Hulu’s coming-of-age series Pen15 concluded in December 2021, much to the disappointment of fans. The cringe comedy premiered in February 2019 and was renewed for Season 2 that May following Season 1’s positive reviews and approval ratings. The first season won Gotham Awards for Breakthrough Series — Short Form, alongside a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. Returning for Season 2 in September 2020, Pen15 picked up three additional nominations for Primetime Emmy among other coveted awards.
The buddy quirky series follows two teenage girls while they navigate middle school, dealing with all the awkwardness of being teenagers. Pen15’s cast is perhaps the most intriguing element of the hit show starring two female leads in their mid-30s as teenagers, along with co-stars who are truly teenagers. Although Hulu and the creators are open to continuing the Pen15 story, there are no guarantees for Season 3. Getting another installment depends on how inspired the lead actors and creators feel in the future. In the meantime, meet the cast of the teen comedy series.
Maya Erskine As Maya Ishii-Peters
Also the creator, writer, and executive producer, Maya Erskine leads the Pen15 cast as Maya Ishii-Peters. Drawing from her real-life teenage experience, Maya plays the awkward class clown in Pen15. Reliving the most embarrassing moments of her teen life onscreen was therapeutic for Erskine. “There’s catharsis in all of it,” she told Deadline after the series concluded. The actress described embodying the emotions of her teenage life as “freeing and comfortable.”
However, she admitted that it was a challenging task. “We didn’t want it to come off like a sketch. We wanted to try to make it as real as possible. So there was a lot of fear going in,” she explained. Since Pen15, Maya Erskine has landed several big and small screen roles. Notably, she portrayed Sully Stark in Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi and stars opposite Donald Glover in Prime Video’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Erskine’s performance in Season 1 of the spy series received the Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Anna Konkle As Anna Kone
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Before Pen15, Anna Konkle was known for playing Tara Milly Izikoff in Fox’s police procedural drama series Rosewood. The American actress co-created Pen15 with Erskine and Sam Zvibleman. She plays Maya’s best friend struggling to cope with her parents’ divorce. Apart from picking clues from her teenage co-stars to play the teenage version of herself, Konkle dwelled on memories of her life at age 13 to portray the character.
“I would have moments right before a scene, sort of closing my eyes and picturing myself at 13,” she told Script Mag in a January 2022 interview. Konkel also moved on to other projects after Pen15 concluded, including Christopher Miller’s anthology series The Afterparty. She’s billed to star alongside Daniella Pineda, Devon Bostick, and Guy Burnet in Tony Yacenda’s Western.
Mutsuko Erskine As Yuki Ishii-Peters
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The newcomer portrays Maya’s unyielding but loving mom, Yuki Ishii-Peters. Mutsuko Erskine is Maya Erskine’s mother in real life. She’s originally from Japan where she met and began dating famous American drummer Peter Erskine. They eventually got married and moved to the United States, settling in California to build their family. Speaking to Elle about her role on the Hulu series, Mutsuko acknowledged she isn’t a professional actress.
She attributed her performance to her daughter. “Most of the time I’m okay,” she said, “but when I was having a hard time, she would explain what’s going through my mind and act in front of me. Then I’d just copy her. I’m a good copier,” added the Yuki Ishii-Peters actress. With Pen15 as her first acting experience, Mutsuko Erskine is now interested in playing more roles. She has been auditioning through her daughter’s agents.
Melora Walters As Kathy Kone
The American actress plays Kathy Kone, Anna Kone’s mother whose lifestyle clashes with her husband’s, driving them to a divorce. Melora Walters described the role as “an inappropriate mom who feels no guilt,” in an interview with RogerEbert.com. The actress enjoyed working with Erskine and Kone, both of whom she likened to Jay Mohr. “Watching Jay perform is like watching Maya and Anna onset,” she told the publication. The Pen15 cast member is best known for playing Wanda Henrickson in HBO’s Big Love.
Taylor Nichols As Curtis Kone
American actor Taylor Nichols plays Anna Kone’s father Curtis Kone. He enjoyed working on the show, which he described as one of his best experiences since his time on HBO’s The Mind of the Married Man. “I think the show is hysterical and at the same time oddly moving,” he told Trainwreck’d Society. “We did a lot of improvisation on the set,” he added, divulging it was easy to work with Melora Walters who starred alongside Harold Perrineau in Case 219, a 2010 indy film he produced.
Taj Cross As Sam Zablowski
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Taj Cross rose to fame as one of Pen15’s cast members. He plays Maya’s and Anna’s friend Sam Zablowski, a character based on Sam Zivbleman who co-created the comedy series. When the show concluded in December 2021, Cross took to Instagram to express his gratitude for being a part of the series. “Since 2019 I was lucky enough to be a part of this incredible journey, and this amazing, cringey yet beautiful show that gave me an experience that had and will change my life forever.
“Thank you to all the people who worked on this lovely project, and brought this work of art to life on screen,” he wrote. After debuting with Pen15, Cross played Gabe in five 2021 episodes of Young Rock before pulling off his feature film debut in 2023 as Will in Corey Sherman’s Big Boys. He stars alongside Matthew Blood-Smyth and Claire Hinkley in The Valley of Hearts Delight, a 2024 short film directed by Mike Timm. Check out the career highlights of Stargate SG-1’s actress Teryl Rothery.
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