Before: Character Guide and Noteworthy Show Information

This is a character guide for Apple TV +’s “Before,” with character descriptions, quotes, names of actors, and more.


General Information

Network(s)Apple TV Plus
Created BySarah Thorp
Based OnN/A
First AiredOctober 25, 2024
Executive Produced ByBilly Crystal, Adam Bernstein, Eric Roth, Sarah Thorp, Jet Wilkinson
Genre(s)Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Renewal StatusTo Be Determined

Groups & Organizations

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Notable Locations & Items

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Terminology

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Noteworthy Information

  • Eli’s Dog (1.1): His name is Larry

Billy Crystal As Eli

Billy Crystal as Eli

Eli is a man who has been a child psychologist for most of his professional career and has been reeling over the sudden and traumatic death of his wife recently.

  • Character Introduced In Season 1/ Episode 1
  • The actor is also known for their role in “Untogether.”

Additional Information

  • (Season / Episode):

Quotes

Judith Light As Lynn

Judith Light as Lynn

Lynn is Eli’s wife, who was an artist with a focus on making books for children, who committed suicide for reasons unknown as of the series premiere.

  • Character Introduced In Season 1/ Episode 1
  • The actor is also known for their role in “The Young Wife.”

Additional Information

  • Death (Season 1/ Episode 3): Before her suicide, Lynn had cancer that she was fighting

Quotes

Jacobi Jupe As Noah

Noah is an 8-year-old boy who has bounced from foster home to foster home due to seeing shadowy figures about to attack people and him pouncing – thus hurting the person rather than the shadow.

  • Character Introduced In Season 1/ Episode 1

Additional Information

  • Case File (Season 1/ Episode 1): He has been in 5 foster families in the last 2 years
    • Safe Haven (1.2): Noah is a Safe Haven baby i.e. his parents dropped him off at St. Matthews near Battery Park

Quotes

Julia Chan As Eli’s Therapist

Billy Crystal as Eli and Julia Chan as Eli’s Therapist

While Eli has friends, he recognizes the power and use of a therapist, so he sees one voluntarily weekly. However, it seems that in most of his sessions, he avoids talking about Lynn and focuses on everything else in his life—almost to the point of appearing to want to talk to someone who doesn’t know him as Lynn’s husband.

Additional Information

  • (Season / Episode):

Quotes

Sakina Jaffrey As Gail

Sakina Jaffrey as Gail

Gail is a lawyer with a professional relationship with Eli, who she uses to do psychological exams.

  • Character Introduced In Season 1/ Episode 1

Additional Information

  • (Season / Episode):

Quotes

Itzhak Perlman As Drake

Itzhak Perlman as Drake

Drake is a professor and friend of Eli, whom he goes to when he is trying to decipher what Noah was saying after he attacked Eli.

  • Character Introduced In Season 1/ Episode 1

Additional Information

  • (Season / Episode):

Quotes

Robert Townsend As Jackson

Robert Townsend as Jackson

Jackson is one of Eli’s closest friends, whom he has known since college.

Additional Information

  • (Season / Episode):

Quotes

  • You’re blinders are both your main strength and your main weakness. — Jackson, quoting Lynn (1.3)

Rosie Perez As Denise

Jacobi Jupe as Noah and Rosie Perez as Denise

Denise is Noah’s foster mom.

Additional Information

  • (Season / Episode):

Quotes

Miriam Shor As Sue Ann

Miriam Shor as Sue Ann

Sue Ann is a realtor who Eli isn’t the most fond of, but she does make an effort for his business enough that he recognizes she isn’t a bad person, just a persistent one.

  • Character Introduced In Season 1/ Episode 2

Additional Information

  • (Season / Episode):

Quotes

Maria Dizzia As Barbara

Maria Dizzia as Barbra,

Barb is Eli’s daughter. For most of his life, she has come second to his work, which has long complicated their relationship.

Additional Information

  • (Season / Episode):

Quotes

Rebecca Ruane As Sophie

Rebecca Ruane as Sophie

Sophie is Eli’s granddaughter.

  • Character Introduced In Season 1/ Episode 3

Additional Information

  • (Season / Episode):

Quotes

Ava Lalezarzadeh As Cleo

Ava Lalezarzadeh as Cleo

Despite Eli wrapping things up with his career, on the verge of retirement after Noah, he still has an office and an assistant, Cleo, who helps with the paperwork and changes his notes into the proper format for diagnosis and likely billing.

  • Character Introduced In Season 1/ Episode 3

Additional Information

  • (Season / Episode):

Quotes

Episodes


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