The Horror of Dolores Roach – Cast and Character Guide

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This is a character guide for Prime Video’s “The Horror of Dolores Roach,” with character descriptions, names of actors, and more.

Please Note: This content contains pertinent spoilers, descriptions are updated as new information is presented, images are changed as better ones are captured, and this is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, guest star, or recurring role. 

Dolores Roach (Justina Machado)

Dolores is searching for a new life after spending 16 years in prison for selling weed. She sees a chance to thrive by starting a massage business in a basement under an empanada joint. Dolores wants to be a good person, but her impulse is often anger and violence to solve a situation. This violence leads to multiple murders, and as much as Dolores wants to change, she finds herself resorting to old habits. 

Additional Information

• Introduced In: 1.1 “They Called Me Magic Hands”
• The Actor Is Also Known For: “One Day at a Time,” “All Together Now,” and “Jane the Virgin”

Luis Batista (Alejandro Hernandez)

Luis is the sole person Dolores recognizes from her old neighborhood. Now grown, Luis has dreams of success with his empanada business and becoming Dolores’ lover. He’s an opportunist with new recipes and marketing ideas to keep his empanada business going. Luis’ opportunism takes him to dangerous heights when he starts using Dolores’ murders as a chance to sell a new empanada. 

Additional Information

• Introduced In: 1.1 “They Called Me Magic Hands”
• The Actor Is Also Known For: “New Amsterdam”

Nellie (Kita Updike)

Nellie is an employee at Empanada Loca and a young woman more concerned about her phone than anything going on at her store. Despite her lack of passion in empanadas, she’s a terrific salesperson who continues to help wherever possible. 

Additional Information

• Introduced In: 1.1 “They Called Me Magic Hands”
• The Actor Is Also Known For: “The Horror of Dolores Roach” podcast

Jeremiah (K. Todd Freeman)

Jeremiah is also a member of the old Washington Heights neighborhood and used to deliver meat to Luis’ father. Jeremiah is incredibly kind but is hurt and suspicious when Luis’ empanada business starts booming, but he no longer needs Jeremiah as a delivery man. 

Additional Information

• Introduced In: 1.1 “They Called Me Magic Hands”
• The Actor Is Also Known For: “A Series of Unfortunate Events”

Jonah Pearlman (Ilan Eskenazi)

Jonah is the son of Dolores and Luis’ landlord, who is also Dolores’ first victim. Jonah seems more kind, more pragmatic, and more cautious than his father, but he starts to add pressure on Dolores when searching for his missing father. 

Additional Information

• Introduced In: 1.3 “Like a Stoned-Ass Baby” 
• The Actor Is Also Known For: “Deal” short film

General Information

Synopsis

Dolores Roach is released from prison after 16 years, and she returns to her now-gentrified Washington Heights neighborhood. With nowhere to go, she turns to Luis, the sole person she recognizes in her old neighborhood.  He lets her live and work as a masseuse in the basement under his empanada shop. But when the promise of her newfound stability is threatened, Dolores and Luis will do anything possible to keep themselves surviving and thriving- even if one of those possibilities is murder.

Notable Locations & Items

• Washington Heights: The gentrified New York neighborhood where most of the story takes place.  

Episode Listing

Notable Episodes

• 1.2 “This Building’s Gonna be the Death of Me,” 1.3 “Like a Stoned-Ass Baby,” “1.6 “Blink Twice”

Season 1