadwick Boseman's character, in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.

Image Source: Getty / Rodin Eckenroth

Riley Keough as Stefani

One of Hollywood's rising stars, Keough will play Stefani, the sex worker who befriends Zola and whisks her off on an increasingly dangerous and dramatic trip. Keough (who also happens to be Elvis Presley's granddaughter) has been carving out a name for herself in the horror and thriller genre, with roles in The House That Jack Built, The Devil All the Time, and The Lodge, among several others.

Image Source: Getty / John Shearer

Nicholas Braun as Derrek

Emmy nominee Braun is set to play Derrek, Stefani's boyfriend who grows more and more frustrated with her increasingly dangerous life. Braun, of course, is best known for playing Cousin Greg on Succession, although he's been working steadily on TV and in movies for the past 20 years. Other notable roles include playing Cameron (the Joseph Gordon-Levitt role) in the TV adaptation of 10 Things I Hate About You and a playful appearance as the Albino in last year's The Princess Bride socially-distanced reenactment.

Image Source: Getty / Fred Hayes

Ari'el Stachel as Sean

Stachel is among the most acclaimed actors in the cast and is playing Sean, Zola's boyfriend. His TV resume is a little lighter — he joined the cast of Law & Order: SVU in 2020 as Sgt. Hasim Khaldun — but his stage work has earned him big accolades. In 2018, he won the Tony Award for best featured actor in a musical for his role as trumpet player Haled in The Band's Visit.

Image Source: Getty / Steven Ferdman

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Jason Mitchell as Dion

Mitchell will be playing Dion, one of the story's colourful supporting characters. Over the past several years, he has appeared in several acclaimed movies, including Mudbound and Straight Outta Compton.

Image Source: Getty / Amy Sussman

Nelcie Souffrant as Gail

Souffrant, who plays Gail, is a relative newcomer. Zola will be her first big-name movie, following a string of smaller movies and short films.

Image Source: Getty / Angela Weiss

Colman Domingo as X

Domingo, who plays the violent pimp X, is definitely an actor you'll recognise! The award-winning actor and writer has split his time between the stage and screen, although you probably recognise for his roles on Fear the Walking Dead and Euphoria. More recently, he played Cutler in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and will appear in the horror remake Candyman later this year.

Image Source: Getty / Rich Polk

Nasir Rahim as Jonathan

Slated to play Jonathan, Rahim is one of "those guys" who's been in a ton of shows and movies but typically in smaller roles. He's popped up on a variety of TV shows, such as Nashville and Good Girls, as well as several short films.