Meet the Devil in Ohio cast: who's who in the Netflix thriller

Emily Deschanel and Madeleine Arthur star.
Emily Deschanel and Madeleine Arthur star. (Image credit: Netflix)

Devil in Ohio is an eight-part dark thriller that follows the Mathis family as a traumatised teenage girl comes to stay in the family home. 

Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Daria Polatin, the suspense-filled series stars Bones actor Emily Deschanel as the lead character, Dr Suzanne Mathis, a hospital psychiatrist.

When a mysterious new patient arrives at the hospital, Dr Mathis is determined to give her the best care possible. The girl is deeply traumatised, with a horrific scar on her back, suggesting she is running from a dangerous cult. But without any idea where she came from, or who could be looking for her, Dr Mathis invites the girl, who is called Mae, to stay in her home. 

Life for the Mathis family then takes a chilling turn as Mae's deeply troubled history comes back to haunt them and threatens to tear the family apart. 

Full of tension and suspense, here's everything you need to know about the cast of Devil in Ohio

Emily Deschanel as Dr Suzanne Mathis

Emily Deschanel stars in this chilling Netflix series.

Emily Deschanel stars in the chilling Netflix series. (Image credit: Netflix)

Emily Deschanel plays the lead character, Dr Suzanne Mathis, a psychiatrist who is as dedicated to her work as she is to her family — husband Peter and their three daughters.

While outwardly Dr Mathis is a skilled and empathetic doctor, she is also struggling with her own demons as she hides a scar on her wrist and needs a moment to recover after first seeing Mae's alarming injuries. She obviously cares deeply for her patients, but does she care too much when she brings the troubled Mae home to live with her own family? 

Emily is best-known for her role as Dr Temperance Brennan in the American crime series Bones. Alongside her co-star David Boreanaz, who starred as FBI Agent Seeley Booth, the pair filmed 12 series, ending in 2017. After a short stint in season 4 of crime-drama Animal Kingdom, this is Emily's first lead role since she waved goodbye to Dr Brennan.

Emily also has a famous sister, actor and singer Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) and is married to fellow actor David Hornsby (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia). The couple has two sons, Henry and Calvin. 

Madeleine Arthur as Mae

Madeleine Arthur stars as the troubled Mae.

Madeleine Arthur stars as the troubled Mae. (Image credit: Netflix)

We first meet Mae as she runs through a corn field, desperate and terrified, carrying a large knife. She's running from someone but we don't see who as she flags down a car and then wakes up in hospital.

She immediately bonds with Dr Suzanne Mathis and is then overwhelmed but also pleased to continue her recovery in the Mathis home. 

But is Mae a victim of a devil-worshipping cult or is there something even more sinister going on? She certainly isn't all that she seems as the family soon start to discover. 

Madeleine Arthur is a Canadian actress who starred in Tim Burton's 2014 film Big Eyes as Amy Adams' daughter Jane. She also played the young Willa Warren in the ABC series The Family, but is probably best-known for starring in the Netflix film trilogy To All the Boys

Xaria Dotson as Jules Mathis

Xaria Dotson stars as Jules.

Xaria Dotson stars as Jules.  (Image credit: Netflix)

Jules Mathis is the middle daughter of Suzanne and Peter. A keen photographer and sensitive soul, she finds school a challenge as she struggles to fit in and make new friends. 

There's ongoing tension between Jules and her older sister Helen, who seems to have the world at her feet, while Jules is shy and awkward. It is Jules however who first strikes up a friendship with Mae, something she may later regret.

Xaria Dotson is an up and coming American actress who has previously starred in TV series The Birch where she played Evie Grayson and as Tori Carucci in the true-crime Netflix series American Vandal. 

Sam Jaeger as Peter Mathis

Sam Jaeger stars as Peter Mathis.

Sam Jaeger stars as Peter Mathis. (Image credit: Netflix)

Peter is the caring and loving husband of Suzanne. The pair met when they were young and do a good job of looking after each other and their children. Well, at least they did before the mysterious Mae arrives and turns their lives upside down.

Peter isn't keen on having Mae to stay and also doesn't tell his wife that his property development company is in trouble with loans and debts rising quicker than he can pay them. 

Sam Jaeger is an experienced film and TV actor starring in many well-known series including five years as Joel Graham in the NBC family drama Parenthood. He's also known for his roles as Tino McCutcheon in Netflix's The Politician and as Mark Tuello in The Handmaid's Tale

Alisha Newton as Helen Mathis

Alisha Newton plays the oldest Mathis child.

Alisha Newton plays the eldest Mathis child.  (Image credit: Netflix)

Helen Mathis is the eldest daughter of the family, she's popular and glamorous and much more interested in her future career, boyfriend and busy social life than her younger sisters. 

In episode one Helen publicly shames her younger sister Jules when she refuses to let her sit with her in the school lunch hall, despite knowing that Jules is finding school a lonely and overwhelming place.

Alisha Newton is a Canadian actor who has been appearing on screen since she was a child. She's best known as the role of Georgie in the CBC series Heartland. She joined the cast when she was just 10-years-old and has grown up on screen, leaving the popular series in 2021.

Naomi Tan as Dani Mathis

Naomi Tan as young Dani.

Naomi Tan as young Dani.  (Image credit: Netflix)

Dani Mathis is the baby of the family. Full of energy she's mainly focused on securing a role in the school musical and can often be heard singing as she practices for her big break. We also know that she was fostered by the family and is initially delighted to welcome Mae into the family home. 

Naomi Tan starred as Zoey in the TV series Are You Afraid of the Dark?. She also played Charlotte in The Baby-Sitters Club and is the voice of Glenda in kids TV series Chip and Potato

Gerardo Celasco as Detective Lopez

Gerardo Celasco as Detective Alex Lopez.

Gerardo Celasco as Detective Alex Lopez. (Image credit: Netflix)

Detective Alex Lopez is the officer assigned to investigate Mae's case. We first meet him at the hospital as he tries to establish where Mae is from and how she received such horrific injuries. He soon uncovers some unsettling facts about the troubled girl and is central to revealing who Mae really is. 

Gerardo Celasco is an American actor who started his career in the NBC daytime drama Passions. He also starred as Xavier Castillo in the ABC series How to Get Away with Murder and in the 2022 series Swimming with Sharks

Devil in Ohio is currently streaming globally on Netflix.

Joanne Lowles
Freelance writer and editor

Joanne Lowles has been writing about TV since 2002. After graduating from Cardiff University with a Postgraduate Diploma in Magazine Journalism, she worked for All About Soap magazine covering the ups and downs of life on the cobbles, the square and the Dales. 


Next came nearly 10 years at TV Times magazine as a writer and then deputy features editor. Here she spent many happy days interviewing the biggest names in entertainment and visiting the sets of some of our most popular shows including Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife and Strictly Come Dancing


With a love of nature and wildlife she’s also interviewed the leading experts in this area including David Attenborough, Chris Packham and Steve Backshall. She’s also travelled the world visiting Mongolia, Canada and South Africa to see how the best in the business make the most brilliant natural history documentaries. 


Freelance since 2013, she is now is a digital writer and editor for What to Watch, previews the best on the box for TV Times mag each week and loves being constantly surprised, entertained and informed by the amazing TV that she is lucky enough to watch.